Learn about LIVEWELL@Sinclair

“The more I live; the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize the less I know.” – song lyric from “A Piece of Sky”

IDENTIFY GOALS

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” – Andrew Carnegie

“I do know that when I am 60, I should be attempting to achieve different personal goals than those which had priority at age 20.” – Warren Buffett

For the best chance at success in setting and meeting your personal health goals, start by getting a better understanding of your personal health situation. 

1. Login to the Health Activity Tracker.
2. Go to My Wellness. Select then complete the Health Risk Assessment. A Recommendations Report will be provided to you from HealthWorks immediately upon completing the assessment. This report is a great tool to help you set your goals. 
3. Use the tips below to set achievable goals.
   • Don’t try to fix everything all at once.  If, for example, the HRA recommended five areas that you need to work on, start with the one that is easier to accomplish. This can build your confidence to set and meet the next goal.
   • Make your goals SMARTer. Rather than “lose weight”, set the goal to "lose weight so I have more energy to play with my children/grandchildren" or "the stamina to take the stairs from the basement to the third floor in Buildings 1-7 on the Dayton campus."
   • Be specific. Don’t say “lose weight”. Say “lose 10 pounds.”
   • Break down larger goals into small, specific steps.
   • Give yourself a realistic deadline.
   • Ask for help. Work with your health care professionals to help you create goals and set deadlines, track progress, and provide accountability.
   • Find cheerleaders. Assemble a team of family, friends and colleagues to cheer your progress and boost your efforts.  Don't walk alone at lunch, grab a co-worker!
   • Keep going.  Life happens and achieving a goal takes time. Patience, perseverance, and self-compassion are key to consistently moving toward a healthier lifestyle.
   • Visit the My Resources link in the Health Activity Tracker to manage your goals.  You can check off what has been completed and view what remains active.

VISIT HEALTH PROS

"Research has shown that people who have a primary care doctor do better in managing chronic diseases, spend less time in the hospital, less time away from work, and are more satisfied with their care. They also can save money, because not getting sick is less expensive than dealing with being sick." – Cleveland Clinic

Just as Sinclair students look to faculty and staff as experts to guide their educational journey, a primary care physician (PCP) is a critical partner in guiding your path to a long and healthy life. A PCP is the person you trust to guide you towards the right care in the right setting in a way that is consistent with your preferences and values.

There are different types of primary care doctors.

• Family practitioners care for patients of all ages and often provide primary care for everyone in a family.
• Pediatricians treat children from newborns to 18 years old. They work in collaboration with parents and other health care providers. Pediatricians are board-certified in pediatric medicine.
• Internists, or internal medicine doctors, may focus on a specific health concern, helping you better manage your care. They are board-certified in the broad field of internal medicine, and subspecialties include cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, hematology, oncology, pulmonary disease, rheumatology and immunology.
• Geriatricians treat patients age 60+. Their focus is on common medical conditions and concerns associated with aging. They are board-certified in internal or family medicine with additional certification in geriatrics.
• Obstetricians and gynecologists specialize in women’s health and might be a primary care doctor for a woman, especially if she is or will be pregnant.
• Nurse Practitioners (NP) and Physician Assistants (PA) are medical professionals sometimes referred to as advanced practice providers (APP). They are medical providers with master’s degrees. NPs attend a graduate nursing program and tend to have specialties. PAs attend a master’s program based on medical education and tend to have a more generalized medical understanding.

If there is a situation in which your clinical care requires the consultation of a specialized provider, a dedicated PCP will know your unique situation, your history, and even what kind of physician personalities might best suit your communication style. This can ultimately save you time and money while ensuring that you receive the best available care.

Do you have a Primary Care Physician (PCP)?  If not, the time is NOW!

To get started, if you are receiving health insurance benefits through UnitedHealthcare, visit https://www.uhc.com, and click on “Find a Doctor.” Be sure to have your UnitedHealthcare Member ID available to ensure you can find doctors in your network.

Additional “Find a Doctor” resources can be found at:  Kettering Health  Network and Premier Health.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Staying healthy extends to managing lots of problems that can complicate our lives including substance abuse, emotional distress, work-related stress, and relationship concerns to name a few.  A benefit of full-time employment at Sinclair is the Premier Health Partners Employee Assistance Program for you and your household members.

