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The six-week Live Healthy Live Well spring program begins March 30
CANFIELD
Go online and get healthy — for free.
That is the message of the 2015 Spring Wellness Challenge, Live Healthy Live Well, a free six-week online email challenge offered by the Mahoning County Ohio State University Extension Office.
The online challenge begins its third year March 30 and lasts until May 10.
The program is designed to help participants improve their health by encouraging physical activity, enjoying healthful foods and practicing sound fitness suggestions, said Beth Stefura, family and consumer sciences educator for the county OSU Extension.
Stefura, who has a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Youngstown State University and a master’s in education degree from Penn State University, was on the state team of OSU Extension educators who developed the program.
She said participation has more than tripled since Live Healthy Live Well’s inception in 2013.
“We were hoping for success, but were surprised at the large number of people who have participated,” said Stefura, a registered dietician.
Online social media is reaching so many more people than if Live Health Live Well were an in-person class, she said.
“I had 290 adult participants in Mahoning County in 2014, and the Live Healthy Live Well Blog reached 33,758 people in Ohio via its twice-weekly wellness posts,” said Stefura.
Participants in the spring, fall and Zero Weight online challenges were fairly evenly dispersed throughout the age groups that include working adults, the programs’ target audience, according to the Live Healthy Live Well 2014 annual report.
Percentages by age groups were: 25-34, 21 percent; 35-44, 22 percent; 45-54, 25 percent; 55-64, 24 percent. The percentages for 18-24 and 65 and over were 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
“The online Live Healthy Live Well is a fun and interesting approach. You don’t have to go to a class ... just turn on the computer,” Stefura said.
Participants receive two weekly e-communications from 0SU Extension that contain research-based nutrition, health and fitness information. Additional tracking logs are available for download to help participants document their progress, as well as access to supplemental information available on Blogs and Facebook.
Participants also learn about adding more vegetables and fruits to their diet, finding ways to move, trying new recipes, visiting local food sources, planting an herb/vegetable/fruit in a container or plot garden, seasoning with herbs instead of salt, and managing stress and maintaining a positive attitude, Stefura said.
The logs, along with pre- and post-assessment online surveys, are used to gather comments to improve future challenges and track members’ progress and to determine what is working and what needs to be changed, she said.
“It’s a great program; a unique concept because it presents challenges,” Stefura said. To enroll in Live Healthy Live Well, go to osu.az1.qualtrics.com/SID=SV_3R6IgIcbxnC77Wl Participants will begin receiving e-communications in late March.
For information, call Stefura at 330-533-5538.