Lunch & Learns
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Whether it's in the area of physical health, emotional health or financial health - all change starts with knowledge. My lunch and learns offer education, practical tools and application on the most important topics affecting employee health and wellness. I educate employees and help them take the knowledge gained and use it in a personal Wellness Plan. Below is a list of current lunch and learns offered:
1. A Healthy Balance - Benefits of overall Wellness - using my personal story as an example. I teach the four legs of the fitness stool: Nutrition, Cardio exercise, Resistance exercise and Stretching. I cover how each plays a different role in overall fitness, but together create a synergy that improves health and quality of life. I also share some helpful tools that can help with Wellness goals, most importantly having a Wellness plan. I dive deeper in subsequent sessions.
2. Nutrition is the Best Medicine - This talk is on the importance of healthy eating. I cover important aspects of the macronutrients: carbohydrates (and the Glycemic index), lean proteins and healthy fats. I highlight several super foods that provide excellent nutrition. I cover several common foods to avoid or eat rarely, and explain why. I promote food logging and healthy shopping.
3. Exercise is Great Medicine (Resistance) - Focus is on the benefits of resistance exercise and the health industries recommendations on amount, type and level of exertion. I offer tips on how to keep it interesting and fun. Key concepts are covered including targeting all major muscle groups, the important of progressive over-load and muscle confusion. Proper stretching techniques pertaining to resistance exercise is also covered. If time permits I add an activity, like a 10 minute chair work-out, to provide a taste of a resistance workout using body weight.
4. Exercise is Great Medicine (Cardio) - Focus is on the benefits of cardiovascular exercise and the health industries recommendations on amount, type and level of exertion. I focus on the benefits to our cardiovascular system and how to get the most out of this exercise by adding interval training and use of heart rate monitoring. I provide information on max heart rate and cover the heart rate exercise zones.
5. Stretching keeps us young - I explain the many benefits of stretching: flexibility, taking pressure off joints, improvement in range of motion, improved function and posture. I explain the proper way to incorporate dynamic and static stretching into an exercise program or to use in a stand-alone routine. I give a short stretching session to demonstrate and practice proper technique.
6. Stress Management (Eliciting the relaxation response) This important topic is essential with our high stress culture and personal lives. The content includes what stress is - the good, bad and ugly. It covers the “stress response” to stressors in our lives and how to manage them by eliciting the “relaxation response”. I cover the mind - body connection and how we can use it to our advantage. Several methods of stress management are covered including focused deep breathing, meditation, positive self-talk and stretching. I give advice on combining techniques for efficiency and effectiveness.
7. Wellness Plan - With all the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving and maintaining a well-balanced, healthy life, we need to be intentional by having a plan for success. This module covers key questions we need to ask and answer for ourselves (the why’s, what’s and how’s) regarding our Wellness goals. I then give step by step guidance on how to build a Wellness plan, referred to as – “the ChooseWell Challenge” - to help them achieve their goals. I coach them to use the content of the previous 6 lunch n’ learns for a balanced approach. I provide a template that includes the key elements of a successful Wellness plan. I give advice on how to keep the plan fresh, effective and fun.
8. Healthy and Active Aging - In this lunch n’ learn I help the audience understand why exercise is important - no matter our age or fitness level. I dispel negative myths that cause some to not consider exercise. I explain how to modify exercise to make it age and fitness level appropriate. I talk about how a “sedentary life style” is the new “smoking” and cover the findings found in the newest research. I give advice on various exercise approaches as we age. I also cover some of the challenges common with aging (e.g. atrophy, loss of balance, etc.) and how to delay and even reverse them through good nutrition and exercise.
9. “Your mind in the movement” - In this lunch n’ learn I cover the importance and power of the mind-body connection as it pertains to Wellness. I cover important topics like conscious awareness, creating a vision, goal setting and effective habit management. I also cover “fighting the gremlins” through positive thinking/talking/rewarding. I give helpful tips on using the various concepts and provide advice on how to implement them into their personal Wellness Plan.
10. Financial Wellness - Financial stress is a major stressor in many people’s lives. It is a major contributor to problems in marriages. It can lead to poor sleep, relationship problems, absenteeism and presenteeism problems. Financial stress can negatively affect many other areas of health and wellness. This is a foundational lunch ‘n learn that sets-up the subsequent sessions and sets expectations. I cover key principles and practical steps towards financial wellness. I challenge the group to begin doing a cash flow assessment of their income/expenses that will be useful in subsequent sessions.
11. Financial Wellness - taking control of our money! In this session I educate on the first two elements of Financial Wellness - having a financial plan and having a budget. The emphasis is on how to control our money - instead of having it control us. I cover the keys of an effective financial plan and an effective budget process. I provide templates and explain how to use them. I spend time driving home the importance of involving their spouse (if married) in the budgeting process.
12. Financial Wellness - credit cards and other non-mortgage debt. In this session I cover the dangers of credit cards and other non-mortgage debt. I share with the group an effective way to gradually and practically get out of debt so to be able to enjoy the freedom that comes from debt free living. I also cover how to plan for making larger purchases, without taking out loans, by using an accrual method. I provide a tool/template.
13. Financial Wellness - preparing for the unexpected (risk). In this lunch ‘n learn I give guidance on how to handle the risk of the unknown. I address the importance of having an emergency fund as an insurance policy against smaller unknown/unexpected expenses. I then cover the importance of adequate insurance to transfer larger risks. Since I’m a licensed agent in Life and Health Insurance I dive deepest into these topics.
14. Financial Wellness - saving for college and retirement. In this session I talk about the importance of saving for retirement. I address the various vehicles to use along with their pros and cons. I give tips on how to prepare for kids’ College. I give advice on the proper order and priority of these topics and I explain how to use time to reduce the burden. I also offer guidance and where to seek additional help on these topics.
15. Financial Wellness – paying off the mortgage, building wealth and achieving financial independence. This session covers the topics of total debt free living by paying off their mortgage early. I give advice on how to accomplish it. Then after the mortgage is gone I discuss what avenues open to them (early retirement, enhanced giving, wealth accumulation, vacation home, etc.).