Signature Events
The Fall edition of HEALTHY YOU's Walk Across Campus (WAC) will run from Tuesday, October 1st through Saturday, November 30th.
For this WAC Boston College is subsidizing a new Inspire 2 Fitbit pedometer for all benefits-eligible employees who sign up AND participate on a fall team. Also, those who wish to upgrade to a Fitbit unit other than an Inspire HR can do so by paying only the difference in cost.
You must follow directions in the sequence below to allow activation of the 'promo code' that will be used to subsidize your Fitbit. **Your 'promo code' will not be activated on the Fitbit site until 2-3 business days AFTER you have joined a WAC team.
1. Join a fall WAC team on the Harvard Pilgrim BC Wellness portal.
- If you did not set up a Wellness account on the portal last semester, you will need to do so. You can access instructions by clicking on How to Create a Wellness Account [bc.edu]
- If you need assistance, contact Harvard Pilgrim's Wellness Services Monday - Friday, 9 am-5 pm, at 1-877-594-7183 or email HPWellness@harvardpilgrim.org.
- You do NOT need to be a Harvard Pilgrim member to set up an account and join a team.
If you already have a Harvard Pilgrim Wellness account from last semester, you still need to log in to your account and select your team for the fall Walk.
2. Once you register for a team, you can order your Fitbit on BC’s Customized Fitbit storefront site 3 business days after you join a team. For example, if you join a team on the Wellness portal on Monday, September 13th, your 'promo code' should be activated for use on the Fitbit site by Thursday, September 16th.
- To access the Fitbit site to order your new device click www.fitbit.com/store/walkacrosscampus2021 [fitbit.com]
- Details for how to enter your Promo Code:
Your 2-part personalized promo code will be comprised of up to 20 characters in total (it can be less, examples below):
- 1st half of promo code: eagle
- 2nd half: <The alpha-numeric portion BEFORE the @ sign, of the same email you used to join the WAC, (OMIT all spaces and special characters)>
So if you signed up with the email Your promo code will be: (remember: no - ! . , / + # ? etc.)
Jane.smith@bc.edu eaglejanesmith (the “ . ” is removed)
j_smith1@yahoo.com eaglejsmith1 (“ _ “ removed, but number remains)
BCAlumniAreExcellent@bc.edu eaglebcalumniareexce (only up to the first 15 characters of email, no more than 20 characters total, including <eagle>)
- To support social distancing, we will not be holding onsite distribution times, so all participants must take advantage of the online store front if they wish to receive a new Fitbit unit this semester.
- Your Fitbit will be shipped directly to the address you enter on the Fitbit website.
- Through BC’s customized Fitbit Storefront, you can order your Inspire 2 Fitbit or upgrade to another unit and pay the difference by credit card.
- To receive your unit prior to the start of the challenge, you must join your team by Tuesday 9/21, and then order your unit with the activated promo code by 9/24 to allow time for receipt in the mail.
- Participants who join after 9/21 may still participate, but may need to manually log steps the first several days of the challenge, until receipt of the ordered Fitbit.
- The last day you can order a Fitbit will be Friday 10/8. No units will be distributed on site. Steps should be manually entered while awaiting your new unit.
3. Upon receipt of your Fitbit, follow the set-up directions that come with the unit. You will go to www.Fitbit.com/setup [nam03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com] and click on the Download for Windows App.
4. Link your new Fitbit to your WAC team by following directions here:
- How to Connect a Wearable Device focusing on Fitbit [bc.edu] (If this is your first Fitbit)
- How to Remove your old Fitbit and connect your new Fitbit [bc.edu] (If this is NOT your first Fitbit, as you must remove the prior unit from your account for steps to sync)
5. Lastly, we encourage you to take advantage of the mobile app if you have not yet. Download directions here [bc.edu].
PLEASE NOTE: We are seeking volunteers to be Team Leaders of new and existing teams. Leaders assemble, or lead an existing team; motivate activities during the WAC; and regularly communicate with team members.
**If you are willing to be a NEW TEAM LEADER of 5-20 participants, please email anne_goroshko@hphc.org with your name and Eagle ID prior to September 16th.
Thanks again to the sponsors of the Walk Across Campus: BC Athletics, Campus Recreation, Harvard Pilgrim, Auxiliary Services, and Human Resources.
Overview
Boston College’s Walk Across Campus (WAC) is among the most popular of many Healthy You sponsored activities. Over the last several years, the Walk Across Campus challenge has successfully promoted friendly competition while building solid camaraderie amongst peers throughout BC. The WAC has fostered a “community of walkers” year-round, and once the challenge begins the campus fills with scores of walkers getting their steps in whenever they can. The BC campus offers many areas to enjoy taking steps. For instance, when leaving from the 129 Lake Street building, two loops around Chandler Pond equals two miles, as does completing one loop around the reservoir when you leave from the front of the BC Recreation Center.
