BEFORE you reach into the CANDY bucket...

Attention Health-seekers!!!

BEFORE you reach into the CANDY bucket, READ this- Walking.com tells us the amount of walking it would take to burn the amount of calories in popular candies:

1 Fun Size candy bar (Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfingers, etc.) is about 80 calories. You’d need to walk 0.8 miles, 1.29 kilometers, or 1600 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

2 Hershey’s Kisses are about 50 calories. You’d need to walk 0.5 miles, 0.80 kilometers, or 1000 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

2 Brachs caramels are about 80 calories. You’d need to walk 0.8 miles, 1.29 kilometers, or 1600 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

1 mini bite-size candy bar (Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfingers, etc.) is about 55 calories. You’d need to walk 0.55 miles, 0.88 kilometers, or 1100 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

1 Fun Size M&M packet – Plain or Peanut, is 90 calories. You’d need to walk 0.9 miles, 1.45 kilometers, or 1800 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

1 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is 33 calories. You’d need to walk 0.33 miles, 0.53 kilometers, or 660 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

1 full size chocolate candy bar (Snickers, Hershey, etc.) is about 275 calories. You’d need to walk 2.75 miles, 4.43 kilometers, or 5500 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

1 King Size chocolate candy bar (Snickers, Hershey, etc.) is about 500 calories. You’d need to walk 5 miles, 8.06 kilometers, or 10000 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

1 small Tootsie Roll is 25 calories. You’d need to walk 0.25 miles, 0.40 kilometers, or 500 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

These numbers are estimates and will differ based on body size, gender, activity level, etc. However, it is a great reminder to be aware of what we consume and how much we move! Read the full article here!

Don’t forget to track your steps for the Step It Up Challenge. It is not too late to sign up. Click here for more details!

Have a fit and fun weekend!!

Make your steps count!!

The MCC Step It Up Challenge is going on NOW!! Check out these tips to make sure you are registered and included in the challenge. 

• Visit www.startwalkingnow.org to set up your free account.

• McLennan Community College should be listed as the "Company".

• Select the "Share Info" box to make sure I can see your progress and count you in the challenge. 

6 Dimensions of Wellness

MCC Weekly Wellness Info

Ever feel like you put all of your time and energy into achieving a specific goal, only to have it slip out of reach when life gets hectic? A good way to end that cycle is to focus on holistic health. Holistic health focuses on several aspects of life that contribute to overall well-being. These dimensions are a lot like the spokes on a tire- They're quiet and out of the way, and it's pretty much a thankless job. No one ever notices when everything is working well, but without proper set up and operation, all sorts of trouble will break lose. – (Excerpt from "Bike Spokes- An Important Part of Your Wheels”, bicycle.about.com)

When you hear the word “wellness”, what do you think of? Most likely it has something to do with your physical well-being (weight, exercise, nutrition, energy levels, injury/pain, disease state, etc.). The truth is, wellness is much more than that. According to the National Wellness Institute (NWI), “Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.” This successful existence is dependent on all areas of our life. This holistic health model takes into account physical, emotional, occupational, intellectual, social and spiritual wellness. These 6 dimensions identified by the NWI are interconnected and contribute to overall well-being. It is important to set goals to improve certain areas of our life, however evidence confirms that the interaction of all dimensions contributes to overall wellness more so than any single aspect of well-being.

This Week in Wellness

Oct. 30th – 8am- 3pm, Carter Blood Care Drive, LTC
Oct. 31st – Trunk or Treat before the basketball games, contact Candice Kelm
Step It Up Challenge! Remember to track your physical activity online (More info. below)

Fit Tip & Challenge

By applying the 6 Dimensions of Wellness model, a person becomes aware of the interconnectedness of each dimension and how they contribute to healthy living. This holistic model explains:

• How a person contributes to his or her environment and community, and how to build better living spaces and social networks;

• The enrichment of life through work, and its interconnectedness to living and playing;

• The development of belief systems, values, and creating a world-view;

• The benefits of regular physical activity, healthy eating habits, strength and vitality, as well as personal responsibility, self-care and when to seek medical attention;

• Self-esteem, self-control, and determination as a sense of direction;

• Creative and stimulating mental activities, and sharing your gifts with others.

Want to know how “well” you really are? Take the Real Age test to find out. The RealAge® Test is a unique calculation of your body's health age, created by top doctors including Dr. Mike Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Powered by the latest medical research, your RealAge Test results create personalized tips and action plans to get healthier and grow younger! http://www.sharecare.com/static/realage-test 

MCC “Step It Up” Challenge

NOW through Nov. 21st

This is a four-week individual and team challenge for MCC employees and students! Participants will track physical activity, the intensity, the date, and the duration of the activity. The online tracker will calculate total steps and convert steps to miles for you. Individuals that complete at least 140,000 steps will receive a prize (5,000 steps/day for 4 weeks). The top three teams will receive an additional award! Find more information on our webpage- www.mclennan.edu/wellness. Team Financial Aid and Continuing Education are already on the move!

