Welcome to the Healthy UBC Newsletter!
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The University of British Columbia
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Posted by: Breeonne Baxter | December 21, 2011
Welcome to the Healthy UBC Newsletter!
Filed under: Issue
Posted by: Suzanne Jolly | May 7, 2012 | 4 comments
In high school I was active in basketball and soccer. Those teams were the last time I think I ever really consistently trained for anything. It’s hard to believe that in my adult life, I have never committed myself to training to accomplish a physical goal. I may have “trained a little” for the Sun Run one year but I really didn’t understand what it meant to truly train.
The mentality that comes with training for a goal is a lot different than the “play for fun and fitness” state of mind with which I normally approach physical activity. There is just over a month left before my big mountain bike race- the Test of Metal- and I have to admit that I’m really starting to feel the pressure. My Test of Lungs, as I’m referring to it, is looming.
For the last month, I have been riding 3 or 4 times a week. Some days it’s sections of the Test race course while other days it’s simply a long or short ride to work the legs and strain the lungs. It has been rewarding to find improvement. At the top of once dreaded hills which only a few months ago would leave me dry heaving or hyperventilating, I find myself happy to continue spinning the pedals. My spirit is boosted by the obvious signs of improvement and my tears of doubt about whether I will be able to do this race with dignity in memory of my friend are thankfully less frequent.
Being in training has now become something of an easy excuse to opt out of unhealthy options. When I would have been forced to buy food at a restaurant that doesn’t offer healthy options, I made myself a spinach salad in advance. When friends ask me to join them out for a beer at the pub (where we likely would end up eating dinner as well), I say “Sorry no, I’m in training so I have to watch what I eat.” My goal is to reduce the amount weight that I have to lug up the 1200 meters of vertical gain on the Test and it seems to be slowly being achieved.
Choices suddenly become easier as I find friends and family complimenting me on how I’ve lost weight (and I’m quick to point out that it’s actually that I’ve gained muscle!). My friends know now to ask me to join them if they’re going riding, and the more people who know I’m in training, the more people invite me out for a ride (and the more often I am likely to hop on that bike!). My focus on biking and making healthy choices is truly a necessity now.
This past week though I shifted my focus because I’m taking a night course to learn to motorcycle ride (something that I’ve always wanted to do).
Glenn and his dog Gorgeous used to walk the trails with my dog and I- some of the trails are part of my Test race course.
It’s actually something else that I wish Glenn were around for- he loved to dirt bike and we would have had a blast together. My evenings after work for the last week are filled with classroom lessons and practicing so my bicycle has stayed in the garage.
Much to my surprise, even after just five days of non-riding, my body is yelling at me! It’s aching and complaining worse than if I had ridden the entire Test of Metal race course! It is as if my blood has thickened from my laziness and I now find myself dreading my next bike ride (which will be Wednesday night when my course is done). As a result of ignoring my training right now, I am also finding it more difficult to prioritize healthier foods.
One has to wonder whether my body has finally found its groove and has achieved a new level of health through all this regular, committed physical activity. I cringe to think how my body will scream when I am done the test. What choices will will I make when I’m not in training anymore? Why would I make those unhealthier choices? What would my life be like if I was always in training?
I can imagine the conversation now:
Me (turning away from the donut offered): “I’m in training actually, so no thanks.”
Friend: “Oh really? Training for what?”
Me: “Training for a long, healthy life!”
Glenn would have had a good laugh with me on that one.
I hope you’ll support my Test of Lungs, in support of those with cystic fibrosis, by choosing to donate to one of the following:
Glenn Ashenden Memorial Fund at St. Paul’s Hospital- please be sure to specify “Glenn Ashenden Memorial Fund”
Cystic Fibrosis of Canada
Filed under: Physical Health, Suzanne's Stories | Tags: cystic fibrosis, test of lungs, test of metal
Posted by: Miranda Massie | April 26, 2012 | no comments
May 7th to 13th is National Mental Health Week.
In order to help you maintain a balanced life and to promote gaining and maintaining positive mental health, UBC’s EFAP provider Homewood Human Solutions has put together a Mental Health Resource Kit.
In addition, their May 2012 Newsletter contains myths and facts about mental health.
For more information about Canada’s Mental Health Week and to learn more about engaging and reflecting on mental health in your life or in your community, please visit the Canadian Mental Health Association’ s Mental Health Week website.
Filed under: EFAP, Mental Health | Tags: EFAP, Homewood Human Solutions, mental health, Mental Health resources
Posted by: Suzanne Jolly | April 24, 2012 | no comments
Registration deadline is tomorrow (Wednesday April 25) at 4 pm for the UBC Staff and Faculty Sports Day. We run the event as an opportunity to celebrate the end of the school year with your colleagues. It’s offered free from UBC REC and UBC Human Resources, because it’s an opportunity to make being active more acceptable in your workplace. Yes, someone might see you in a tank top and running shoes! It’s a rare opportunity for you to thoroughly incorporate physical and mental activity (and fun!) into your work relationships.
Sports Day was one of the highlights of my year last year. Competing with my HR colleagues in games like human foosball and dodgeball were hilarious and fun (and honestly a bit tiring). If you haven’t registered yet for Sports Day, I cannot stress how important it is for you to rally your 4-6 colleagues and participate. Take the big risk and try something a little different, will you?
I say this because I have learned the importance of grand events, like Sports Day, in terms of making changes in one’s life. It changes not only our own lives, but also those around us. Slowly but surely, the lives of our friends and family members also become better, healthier and more fun.
I was reminded of the importance of grand events recently because of the Sun Run. Running ranks as one of the top three activities that I normally dislike. At least that’s what I thought, until my Mom asked me to run the Sun Run with her in my first year at UBC. I have discovered that when your Mom (who is in her 60’s) asks you to run 10 kilometers, you agree without hesitation. Images of her running while you stand lazily cheering her on from the sidelines is a bit embarrassing, especially when you happen to do health promotions for a living.
So for the third year, I agreed to the Sun Run and try to be excited. I try to train, but I hate running, so the training happens rarely (if ever). Once I’m there at the Sun Run start line though, I am the one bounding with enthusiasm. The spirit of thousands of people running and walking together is so overwhelmingly positive. It is incredible to take part, even while everyone goes silent after a little while- focused on the effort of running up the hill to access the Burrard Bridge for example. Those thousands of people walking and running inspire me to continue pushing myself to run as well. I never really thought I could run 10 kilometers, but for the last three years, I’ve proved myself wrong. More importantly, I have also actually come to enjoy it! I’ve even begun to recruit others to join us!
My Mom, my roommate and myself. You would never guess we had run 10 kms that morning! (Not shown: our slow, sore sauntering method of walking!)
For the third year of the Sun Run with my Mom, I happened to mention to my new roommate about our plans. Her response was surprising since I know she actually goes for runs on her own: “Really? I don’t think I could run 10 kilometers.” I am certain that you can imagine what happened next. I was telling her about how she would surprise herself.
The morning of the Sun Run, you could have seen my Mom, my roommate and I running down Georgia Street at the beginning of our 10 kilometers. Just an hour and eleven minutes later, my Mom crossed the finish line. For the first time ever, you would have seen me finishing the race in just under an hour, thanks to the fact that my roommate (who thought she couldn’t run 10 kilometers), urged me to keep running with her.
If it weren’t for the influence of my Mom, I certainly wouldn’t have ever tried to take part, and in turn, my roommate wouldn’t have taken part either. My Mom’s influence on me has led to me inspiring others to take on the challenge and also prove themselves wrong.
Events like the UBC Staff and Faculty Sports Day give us the opportunity to spread our influence and to try something different. They give us an excuse to do things that we never thought we would- to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. If you have already registered a team for Sports Day, I would like to ask you to consider if you have room on your team to encourage another person in your department/unit to take part, because your circle of influence is certainly larger than my own. If you haven’t signed up yet, or are in need of a team to join, please contact me and I’ll find you a spot. Like my Mom, I want to let people learn to love taking on the new challenge, to find new capabilities in their bodies and minds.
Thanks to all of you who will take part on May 4, and those of you who ran the Sun Run this year.
On a personal note, thanks to my Mom for continuing to inspire me.
Here’s positive influences in our world,
Suzanne
Filed under: May 2012, Physical Health, Suzanne's Stories | Tags: positive influence, Sun Run
Posted by: Suzanne Jolly | April 24, 2012 | no comments
If you haven’t tried biking to work or your bike has been put away because of the winter, May 28-June 1 is the week to time to hop back on it. It’s Vancouver’s Bike to Work Week, and there will be free bike check-ups, refreshments and checkpoints all around the city, including one at UBC on University Boulevard on May 30th from 4:00- 6:40 pm. You can also sign up for a free cycling skills course at UBC to ensure you’re a savvy cyclist on May 24. Find out more.
Filed under: May 2012, Physical Health | Tags: bicycle, bike, bike to work week, Commuting, cycling, UBC
Posted by: Suzanne Jolly | April 24, 2012 | no comments
Register your team now, or you’ll miss out on May 4′s free, fun-filled activities for your physical and mental health. We encourage you to challenge another office on campus, as this year’s activities will have lots of opportunities for you to go head to head (or toe to toe) to a specific team. We also want to remind everyone that it’s an accessible event, and we encourage anyone who might need accommodations or adaptations to any challenges to contact us in advance of May 4 so that we can make it the best possible day for everyone.
Filed under: May 2012, Mental Health, Physical Health | Tags: sports day, Sports Day 2012, staff and faculty, UBC
Posted by: Suzanne Jolly | April 24, 2012 | no comments
We now have a new corporate rate established at Body and Soul Fitness which offers a variety of services including personal training and yoga. Click here to find out more about this corporate rate, or all the others we have currently available to help you move your body more this Spring.