View The Spring 2021 Winning Teams and Top Individual Steppers
1. Join a Fall WAC team on the Harvard Pilgrim BC Wellness Portal
- If you did not set up a Wellness account on the portal last semester, you will need to do so.
- You do NOT need to be a Harvard Pilgrim member to set up an account or join a team.
- If you already have a Harvard Pilgrim Wellness account from last semester, you still need to log in to your account and select your team for the fall Walk.
- If you need assistance, contact Harvard Pilgrim's Wellness Services Monday - Friday, 9 am-5 pm, at 1-877-594-7183 or email HPWellness@harvardpilgrim.org.
2. Once you register for a team, confirm your existing Fitbit (that you received either in the fall of 2019 or more recently) is connected to the Wellness account
Connect your device to your Wellness account
- If you are BC benefits eligible and brand new to the WAC, once you register for a team online, contact anne.goroshko@bc.edu and relay your name, Eagle ID, and preferred mailing address. Once eligibility is confirmed, you will be contacted.
3. If you are new to the WAC and receive a new Fitbit, or if you wish to link your own unit, follow your device's set-up instructions
4. Link your new Fitbit to your WAC team
Connect your device to your Wellness account
Remove your old device and connect your new one
5. Lastly, we encourage you to take advantage of the Limeade mobile app if you have not yet.
Return to Work Roadmap
Rachel Shanshiry
Thursday, September 23rd, 2021 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Zoom
RTW Roadmap: Holding Down the Fort and Re-Building Routines Are you mourning the loss of the zoom mullet (business on top, PJs on bottom)? You are not alone. While pivoting to remote was a major challenge, many of us have grown accustomed to the conveniences of working from home. Returning to work may upset the routines you put into place for childcare, pet care, exercise, and leisure. What are we missing, what are we gaining, and how can we re-calibrate? Join us to find ways to reconfigure the important pieces of your life. Together we will restore balance, build hope for our new normal, and throw in a few laughs along the way!
Pandemic Relief
Heidi Roth
Tuesday, October 19th, 2021 12:00 p.m. - 1 p.m., Zoom
Post-pandemic Grief; Healing from Loss and Hardship Did the pandemic take someone or something important away from you? Do you find it difficult to move forward given the changes in your life? Loss of loved ones, long-haul covid symptoms, financial hardship, and other struggles have been a reality for many. If “getting back to normal” does not apply to you, then join this session to begin building a healthy new normal. Learn the essentials of self-care and compassion and how to navigate common experiences that accompany loss. Together we will explore ways to honor your loss, build hope, find peace, compartmentalize, and get support.
Ways to Wellness
Heidi Roth
Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 12:00 p.m. - 1 p.m., Murray Room - Lunch will be provided
What would you be willing to change in your life to feel amazing, and have increased energy, healthier digestion and overall better mood? We will share ways to achieve enhanced wellbeing from how we speak to our friends and family, to our daily thoughts, our work, sleep, food and home environment.
Taking Care of Aging Patients
Sue Lunt
Wednesday, December 8th, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Walsh - Lunch will be provided
program will help establish goals for their elderly loved ones and discuss the realities of reaching these goals. Topics include:
- The Situation: How Did You Get Here?
- The Balancing Act
- Elder Services
- Understanding and Coping with Dementia
- Case Management: Who Should be Involved with Elder Care
- Elder Medical Information
Resilience and Life Skills for a Healthier You:
Rachel Shanshiry
Thursday, January 14th, 2021 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Start 2021 off right by building a practice of self-care that will strengthen and sustain you throughout the year! Learn evidence-based relaxation and mindfulness skills that will shed stress and build joy. In this upbeat webinar, you will explore the psychology of resilience and leave with practical tools that are guaranteed to build your mental toughness. Leave with a handful of strategies that will foster optimism, gratitude, and hone your focus on opportunities for growth.
Valentine’s Heart Health Cooking Demo:
Heidi Roth
Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 12:00 p.m. - 1 p.m.
February is Heart Health Month! Join us for a fun cooking demonstration of various appetizers and even a mocktail!
Recipes will include:
- Goat cheese and chorizo stuffed mushrooms
- Flourless chocolate cookies
- Parmesan walnut stuffed dates
- Pomegranate ginger sparkler or Strawberry passion no-jito
Caring for the Caregiver:
Catherine Collins
Monday, March 8th, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Though often overlooked, it is crucial for caregivers to also care for themselves. Join us to learn personal wellbeing strategies to incorporate while taking care of others. These will include specific hints related to caring for elders as well as nuances related to the current pandemic.
