Let's Talk Total Rewards—visit the new blog about UM faculty and staff benefits and retirement
A new blog is available to UM faculty and staff. Launched on May 19, Let’s Talk Total Rewards provides information on topics related to the myTotal Rewards package, including benefits, compensation, retirement and wellness programs. The blog is a place where the university community can learn about plan options and share ideas. Read articles daily and tell us what you think!

What are your thoughts about the medical, dental and vision plans available to UM faculty, staff and/or retirees? How are you saving for retirement? What classes and resources could help you adopt a healthier lifestyle? These are just a few of the ideas and questions we hope to talk about with you. Faculty, staff, retirees, students, alumni, prospective members of the university community and others are welcome to share their ideas and questions. Use the "Subscribe" field on the right-hand side of the blog to have newly posted articles delivered to your email inbox every day!

Join Zumba classes at Missouri Psychiatric Center

When: Tuesdays, June 3 – July 22, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Where: Missouri Psychiatric Center, Mid-Mo Gym

Cost: $24 for the series. $5 drop-in fee per class.

Register: Contact the class instructor, Megan Jones, at jones.megan004@gmail.com.

Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements to help increase your fitness level. Zumba's choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo and martial arts. According to Zumba Fitness, approximately 14 million people take weekly Zumba classes in over 140,000 locations across more than 185 countries. Join them. Register today! And, share the attached flyer to encourage your colleagues to attend with you.

Preserving the harvest: Workshops for home food preservers
Peppers, tasty tomatoes, juicy peaches and other fresh produce … are all so easy to preserve. Why not preserve some of this year’s harvest to enjoy all through the year? Home-preserved foods like jams, pickles or salsa also make great gifts for friends and family.

Enroll in upcoming workshops on home food preservation to learn the latest and safest ways to freeze, dry and can foods. Sign up for just one session, two or all three. Class size is limited so register early! 

These workshops are designed for beginners and those who want to update their food preservation skills. Each session will provide you with detailed, research-based information and recipes for each food preservation method. The workshops also will include demonstrations and time for answering your food preservation questions. 

Registration: extension.missouri.edu/boone

Deadline: Monday, June 2 

For questions: Vera Massey, masseyv@missouri.edu or (573) 445-9792

 

Show Me Better Health classes starting next month!
Show Me Better Health is an interactive workshop that teaches you the skills you need to take control of your health. This program is designed for people who have an ongoing health condition such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression or any other ongoing condition. It is also beneficial for individuals who are caring for someone with an ongoing condition.

Sessions are highly participative, where mutual support and success builds your confidence in your ability to manage symptoms and maintain active fulfilling lives. Topics include exercise and nutrition; managing pain, fatigue, difficult emotions and depression; medications and making treatment decisions; talking with your friends, family and healthcare team; and more. You will receive the book Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions and a Time for Healing CD. The next workshop series is starts May 29th and is scheduled every Thursday through July 3rd (6 weeks) from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the University Hospital. The workshop is FREE. For more information, see the attached flyer or contact Amber Phelps at phelpsam@missouri.edu.

Make peace with your body – Register for Eat for Life classes!
Discover the benefits of Eat for Life—an innovative approach to weight management. This 10-week program uses mind-body practices (meditations and yoga), the principles of mindful and intuitive eating, skills training, and group support to guide you in making lifestyle changes that will help create a healthier relationship to your food, mind and body. If you have a history of chronic dieting, have rigid “healthy” rules about eating, or find yourself eating when you’re stressed, bored, or unhappy, this may be the program for you. 

Win a Healthy for Life gift basket for referring someone to the in-person Eat for Life program! Simply tell the participant to put your name down in the “referred by” section of their registration form.

·         In-person course: Orientation: May 27 | Classes: June 3 – Aug. 5 (12 – 1 p.m.)

·         Online course: Orientation: starting May 30 | Classes: week of June 6 – week of Aug. 8.

·         Cost:

o   $50 for faculty, staff and family ($25 refunded with full participation).

o   $180 for community.

·         Register: Email Craig Deken at csdk89@mail.missouri.edu.

Program taught by Dr. Lynn Rossy, health psychologist. For more information: watch informational videos or find more details online.

 

Interested in participating in a Healthy Lifestyle Change research project?
Have you made a change toward a healthier lifestyle in the past two years? Are you willing to share your story to help researchers understand how people make healthy changes? Aaron Bonsall, Ph.D., is currently researching how family affects lifestyle changes. See the attached flyer for more information, or contact Dr. Bonsall at bonsalla@health.missouri.edu.

Need a 5k to start the summer off right?
Run or walk the Hallsville Optimist Club 5k on Saturday, June 14. This is one of their major annual fundraisers. Funds support annual high school scholarships and numerous youth leadership and development opportunities such as Boys and Girls State, Missouri Leadership Seminar, Parents as Teachers, and the Hallsville Buddy Pack Program. See the attached flyer for details.

DIY corporate yoga program—Enroll now!
Learn a new yoga program for yourself or train to be a yoga instructor for your organization. Be a cool breeze of calm, helping yourself and/or students maintain personal peace and wellness, and avoid or minimize pain and repetitive stress in the workplace. Enroll in this new yoga training program held on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus.

When: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. May 27 – July 31. No classes June 24 – July 3; classes resume July 8.

Time: 12:10 – 12:50 p.m.

Location: Memorial Union

Registration: Go to the DIY Corporate Yoga Program webpage. Space is limited. Registration closes May 20, 2014 at 5:00pm.

Coursework will cover over thirty postures, twelve breathing techniques and 8 aspects to engaging a personal or shared yoga program that tackles the sneakiest sabotaging patterns in your work environment. Reclaim satisfaction in your personal and professional life. Class is taught by Ashley Jenkins. For more information, visit Element Yoga’s DIY Corporate Yoga Program webpage. Evening classes are available; contact Ashley Jenkins for more information.

Caring for Kinship Caregivers
Grandparents and other loved ones raising children face unique obstacles and opportunities in parenting. It sometimes happens that these individuals devote so much time and energy caring for others that they do not attend to their own needs. Karen Traylor is the co-leader of the Boone County Grandfamilies Support Group and the Volunteer Coordinator of Missouri GRANDFamily Coalition at MU ParentLink. Join Karen’s upcoming workshop on June 3 to learn how to navigate new family dynamics, manage children’s questions about permanency, build social support, and remember your own self-care.

When: Tuesday, June 3, Noon – 12:50 p.m.

Where: Memorial Union, Room S204

Register: http://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits/eap_workshops

 

May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
If you’re among the millions of people who suffer from seasonal allergies, you’ll be greeting spring with an itchy nose and watery eyes. For those who also suffer from asthma, seasonal allergies can affect the airways in the lungs with symptoms ranging from mild to serious or even life threatening. The good news is that it can be controlled and you can find relief. See the attached flyer for tips on how to breathe easier as the spring turns into summer.