Wellness Online > WellnessU Overview

WellnessU Overview

WellnessU is an e-course in adult health education.  It is currently in development and we invite your critique regarding whether you think we are on the right track with the right approach to educating and supporting people on how to live a healthy lifestyle.

It provides an easy means for participants to learn health concepts and terms. WellnessU verifies that participants have read each week’s focus article by administering a quiz.  Participants must then enter action steps they have taken in response to that week’s information.

This trackable interactive lifestyle education program will be available for a fee  to employers on behalf of employees and spouses.  We urge an employer to consider offering it to all employees and insured dependents as an adult online health education program.

It is the only program we know of that provides a system of testing participants on what they can do for themselves to stay healthy if they are and to get healthy if they aren’t. Reports will be available to employers regarding participant  progress.  However, no personal information is ever disclosed to employers, only whether each week’s activity was completed.

A brief outline of the program:

1.  Time table:  The first term deals with what we call the Circle of Life.  There is an intro plus 12 topics we consider necessary for a fulfilling lifestyle.  Sample articles are available for review. Participants will be asked to take at least one action step per week for each Circle component .

The second tem will deal with weight management.  Since so many people are overweight that  is why this is the first health issue to be dealt with in depth.  Also, people who are at a good weight today tend to add on a few pounds a year as they get older.  So, establishing a weight management plan now, followed by future compliance, will help many to avoid annual “weight-creep.”

Thereafter the following terms will deal with many of the topics covered by our more than 500 health tips.

1.  Weekly featured article. Each week we focus on one aspect of wellness by reprinting one health tip here.

2.  Weekly quiz. Participants must complete and pass a quiz on that week’s featured article.

3. Weekly log. Each week participants must also update how they are doing regarding the following issues.

  • New endeavors. What new healthy behavior did the participant undertake this week  such as exercising for the first time, cutting out sodas and replacing them with water, adding a salad to your meals, or none at all.
  • Upgrades. How did the participant upgrade his or her  lifestyle this week such as walking twice a week instead of once, improving their nutrition by having at least one fruit a day, managing stress better, or no upgrades at all.
  • Barriers. These are challenges to living healthy such as snowy weather that kept you from walking outside, an invitation to a party where fat foods were there for the taking, not enough sleep, family and friends who are non supportive, etc.
  • Weekly weigh in. Beginning with the second term, which will deal with weight management, tracking weekly weight helps to keep the participant aware of the importance of weight management, and on this weeklky measurement for all tells us whether our program is working.

4.  Historical Review of weekly logs. Participants can review a historical log of completed weekly quizzes and their weekly logs of Add-ons, Upgrades and Barriers.

5. Weekly blogs. Newsy email updates from our coaches are only for WellnessU members

6.  Email reminders. Weekly reminders will be sent by email regarding participation that week’s required activities.  Participants can opt out of the reminders if they choose.  However weekly participation is a requirement.  Email reminders will include:

  • A reminder that it’s time for this week’s quiz
  • A link to WellnessU and this week’s quiz.

7. Message Boards for members only.  Share successes and concerns with fellow members.

Enrollment fee

$20 per participant per semester.  Each six-month semester is made up of two 13-week terms.  The complete four-year course will take sixteen terms, which is equal to eight six-month semesters.  Thus WellnessU.

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