Caregiver Self Care Resource List
Change Old Unhealthy Habits into New Healthy Ones:
Pam Garramone
Tuesday, April 13th, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Feeling stressed? There's a habit for that. Feeling lethargic? There's a habit for that too. We all know how to feel healthier and happier but how many of us actually do these things? In this workshop, learn how to form healthy habits that last!
Eldercare Finances and Legality:
Ron Kearns
Wednesday, May 5th, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Caring for Elders is multifaceted and includes some potentially overwhelming financial and legal ramifications. Ron Kerns will discuss topics and help lessen some of the unknown, answer questions and ease your mind during this informative and helpful presentation.
Acupuncture for Common Uses and Chronic Pain
Kathy Seltzer
Thursday, February 6, 12 - 1:30 p.m. | Walsh Hall Conference Room
Whether you have experience with the practice or not, join us for this opportunity to learn more about acupuncture. The needles that are used in acupuncture treatments are relatively pain free. In this session participants will observe how a trained skilled practitioner can stimulate the specific points on the body by inserting very thin needles into the skin.
Discussion will include the benefits of this treatment and how it can be useful in alleviating everything from common conditions to chronic pain!
Happier, even in Winter!
Pam Garramone
Thursday, February 13, 12 - 1:30 p.m. | Walsh Hall Conference Room
How do you deal with disappointment? failure? Or a general feeling of blah? Do you bounce back or stay down? Are you sadder this time of year because of Seasonal Affective Disorder? How can you become more resilient? In this lunch and learn, acquire strategies to help you feel resilient, optimistic and productive even in difficult times.
Make and Take: Toxic Free Cleaning Agents
Wednesday, March 11, 12 - 1:30 p.m. | Walsh Hall Conference Room
Learn to protect your family from harmful chemicals by making non-toxic household cleaners. These homemade cleansers cost pennies to make, get your house gleaming and best of all, they are made from natural ingredients and do not contain any potentially toxic chemicals. This interactive make and take demonstration provide participants everything they need to know and how to get started without being overwhelmed!
Participants will make their own customized all-purpose cleaner and will be provided with recipes, tips, tricks and secrets to keep clean safe homes.
Blending for Health: A Smoothie Demonstration
Thursday, April 16, 12 - 1:30 p.m. | Walsh Hall Conference Room
Blending and Juicing ... what is the best choice? Both blending and juicing your fruits and vegetables are hot topics right now. Are you wondering what combinations of fruits and vegetables work best? What should you avoid? How often should you have one of these drinks? What about fruit...can it cause you to gain weight? We will cover these topics and more. There will be a few yummy concoctions to taste and recipes for you to try at home.
Make and Take: Creating Your Own Health & Beauty Items
(Body Scrubs, Facial Masks, Hair Care, etc.)
Friday, May 1, 12 - 1:30 p.m. | Murray Room
Creating your own body care products can be very rewarding for a variety of reasons. These reasons can range from having control over what goes in them, to customizing according to your preferences, to reducing waste, saving money, along with reducing the use of chemicals, artificial colors and additives in your household.
This session looks at the health benefits of making your own products and teaches participants the tips and tricks to creating a perfect customized product for them. If making your own personal care products is not for you, this program will help you identify the worst offending chemicals in your personal care products. Come to this interactive session and make your own customized personal body scrub.
Parenting with Current Day Challenges:
Rachel Shanshiry
Thursday, September 24, 12 - 1:00 p.m.
Session will include tips on helping children manage fear and uncertainty, identifying parents' and children's core needs, assessing a child's well-being, flexibility in parenting, parenting self-care and outlets for stress, quality versus quantity of family time, modeling hope and resilience for children, positive implications of the pandemic on personal growth and relationships for parents and their children (creating meaning and an empowering narrative).
MBSR - Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction:
Filippa Anzalone, Associate Dean for Library & Technology Services, Law School
Friday, September 25, 2020 - Friday, December 4, 2020
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, known as MBSR, was conceptualized and created by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the 1970s. MBSR is an established and well-researched form of mindfulness meditation. The practice of MBSR helps to cultivate self-awareness. It also encourages practititioners to change habitual patterns, to respond instead of reacting to stress, and to generally improve relationships with others. The MBSR training is an 8-week long program. Each class is 2.5 hours (classes 1 and 8 may be longer) and there is an all-day, silent retreat (8 hours) between weeks 6 and 7. There is a mandatory 2.5-hour Orientation two weeks before the start of the MBSR program. The Orientation, the 8 classes, and the retreat will all be presented online on Zoom. Once you are accepted into the program, you will receive a Zoom link.
Work Life Balance:
Rachel Shanshiry
Wednesday, October 14, 12 - 1:00 p.m.
Feeling overwhelmed with unfinished tasks? Learn several simple techniques that allow you to conquer your avoidance behavior, easily organize your life, find more energy, and accomplish more than you could ever dream possible. What you resist, persists. Do it now and feel good about yourself!
