UCD kicks off seven-week Wellness Challenge on April 4

The UC Davis Mind Body Wellness Challenge, a communitywide event sponsored by WorkLife and Wellness, encourages everyone to take steps to improve their health and wellness.

For optimal well-being, it is important to maintain health in all dimensions of life, including physical, social, emotional, intellectual, environmental, occupational and spiritual, a news release said. Challenge participants will commit to adopting one new healthy habit and maintaining it for seven weeks. After seven weeks, the new habit can become a lifelong change.

The 2013 Wellness Challenge begins Thursday, April 4, and ends at UC Walks on Wednesday, May 22.

The challenge kickoff will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at UCD’s ARC ballrooms. Attendees can learn more about wellness and the Wellness Challenge, register for the challenge, pick up a free theraband tube and water bottle (while supplies last), participate in various health assessments/screenings and enter to win door prizes.

Each week of the challenge there will be at least one wellness activity and an email with links and resources to keep participants motivated and on track. At the kickoff, participants will be given a “wellness passport” to record their weekly progress and receive stamps and raffle tickets for completed activities that earn them chances to win one of three challenge prizes, including a the first prize of a two-night stay in the suite at Chanslor Ranch in Bodega Bay.

Additionally, each stamp (activity attended) qualifies as StayWell follow-up points. Register for the challenge online at http://wellnesschallenge.ucdavis.edu or at the kickoff event. Online registration is encouraged to avoid registration lines.

Complete challenge details, including a wellness self-assessment, a listing of all of the weekly events, additional suggestions for healthy habits and online registration, are available at the website.

For more information about wellness, ideas for a personal challenge, and the various wellness resources available to UCD staff, students and others, visit http://mywellness.ucdavis.edu.