REGISTER TODAY & organize a team for more accountability! www.startwalkingnow.org

Exercise 101

MCC Weekly Wellness Info

With “smartphones” and social media, we have unlimited information at our fingertips. Instead of students conducting research projects, they are asked to process information. It seems that the challenge we face today isn’t finding information that we need, but sorting through what is credible and what is flawed. So this week, I am going to try to clear up the topic of exercise. This information comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and if you are watching the news you see them a lot lately! The guidelines below are for apparently healthy individuals- this means free from most chronic diseases and injuries. Individual health history does have a huge impact on the amount and type of exercise that you should be doing. If you think you may fall into a special population (diabetes, pregnancy, post-surgical procedure, etc.) please talk to me and/or your health care provider to make sure you are doing what is safe and effective for you. 

What is “physical activity”? Any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that increases energy expenditure above a resting level (getting out of bed, walking to the car, etc.)

What is “exercise”? Planned, structured and repetitive activity with the primary purpose of improving or maintaining health (push ups, walking at a pace that increases heart rate, yoga, etc.)

What types? Aerobic Activities increase the body's demand for oxygen resulting in a temporary increase in respiration and heart rate. Muscle-strengthening activities induce muscular contractions, which build the strength, endurance, and mass of skeletal muscles.

How much? 150 min. moderate-intensity aerobic activity OR 75 min. vigorous-intensity aerobic activity OR an equivalent mix of moderate and vigorous intensity PER WEEK (1min. vigorous=2min. moderate) *Up to 300 minutes of exercise per week may be needed to lose weight.* AND muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days/week working all major muscle groups (at least 2 or 3 sets of 8—12 repetitions per activity).

How hard? Use the “talk test”- low/moderate: breathing and heart rate is noticeably faster, but you can still carry on a conversation, vigorous: heart rate is increased substantially and you are breathing too hard and fast to have a conversation. OR use “Target Heart Rate Zone”- Low/Moderate 50-70% of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR= 220-your age), Vigorous 70-85% MHR. To gain health benefits, muscle-strengthening activities need to be done to the point where it's hard for you to do another repetition without help.

Summary

Low/Moderate or Vigorous? Vigorous intensity exercise burns more calories per unit of time than low intensity exercise. Low intensity exercise can be sustained for a longer period of time than vigorous intensity exercise. DO BOTH!

Aerobic or Muscle Strengthening Activities? Aerobic activities strengthen the heart, increasing oxygen levels in the blood, improving circulation, which helps fuel muscles. Muscle uses more calories to operate than fat. DO BOTH!

10 min. or 1 hr.? One continuous session and/or multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 min) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU! 

This Week in Wellness

Oct. 20th -23rd - Alcohol Awareness Week, contact Student Activities ext. 8443 

Oct. 24th 9am - 1pm MCC Employee Benefit and Wellness Fair, LTC Cafeteria area

Oct. 25th - Step It Up Challenge begins! (See below for more information.) 

Group Fitness Classes

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
7:30-8:15am Bootcamp Tennis Courts		7:30-8:15am Bootcamp Tennis Courts		10:30-11:30am Wellness Walkers MCC Outdoor Track
12:45-1:15pm H.I.I.T. Fitness Room (119)			11:30am-12:30pm Beginner Yoga PE Gym (100)
	4:00-5:00pm Pilates Dance Room (020)	4:30-5:30pm Zumba Dance Room (020)	4:00-5:00pm Pilates Dance Room (020)

Fit Tip & Challenge

Choose one of the following tools to keep you accountable this week as you work toward a positive behavior change (behavior change examples- exercising 150 minutes, cooking and eating at home for 5 nights this week, watching 1 hour of TV instead of 5 hours per day, etc.).

Plan It- Mark specific times in your calendars to work toward that goal (6-7pm is “TV hour”, Sunday-Thursday dinners planned (and maybe prepared), 3-3:30pm walking, etc.).

Accountability Buddy/ies- This can be done several ways- a partner to exercise with, a spouse to plan and prepare meals with, social media to post your goal and your progress, email/phone call/text with a friend to establish, monitor and celebrate the goal. 

BOTH- If you have someone waiting on you at the gym, you’re more likely to show up. If you and your spouse plan, purchase and prepare meals you’re more likely to eat them, instead of opting for a quick and less-healthy or budget-friendly meal out.

MCC “Step It Up” Challenge

Oct. 25th- Nov. 21st

This is a four-week individual and team challenge for MCC employees and students! Participants will track physical activity, the intensity, the date, and the duration of the activity. The online tracker will calculate total steps and convert steps to miles for you. Individuals that complete at least 140,000 steps will receive a prize (5,000 steps/day for 4 weeks). The top three teams will receive an additional award! Find more information on our webpage- www.mclennan.edu/wellness. 

REGISTER TODAY & organize a team for more accountability! www.startwalkingnow.org