Senior Assist to Address Eldercare and Related Financial Topics:
Rob Kearns
Wednesday, November 4, 12 - 1:00 p.m.
More details to come.
Cooking for the Holidays Demo:
Heidi Roth
Tuesday, December 8, 12 - 1:00 p.m.
Join this cooking demo to learn some easy, festive and healthy holiday appetizer and mocktail recipes.
Boston College's charitable walk campaign marches on this year as we continue to incorporate BC's mission of being "men and women for others" into our health and well-being programming.
Join fellow BC employees in a walk for one of the following great causes! To join a team, please contact a Team Leader listed below. They will assist you with the registration process. All participants will receive a complimentary BC t-shirt, distributed by Team Leaders on the day of the walk. Please note that any registration fees and/or fundraising requirements are to be incurred by participants.
We are still looking for Team Leaders for walks. If you are interested in being the Team Leader, please contact Sue Lawler or call 617-552-3336. Team Leaders function as the point person for their walk, under the team name "Boston College Healthy You team.” In addition to receiving a complimentary BC t-shirt, Team Leaders will also receive a BC baseball cap.
While steps will only be counted towards the WAC competition from charitable walks that fall between October and November or April and May, all participants receive the benefit of getting exercise and walking for a good cause!
Fall Semester 2021 Charitable Walks
Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 9 AM
125 William J. Day Blvd, Boston, MA 02127
Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 9 AM
Waltham Family YMCA
725 Lexington St, Waltham, MA 02452
39th Annual Boston Firefighters Local 718 10K Memorial Road Race
Sunday, October 17, 2021 at 9 AM
Florian Hall
55 Hallet Street, Dorchester, MA 02124
16th Annual Welles Crowther Red Bandanna 5K
Saturday, October 23, 2021 at 9 AM (or virtually, see site for details)
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night
Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 4 PM (or virtually, see site for details)
Franklin Park Zoo
1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, MA 02121
DCR Fort Independence at Castle Island
2010 William J Day Blvd, Boston, MA 02127
Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 9 AM
DCR Artesani Park
1255 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02135
If you would like to recommend a preferred charitable walk that you do not see here, please email all details of the walk to Sue Lawler for consideration.
Go Move Walking Challenge
Calling all Boston College faculty and staff! Help your team win the ninth annual Go Move Challenge by recording your minutes of movement to determine which Jesuit institution is the most active. Awards go to the university which tracks the most minutes, the university which averages the most number of minutes per participant, and the region with the most minutes.
The challenge can now accommodate grouping into TEAMS! This is a new option that has not been available for this challenge in the past. If you create or join a team, your activity will also be counted for you as an individual participant.
When you log in to gomovechallenge.org you will now see a TEAMS tab at the top; if you click that you will be brought to a participant list and it is a drag and drop process to add people to your team. You must first create a Team Name and whoever does the name creation will automatically be the Team Captain; teams can be 2 - 6 participants.
HOW TO JOIN THE CHALLENGE
- Register at www.GoMoveChallenge.org, even if you participated last year
- Click the "LOG IN / REGISTER" button on the top menu bar
- In the "REGISTER" box, enter your university email address and other required information, including your division or college/school
- Click the "SUBMIT" button when finished
- You will receive a confirmation email with your user email and password
HOW TO LOG MINUTES
Starting February 1, visit www.GoMoveChallenge.org
- Click the “LOG IN / REGISTER” button on the top menu bar
- In the “LOG IN” box, enter your email address and password
- In the “LOG MY WORKOUT” box, select the type of activity, add an activity description, enter the number of minutes, and select a single date or date range for logging multiple days
- Click the “LOG IT” button when finished
Users can delete minutes that were entered in error
CHALLENGE RULES AND TIPS
- Starts: 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, February 1, 2021
- Ends: 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, February, 28, 2021 (NOTE: Minutes will not be accepted after the challenge ends.)
- Use the Go Move Challenge social media sites to share photos: FB, Insta, Twitter
- Open the mobile-friendly challenge website from your phone’s browser to enter minutes on the go!
- Read the challenge FAQs at www.GoMoveChallenge.org/FAQ
All participants who register for this challenge are eligible to sign up for HBFit, a resource for online fitness classes. This is usually a subscription but all Go Move Challenge participants will have access to this resource free of charge for 6 weeks. This is a great addition to our Campus Rec online resources if you don't want to brave the cold February winds.Check out this resource here to set up an account:
Please spread the word to your colleagues to join this fun challenge as a way to stay active and motivated during the winter months!
If you have additional questions you can email Sue Lawler at lawlersa@bc.edu.
Check back for Other Health Events later in the year.
The edHEALTH Walking Challenge 2021 is set to start on June 7th and go through July 4, 2021. Registration for the challenge will open on June 7th. This challenge is sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
Limeade App Download Instructions
