In July, Health Plus introduced the idea of You+, a belief that when you take care of your body and mind, good health will follow. To reinforce our commitment to whole body wellness, the team at Health Plus is dedicating October to our first ever Wellness Challenge and we invite you to join us!
The Wellness Challenge is simple. Each day for two weeks we will introduce a new Challenge for all of us to try. The first week is devoted to supporting Mental Wellness and the second week will introduce Physical Wellness activities. The goal is to test out new or different techniques that support our overall health and to ultimately incorporate the ones we like into our everyday wellness routines.
Feel free to post photos online about your progress with the hashtag #HPIWellness and tag Health Plus Facebook and Instagram so we can cheer you on. We believe that supporting each other during the Challenge will be key to our mutual success.
Are you ready to take the Health Plus October Wellness Challenge with us?
Week one: Mental wellness
Engaging in activities that support mental health can have a positive impact on the choices we make, our relationships and how we function during times of stress. The objective for this week is to commit to supporting your mental wellness each day with a new challenge. We believe our list has something that will appeal to everyone. So whether you are interested in trying a new kind of deep breathing, writing about your feelings in a journal or connecting with a loved one, we hope you will find a way to bring a sense of peace to your day. We’ve included links where experts explain each technique.
1. Practice deep breathing. One style, known as diaphragmatic breathing, involves taking slow deep breaths that engage the diaphragm to help you relax.
2. Reduce stress with progressive muscle relaxation. This method of relieving body tension combines breath work with focused attention to each muscle group.
3. Gratitude journal. Or write about your feelings, if you're not in a space of gratitude.
4. Engage your senses with a calming scent like lavender
5. Engage a different sense, the sense of touch— by immersing your body in warm water or wear your softest sweats
6. Guided meditation
7. Call a friend or loved one, just to talk and check in.
Week Two: Physical Wellness
It is well known that staying active and eating nourishing foods play an important role in maintaining physical strength and wellness. It is also well known that losing motivation and sticking to a physical fitness routine can be hard. But so many daily activities are actually exercise! Part of maintaining physical wellness can mean a mindset shift. This week, the Wellness Challenge presents a variety of interesting ways that we hope will encourage you to treat your body with some love . Our list ranges from simple ways to get moving, like trying a new stretch or plank to ideas for preparing a healthy meal. So let’s get physical!
1. Go for a walk, or even walk around your home
2. Try a new stretch
3. Ease into yoga
4. Try a plank, or a modified plank, for core strength
5. Clean your home (cleaning is exercise!)
6. Cook or prepare a meal with fresh ingredients
7. Try only plant-based foods for a day, to give your body a change!