Questions about EAP? Contact the Benefits Administrator at hrdept@sinclair.edu.

Sources: 
https://www.uhc.com/member-resources/choosing-a-doctor
https://ketteringhealth.org/why-you-can-trust-a-nurse-practitioner-or-physician-assistant

EXERCISE

“You don’t get what you wish for. You get what you work for.” – Daniel Milstein, entrepreneur

Let’s face it -  we know the many benfits of regular exercise, but most of us have a tough time getting started. For Sinclair employees, the Physical Activity Center (PAC) is an excellent resource.

Facilities include:

• Gymnasium       
• Weight Room
• Aerobic, martial arts, Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates studio
• Multipurpose field house featuring a 1/9 mile running track; tennis courts; indoor group cycling area; and a netting system for golf classes
• A PAC Activity Class Pass  allows for drop-in admission to Non Credit Activity Classes such as yoga, core conditioning, flexibility fitness and aquatic exercise.  Cost for the Class Pass is $25.00. It is good for 10 admissions to Non Credit Activity Classes.
• Open Hours at the pool, weight room and field house include the lunch hour and after work hours. An open hours activity pass for employees is $10 per semester.
• You can also register for full-semester academic credit PED courses. Classes are one credit hour (tuition free), but include a lab fee. 

Visit the PAC website for complete details.

Tuition Waivers

To make it as easy as possible to use the exercise facilities at Sinclair, the Staff Development and Innovation Committee (SDIC) sponsors up to two (2) fitness classes per semester – credit and non-credit—for full-time employees.  An SDIC form must be completed each semester to qualify for PED tuition and fee waivers.  The form can be found on my.sinclair in FORMS CENTRAL under Human Resources Benefits.

WELL-BEING

“Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind, and spirit - the realization that everything we do, think, feel, and believe has an effect on our state of well-being.”  
– Greg Anderson, cancer survivor and motivational speaker

There are different types of wellness that together help us achieve balance in our lives:

• Emotional: understanding your feelings and coping effectively with stress. Emotional wellness means you are open to learning new things and accepting new ideas.
• Intellectual: the ability to learn and use knowledge. Intellectual wellness means you are open to new experiences that will expand what you know.
• Spiritual: developing a set of values that help you seek meaning and purpose. Spiritual wellness means knowing which resources to use to cope with issues that come up in everyday life.
• Social: how we interact with people and the environment. Social wellness means you develop encouraging relationships with peers, but also intimate relationships with romantic partners.
• Physical: aspects of health related directly to the body. Physical wellness means exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep and paying attention to the signs of illness and getting help when needed.

When any aspect of wellness is challenged, it’s a good idea to seek assistance. 

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Staying healthy extends to managing lots of problems that can complicate our lives including substance abuse, emotional distress, work-related stress, and relationship concerns to name a few.  A benefit of full-time employment at Sinclair is the Premier Health Partners Employee Assistance Program for you and your household members. 

Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement

For intellectual wellness, it’s important to be a life-long learner, and Sinclair has generous benefits for employees looking to further their education. Full-time and part-time employees can take advantage of the hundreds of courses and over 250 programs that Sinclair offers tuition-free. If you are a full-time employee pursuing an advanced degree at another institution, Sinclair offers a reimbursement benefit. For details, visit the Professional Development page.

EARN FOR EFFORT

For full-time benefit-eligible employees: stay motivated and have fun as you work toward your goals! Sinclair has partnered with HealthWorks to provide an easy to use, easy to access Health Activity Tracker. 

Login to the Health Activity Tracker to view wellness challenges that, if completed, can earn you points toward your wellness reward!

Login To The Health Activity Tracker

LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY

“Find the need and endeavor to meet it.” - David A. Sinclair

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss

From the college's beginnings in 1887, the mission of Sinclair has been linked to making our community a better place, and the first step is to get involved – in your Sinclair community as well as the community in which you live. 

Volunteering is a vital way to give back to our communities. Try joining a local service organization, ushering at an area performance, helping out an area animal shelter or volunteering for a specific project.  Getting involved in your work or home community can help you make friends, learn new skills, and even help you feel happier and healthier.  And there is no better way to stay motivated than to find something you are passionate about.

