Health Plus
moves into new home

Kensington facilities a showplace for wellness program

Health Plus celebrates its move into its new fitness facility atop the Kensington Garage (at the corner of 25th Avenue and Kensington Avenue) with a grand opening Saturday, Oct. 7. This is a great chance to stop by and get a tour, check out the many new amenities, and say hello to the staff. Receive a T-shirt for stopping by (while supplies last) and partake in special events. Enjoy healthy food samples throughout each day, take a tour, and get assistance with Go for the Gold.

Here are the remaining grand opening events:

Friday, Oct. 6
Ask the Expert
11a.m.-1p.m.
Let Team Nashville help you choose the running shoe that’s right for you, answer questions and troubleshoot running-related problems you may be having.

Yoga on the Balcony
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Enjoy our beautiful balcony for a relaxing yoga class.
(class will be moved inside if weather is bad)

Chair Massages
Enjoy a revitalizing 10-minute chair massage to ease you into your evening.
4-6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7
Yoga on the Balcony
10-11:15 a.m.
(class will be moved inside if weather is bad)

Here are the requirements for use of the new Health Plus Fitness Center:
• Completion of a yearly Health Risk Assessment
• A valid Vanderbilt identification card
• Full-time and benefits eligible
If you do not have a current Health Risk Assessment you will be asked to complete one prior to admittance. Assistance is available at Health Plus during all hours of operation or at www.vanderbilt. edu/goforthegold.

Game Plan for Your Health
completes Go for the Gold steps
Full-time active, benefits eligible staff and faculty can now complete the Gold Level of the Go for the Gold Incentives Program and receive $20/month in wellness credit in 2007. More than 12,500 faculty and staff participated in the program last year, and are being rewarded by Vanderbilt for engaging in healthy lifestyle practices.
Here are the steps:

Step 1
Do your yearly Health Risk Assessment to learn what your health risks are and what you can do to become as healthy as possible.

Step 2
Do your yearly Wellness Actions Sheet to focus on healthy actions that will help you maintain or improve your health.
 
Step 3
View the 2006 Game Plan for Your Health, where you will learn ways to be an informed health care user. Game Plan for Your Health can be viewed on the Health Plus Web site, or if you’d like to view it on DVD, call Health Plus at 343-8943 for campus locations where you can pick up a DVD. The deadline for completion is Nov. 30.

Go for the Gold Help Sessions set
Health Plus staff will be available to answer questions and assist faculty and staff in completing the 2006 Go for the Gold Program, as well as offering blood pressure and weight checks, at the following times and locations:

Oct. 10
Light Hall, Room 412 (Benefits fair)
10 a.m.- 7 p.m.

Oct. 12
Law School, Room 314 (Benefits fair)
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Oct. 17
Central Library, Electronics Classroom
11a.m.-2 p.m.

Oct. 26
Health Plus , Kensington garage, 7th floor
11a.m.-2 p.m.

Nov. 27
The Vanderbilt Clinic Rooms 2702-2703
7a.m.-6 p.m.

Nov. 29
Health Plus , Kensington garage, 7th floor
10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Help is also available at Health Plus and the Occupational Health Clinic during hours of operation. Attendees should have their VU net ID and e-password to participate.

…And the help will now come to you
And Go for the Gold help sessions can now come to you. New this year, any department that has computers available for use, at least 10 people who are interested in completing the program, and gives one week notice, can schedule a time for a Health Plus Go for the Gold help session.  To arrange a session, e-mail Kimberly Tromatore at kimberly.a.tromatore@vanderbilt.edu to schedule. 

Walking Club
The fall Walking Club is under way. It meets every Wednesday through Nov. 1. Walkers (all fitness levels are encouraged to come along) meet at noon at the Medical Center North shuttle drop off for a half-hour walk around campus. If it’s raining, the club meets anyway, and walks indoors through the tunnels. A Walking Club also meets at Chestnut Street Plant Operations on Thursdays through Nov. 2. Download a walking log on our Web site at www.vanderbilt.edu/ goforthegold. Contact walking guru Lori Cowan at 343-6576 or lori.l.cowan@vanderbilt.edu for more details.

Life Phase Series arranges your life
The Life Phase series showcases speakers who have ideas to help staff and faculty balance work and home responsibilities. This month’s Life Phase series is titled Be Active in Nashville, and will be held Thursday, Oct. 19, in 411 Light Hall from noon to 1 p.m.

Music City Moves!
is a community partnership committed to building an active, healthy community for everyone. With proper community design, studies show that people are more likely to weave activities into their daily lives. Learn more about how you can help promote active healthy living in your community and upcoming active events.

Self Care classes offered
Most of the time when you get sick or injured, you’ll recover without special medical care. But how do you know when medical care is necessary?
In the “Self Care Techniques” class, Occupational Health Clinic Nurse Practitioner Alice Warren will teach you:
• How to prevent and treat common health problems
• Step-by-step procedures that outline how to know when to seek medical attention
• How to identify the best health care provider for your condition
• Class attendees will receive a free copy of Healthy Life: Self-Care Guide, a manual published by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine.

Wed., Oct. 25
Light Hall, room 431,
12-1p.m.

Wed., Nov. 22
The Learning Center, MCN, 12-1p.m.
Pre-registration is not required.

Tai chi is back
Tai chi is back at 415 Light Hall, as Steve Deppen returns for another session of classes through Nov. 9 on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 5 to 6 p.m. Please check our online schedule for the room number or call Health Plus at 343-8943.

Faculty and Staff Swim Nights
The next Health Plus Staff and Faculty Swim Nights are scheduled for Oct. 6 , Nov. 3, and Dec. 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Campus Recreation Center Pool. Participants should wear their bathing suit and bring a towel—and their staff ID. It’s OK to bring along the whole family or to invite a guest.

Babies and You
Babies and You is a prenatal program offered to full-time faculty and staff and their dependents. Co-sponsored by Health Plus, the Benefits division of Human Resource Services, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Patient Care Services, and the March of Dimes, this program focuses on early prenatal care, the prevention of birth defects and low birth weight. Sign up for Babies and You within the first trimester of pregnancy and your baby will be eligible to receive a $100 savings bond (taxable) when he or she is born.
The upcoming Babies and You class is Oct. 19, is titled Breastfeeding: A Positive Choice, and is being conducted by Carol Huber, R.N., of the Women’s Education and Lactation Center.
All Babies and You classes meet from noon to 1 p.m. The class will meet in 415 Light Hall. To get more information or to register for Babies and You classes, call Lisa Conner at 343-9623.

Dance the year away
Every Monday night at 6:15, Health Plus is the dancing place to be, for the Fitness through Dance class. The schedule for the rest of 2006 is:
October – Salsa
November – Cha Cha
December – East Coast Swing
Dance partners can come along for this class only, but they are not required.

Rise and get fit
In just two mornings a week you can get every component of fitness: cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training, with a package of Health Plus classes:
Cardio Blast on Tuesdays, 7:30-8 a.m.; Body Shaping on Tuesdays 8-8:30 a.m., and Stretch It on Thursdays at 7:30-8:30 a.m.