Filed under: May 2012, Physical Health | Tags: body and soul fitness, corporate rate, staff and faculty, UBC
Posted by: Suzanne Jolly | April 24, 2012 | no comments
Responding With Respect is a free training normally offered to departments/units to host for their staff and/or faculty. Due to frequent requests, however, we’ve decided to offer this training for any staff or faculty member who is interested. Click here to register.
Filed under: May 2012, Mental Health, Uncategorized | Tags: free, mental health, Responding with Respect, staff and faculty, training, UBC
Posted by: Miranda Massie | April 24, 2012 | 1 comment
For children and children at heart there is Disneyland. For music lovers and sun worshippers there is the Coachella Music Festival. This past weekend I spent three glorious and (almost totally) sun filled days in the middle of Palm Desert listening to some of the world most talented bands, DJ’s and MC’s.
After the dance parties had ended and the last shuttle bus had pulled out of the parking lot and as I made my way to the airport, I reflected on what I had just experienced. Beyond the explosiveness of the music and the magnitude of the event itself, the thing that struck me the most was the friendly energy and positivity that radiated from the tens of thousands in attendance.
I have heard people complain about Vancouver as being an unfriendly city. I have heard over and over that it is cliquey, hard to meet people and make connections. Having grown up here, I never really understood what they meant, that is until I stepped onto the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio California for the festival. Suddenly I understood what I was missing.
I realize that a festival environment is not a direct reflection of the real world. There were no deadlines, no children to pick up from school, no tedious chores bogging us down but instead throngs of blissful vacationers and revelers from all over the globe, seemingly without a care in the world. As cheesy as it sounds, there are no strangers at Coachella, only new friends; friends that you do not hesitate to smile at in passing or to compliment on their pretty sun dress or funky glasses. Everyone I met was legitimately interested in who I was, where I was from and what bands I was excited to see.
Upon returning from my weekend filled with excitement, warmth and community I have made the decision to pass it on. I have decided to preserve a little bit of the light that Coachella creates and to shine it on those around me. I will compliment a fellow passenger on the bus, I will smile as I pass someone on the street and I will take every opportunity to show others that they are noticed and appreciated because really, why not? We could all use a little extra unadulterated happiness in our lives and in our hearts.
Filed under: May 2012, Mental Health, Miranda's Stories
Posted by: Suzanne Jolly | April 24, 2012 | 4 comments
We are taking a bit of time to reflect on how some of our programs over the past semester may have changed the live of UBC. With this in mind, we wanted to declare May’s UBC Health Heroes: the almost 400 staff and faculty who took part in the 2012 Amazing Race Health Challenge who have found ways to continue incorporating healthier habits into their everyday lives.
Liu Institute's Sun Run Team (including the Lovely Ladies of Liu on the right: Julie, Patty and Jane)
We checked in with Patty Gallivan, one of three Lovely Liu Ladies (of the Liu Institute for Global Issues). They were the winning team, so we thought who better to ask how her life and the lives of her colleagues may have been impacted by participating in the Amazing Race. We also asked her to share some of the ways they managed to beat the other teams.
Patty explains that the UBC Amazing Race Health Challenge started just after healing from a broken wrist and ankle, but still undergoing a lot of physiotherapy and acupuncture treatments. She was able to actually benefit from the treatments, collecting points on most visits. She also outlines that she is quite health conscious, committing herself to eating nutritious food and putting in at least an hour and a half of cardiovascular fitness every day. During the Challenge, she dusted off her old cookbooks, committing to trying out a new recipe almost every day, and used some mobile technology to help her get additional points, such as using an app for her phone to play scrabble and invited 11 different people to play “words with friends” (similar to scrabble) games with her during the time of the race. The Liu Institute’s workplace culture also had an influence on her ability to collect points: they hold many events on global issues so it was easy to attend or discuss such topics with her colleagues.
But what lasting effect did the Amazing Race Health Challenge have on her habits?
Patty has found that she has continued to play “words with friends” with those 11 individuals. She also has found that she has naturally been more likely to be generous with compliments and random acts of kindness. She’s also started regularly doing step training, by taking the steps down to Wreck Beach whenever the weather is cooperative- something that she tried for the first time during the Health Challenge. She says, “I have always made my health one of my top priorities. You only have one body, so what you do with it and what you put in it is entirely up to you.”
Patty and her colleagues have been really enjoying the grand prize that they chose: two massage chairs for their office. They have even been willing to share with the other colleagues at the Liu Institute, spreading the health to more than just their own teammates.
Patty also dreams of being able to run this summer in the mornings or after work in the trails around UBC, but she admits that running on her own is a safety concern. The Lovely Lui Ladies’ healthy ways are bound to continue inspiring others to create a healthier UBC community: Patty has asked us to mention that she is looking for running partners (for long, easy-paced runs). Feel free to contact her at patty.gallivan@ubc.ca.
Filed under: Health Hero, May 2012 | Tags: Amazing Race Health Challenge, health hero, liu institute, UBC, wellbeing