At Sinclair, some examples of ways to get involved on campus include:

• LIVEWELL@Sinclair events
• Bike to Work Day (May)
• Welcome Week (August, January)
• Staff Senate 5S5K Walk/Run (September)
• Veteran’s Day Remembrance Walk (November)
• Donations and drives sponsored by student clubs and academic departments

Stay up-to-date with all the activities and opportunities at Sinclair with the Sinclair Buzz news feed.

LASTING BENEFITS

Healthy Living Success Stories

Sinclair employees can experience long-lasting benefits of adopting healthier habits through the LIVEWELL@Sinclair program.

Debbie Fobbs, Coordinator Equity Success Coach in Flexible Learning shared how she was inspired to make life changes because of the LIVEWELL@Sinclair program:

What started you on a journey to better health? Believe or not, it was our annual Employee Wellness Fair and other resources available at Sinclair.  At the Wellness Fair about five years ago, I stopped at the Dietetics table, and when I saw the illustration of the amount of sugar in can of pop, I was truly shocked.  I just hadn’t paid attention. I reduced how much pop I drank right away, and since that time water is my beverage of choice.

With that kick-start, did you take any other steps? About the same time, I got an assessment in the Bod Pod – a tool used by our Allied Health department. When Professor Nila Peavy shared my results, she asked me some tough questions about how I wanted my future to look.  My fat-to-muscle ratio was way off, and the information led me to sign up for a PED class.  I have taken many since then – Flexibility, Weight Training, Zumba – all sorts. I am much more successful with an instructor than going it alone, and I try to get a friend to take a class with me.

I also have a good friend who has taught me how to eat “clean.” This has improved how I purchase and prepare food for myself and my family. I can’t forget the mobile mammogram.  It’s such a great service that Sinclair and Premier Health provides.  I go every year. There’s no excuse when it is right on campus.

What have the results been? Well, what I hoped—I lost weight and I felt so much better!  The things that I did were not big changes, but they have become a lifestyle, so I have stayed pretty healthy.

What advice would you give to others? For one, I wrote down a goal and put it where I see it every day. They say if you put a thought out into the universe, it has a way of coming to pass. That has been true for me with this journey. I would also say start with one thing and see how it goes.  Finally, use the resources we have at the college.  They are really great—from the Physical Activity Center to the Wellness Fair and more.  They have been lifesavers for me.

Chris Prokes, Program Director in the eLearning Division has also participated in LIVEWELL@Sinclair, and he shared the lasting benefits he has experienced:

What started you on a journey to better health? I really didn’t take much stock in my health in my 20’s. I worked a lot. Food was a stress relief – and not healthy food. I am a baseball umpire, and that doesn’t allow as much physical activity as I needed to stay fit.  About six years ago, I was working a game and during a play at third base, I called the player out.  The coach, who I respect very much, said to me, “Can you maybe call him out from closer than 70 feet?”  I hadn’t realized that I had hardly moved from my spot because I had become winded.  Then I saw a photo of myself working, and was pretty disgusted – not only with how I looked, but how my performance on the field was suffering.

With that wake-up call, what was your next step? I met with my doctor and did a full physical. My numbers were terrible, and my doctor was blunt. He said I needed to make changes. We worked out a plan to address my biggest needs – better eating, cardiovascular fitness and weight loss.  I committed, was satisfied with the early results, and they’ve improved. I chose running – primarily for the cardio – and have now completed six half-marathons.

What have the results been? I lost 60 pounds (that’s 4 waist sizes!), and I feel great.  I enjoy working out and eating healthy.  And it’s a family affair. My wife and I have been on this journey together. She has always been athletic, so she is a great motivator. And my son is a big part of my support system.

I have gotten to know a number of Sinclair employees at the PAC in Building 8 and made several lasting friendships. Those who work out regularly really support each other, and knowing them has given me a greater appreciation for the work being done at the college.

Now that I am fit, I have also been able to excel in my work as an umpire, which has enabled me to represent our region at the high school State Baseball Tournament and college post-season.

What advice would you give to others? It is never too early or too late to start making changes. Make sure to include your doctor, and don’t bite off more that you can chew at once. Don’t be afraid to try something different or stretch your limits. Make time to take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. It is not easy to change, but it can be done. Have a support system of family and/or friends.  And it’s OK to splurge once in a while!

Questions about LIVEWELL@Sinclair? Send an email to LIVEWELL@sinclair.edu.