UA Resources to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolution

UA Resources to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolution

By Alexis BlueUniversity Communications
Printer-friendly version PDF version
Have a New Year's resolution to adopt a healthier lifestyle? Life & Work Connections offers free nutrition and fitness counseling.
Have a New Year's resolution to adopt a healthier lifestyle? Life & Work Connections offers free nutrition and fitness counseling.
Employees can try out the Student Recreation Center for free Jan. 23-27.
Employees can try out the Student Recreation Center for free Jan. 23-27.
The Closer Look Book Club meets monthly at the UA Poetry Center.
The Closer Look Book Club meets monthly at the UA Poetry Center.
ASHLine offers telephone coaching to help smokers kick the habit.
ASHLine offers telephone coaching to help smokers kick the habit.

Almost three weeks into 2017, it's time to check in on how you're doing with your New Year's resolutions.

Perhaps this is the year you give up fast food or commit to hitting the gym before work. Or maybe you'll put out your last cigarette or sign up for that dance class you've wanted to try.

When making New Year's resolutions, psychologist Marian Binder, director of Counseling and Psych Services at Campus Health, says it's important to set goals that are realistic.

"Keep it simple. Don't start with multiple resolutions. Start with the one resolution that means the most to you," she advises.

She also suggests being as specific as possible. For example, instead of saying you want to exercise more, perhaps you commit to attending a particular yoga class on a particular day of the week.

Telling other people about your resolution – or recruiting a buddy to pursue the goal with you – can also be a good idea.

"If you partner with somebody or join a group, it helps with accountability," Binder says.

The UA offers a number of resources that may help you meet your 2017 goals in the following areas. 

Eating Healthier

If your resolution includes adding more green things to your diet, UA Life & Work Connections is a good place to start.

The division offers free nutrition and fitness coaching for benefits-eligible employees. To schedule a consultation with a registered dietitian, contact Cindy Davis at 621-4601or cldavis@email.arizona.edu, or Jodi Charvoz at 626-4760 or jcharvoz@email.arizona.edu.

If weight management is part of your plan, you might consider starting a support group, facilitated by a Life & Work Connections registered dietitian nutritionist and personal trainer. You can also set up a "get healthy" challenge for your campus unit and get your co-workers in on the fun. Call 626-4760.

The Life & Work Connections website also features healthy recipes you can make at home. Check out the site's Employee Wellness page for additional resources and ideas.

Exercising

Not everyone can say they have a gym where they work, but UA employees have access to state-of-the-art workout equipment and fitness classes at the University's nationally recognized Student Recreation Center. The facility even has a Smart Moves Studio, a designated weight room for UA employees and graduate students.

If you're thinking about purchasing a membership but aren't yet convinced, you can try the facility out for free Jan. 23-27 as a UA employee. And if you purchase a membership by Jan. 31, you'll get your first month at no cost. Memberships are $125 per semester, $299 or $459 annually, or $100 for the summer. Benefits-eligible employees can use payroll deduction. Group fitness class passes also are available each semester for $59 for members or $79 for non-members. Call 621-8702.

Other fitness offerings on campus include Life & Work Connections' free tai chi and resistance bands classes. Tai chi is offered outdoors Tuesdays at noon through March 14. To register, email Janet Olson at jolson@email.arizona.edu. Resistance bands classes are offered every Wednesday at noon in the Copper Room on the fourth floor of the Student Union Memorial Center, or at 12:30 in Room 216 of the University Services Building.

In addition, Thursday evening therapeutic yoga classes are offered at the UA College of Nursing. Check the College of Nursing website for dates and details.

Employees can also participate in Walk Across Arizona, an eight-week walking challenge co-sponsored by UA Cooperative Extension and UA Life & Work Connections. Grab up to nine friends and co-workers and sign up your team by Jan. 24. Contact Cindy Davis, at 621-4601 or cldavis@email.arizona.edu, to register or get more information.

Can't get away from your desk to work out during the day? Check out this video for ideas for exercises you can do without leaving the office.

Reading more

If your New Year's resolution is to up your bookworminess, joining a book club might be just the motivation you need.

The UA Poetry Center's Closer Look Book Club, which is free and open to the public, meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. in the center's lobby. No registration is necessary; just read the book and show up.

The book club's current theme is "cultural shifts, new thinking," and the next meeting is on Feb. 8. A different book is discussed each month. For more information, check out the book club events on the Poetry Center calendar or email poetry@email.arizona.edu.

Learning something new

There's no better place to be than a University when your New Year's resolution is to learn something new.

If your plans this year include getting serious about the advanced degree you've been wanting to pursue, don't forget about the University's Qualified Tuition Reduction and Educational Assistance Plan, available to those whose UA employment is .50 FTE or greater for a period of at least six months. The benefit significantly reduces tuition costs for employees and their spouses and dependents. A Domestic Partner Tuition Program (PDF) is also available. Call 621-3660 for more information.

Those interested in exploring new topics without committing to a whole semester might want to commit to attending more lectures on campus. The annual UA College of Science lecture series, which this year has the theme of "Rethinking Reality," kicks off on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. at Centennial Hall. To find more campus talks, check out the UA Master Calendar.

Looking for a new hobby? In campus clubs open to employees, you can dabble in everything from singing to ballroom dancing to recreating medieval battles. Check out UA@Work's Clubs and Organizations page for information.

Quitting smoking

The UA is a tobacco-free campus, and benefits-eligible employees can get free tobacco cessation prescription medications and over-the-counter medications, with a prescription from their doctor. Free telephone coaching and support also is available through the State Employee Tobacco Cessation Program by calling 844-866-3727.

In addition, the Arizona Smokers' Helpline, or ASHLine, based in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, is available to any Arizona smoker looking to kick the habit. Call 800-556-6222 and get matched with an experienced quit coach who will help you develop a customized "quit plan" and help keep you on track to meet your goals.

Improving your job performance

Human Resources offers a variety of professional development programs and sessions for employees looking to hone their skills. Sessions currently open for enrollment cover topics including conflict management, unconscious bias, communication and more. Tech Launch Arizona also offers workshops and seminars throughout the year related to tech transfer.

If you're a researcher whose 2017 goals include increasing your research and getting published more, Research, Discovery & Innovation's Research Development Services can help with identifying funding opportunities, preparing proposals and more.

Finally, for those who want to hone their public speaking skills, the UA is home to six active Toastmasters clubs. Check online for meeting information.

UA@Work is produced by University Communications

Marshall Building, Suite 100. 845 N. Park Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719 (or) 
P.O. Box 210158B, Tucson, AZ 85721

T 520.621.1877  F 520.626.4121

Feedback University Privacy Statement 

2024 © The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona