Webinars from the Fitness Wellness Unit are available to provide current fitness and wellness industry information in the comfort of one's own region. These webinars are purely voluntary and for the purpose of self-enrichment. Please be sure to visit this page on a regular basis for new topics and webinar dates.
Texas Employee Virtual Wellness Fair (October 17-21)
Use the below link to register for the virtual wellness fair. This event is filled with engaging and informative information on a wide range of topics.
Over the course of the week you have the opportunity to participate in:
- Wellness seminars featuring nationally recognized speakers
- A live cooking demonstration,
- Daily fitness opportunities and
- Daily 15 minute “Tiny Tele-desk Concert Series” featuring state employees that are also musicians!
This wellness fair is a great way to learn about the many benefits available to support you, and to have some FUN while recharging your inner-battery!
Check out this short promotional video with more details on presenters.
Register for the event to receive a virtual swag bag and emails regarding upcoming events through this registration link.
If desired, one may also register for individual sessions within the virtual wellness fair using the below information and registration links:
Adapt & Thrive
in this 60-minute session Todd Whitthorne will share motivational and actionable strategies to help you adapt and thrive!
Date: Monday, October 17, 2022
Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am CDT
Registration links:
Behavioral Neuroscience of Adaptability: Changing Habits
Human bodies and minds have evolved to adapt to physical, psychological, and social shifts over many generations. Dr. Frohardt will talk about the surprising health risks of unchecked stress that result from modern life and how to keep chronic stress in check. We will talk about how you can un-hack your brain from some of the bad habits that can lead to stress, addiction, or just annoyance. Having a basic understanding of how some of these systems work allows you to take control of your behaviors, whether you want to improve a skill or break a bad habit, contributing to improved social connections and overall wellness.
Date: Monday, October 17, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm CDT
Registration links:
How to Thrive Financially!
Complete wellness involves financial health too. In this session we will discuss strategies to help achieve financial goals ranging from paying off debt, saving for college, and how much you should be saving for retirement. We will also focus on how each of these goals compete with one another and how best to prioritize them. Please bring your questions! We will get to as many as we can at the end.
Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am CDT
Registration links:
Cooking with Fall Foods
This cooking class would explore the benefits of eating with the season along with tips to incorporate more seasonal produce in the kitchen.
Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm CDT
Registration links:
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion is a Wellness Topic
Organizations across the country are committing to improving staff experiences and client outcomes by furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). The best approaches leverage two of the organization’s most valuable resources, data and people, to shift organizational policy, practice, and culture. In this session we will - Discuss DE&I as a wellness strategy; -Discuss a framework that can help organizations leverage the available science to benefit from diverse and inclusive teams, interrupt bias, and reduce outcome disparities; and -Identify practical workplace behaviors that can create a more inclusive work environment.
Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am CDT
Registration links:
Talking about Mental Health in the Workplace
COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of many Americans. As a result, mental health concerns have increased and the line between our personal and work lives have somewhat blurred. Mental health concerns have become increasingly prevalent and often spill over into the workplace.
During this webinar we will discuss:
- How mental health issues have become a part of the workplace
- The differences between mental health and mental illness
- How to discuss mental health issues in the workplace for yourself, with your coworkers, and as manager In general, and
- How the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to mental health conditions.
Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm CDT
Registration links:
Exercise is Medicine Q&A
If you could take a pill that cost nothing and improves your mood, heart health, bone density, weight and brain function, would you take it? Regular exercise does all of these things, even in small doses. If you are interested in learning more, this webinar is your opportunity to ask questions and get answers from one of the world’s leading obesity and exercise researchers, Dr. Tim Church, MD, PhD. For instance, how much time and how often should you exercise to make an impact? What kind of exercise can you do to address your specific health goals? Submit your questions to lacy.wolff@ers.texas.gov or bring them to the webinar! Questions that are submitted in advance will be given priority.
Date: Thursday, October 20, 2022
Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am CDT
Registration links:
Eat Real Food: Adapting to Whole Foods & Eating to Thrive
Have you ever heard the term "whole foods" and felt alone in having no idea of the meaning of eating whole foods? Look no further - This is the perfect workshop for you!
In this "Eat Real Food" course you will learn:
- Characterization of whole foods
- Benefits of adapting a whole foods diet
- Thriving on a budget while eating whole food recipes.
Date: Thursday, October 20, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm CDT
Registration links:
Gut Feeling – GI Health Influences Mental Health Emotional
Emotional regulation, foggy thinking and memory have deep connections to your digestion. You actually have more nerve endings in the bowel than in the brain! Let’s explore the your gut-brain connection and find out how you can improve mental health and cognition with healthy diet and digestive function.
Topics We Cover:
- Leaky Gut Creates a Leaky Blood Brain Barrier
- Probiotics Heavily Influence the Nervous System
- Food Chemicals and Nerve Toxicity
- Malabsorption and your Nervous System
Date: Friday, October 21, 2022
Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am CDT
Registration links:
Health Dividends from Investing in Others
Join us as we discuss how investing in others through personal, voluntary, and meaningful charitable giving yields benefits not only for the recipient, but for the giver as well.
Date: Friday, October 21, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm CDT
Registration links:
Webinars Highlighting Insurance Benefits:
Get to Know Your HealthSelect Benefits: Preventative Care
Everyone’s health and wellness journey is different, and a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work for everyone. Whether you need advice about diet and exercise or one-on-one counseling for a chronic illness, HealthSelectSM medical plans provide a variety of support.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas holds monthly webinars about the resources available to you through your HealthSelect plan. The 15- to 20-minute webinars are held the first Wednesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. CT.
Upcoming presentations include:
- October: How preventive care can help you stay healthy
- November: How to get personalized coaching in Well onTarget®
- December: Earn and spend Blue PointsSM on items including fitness gear, electronics and camping equipment
Date: Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Time: 10:30 am to 11:00 am CST
Registration links:
Fitness Connect Community: Fitness for Self-Care
Join the Fitness Connect Community!
The Employees Retirement System of Texas and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) invite you to talk about wellness topics and share your successes and challenges.
Monthly sessions, featuring presentations by BCBSTX wellness consultants, can help you get fit and stay healthy. Each month, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with other participants and share your experiences.
The 15-minute sessions will be held at 10 a.m. CT the second Tuesday of the month through December 13, 2022.
Topics include:
- October 11: Fitness for Self-Care
- November 8: Keep Moving Through the Holidays
- December 13: Look back on the Year and Get Ready for Next Year!
Date: Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Time: 10:00 am to 10:15 am CST
Registration links:
Webinar Archives including the following webinars:
- 30-minute Yoga Session
- Eating Well on a Budget
- Building a Movement Mindset
- Men’s Health & Human Perfomance
- Eat More Plants!
- The Healing Power of Breath
- The Power of Vulnerability
- Building Healthy Workplace Relationships & a Supportive Culture
- Happiness at Work
- Intermittent Fasting & Immunity
- Building Healthy Relationships
- Matters of the Heart
- 1° of Difference: Changing one habit can change your life
- Envisioning Your Future and Setting Goals
- Gratitude: Science & Practical Application
- Healthy Holiday Mindset
- Move More, Stress Less!
- Anxiety Awareness & Management
- Stress and Nutrition: It’s a 2-way Street!
- Building a Meditation Practice
- Intro to Mindfulness: What, Why, & How
- Intermittent Fasting Explained with Lindsey
- Listen to your Gut! Building a healthy microbiome (AKA gut health)
- Meals in Minutes
- Budgeting Basics
- Never Has Physical Activity Been More Important
- Walk on the Wild Side: How to reap the benefits of the outdoors
- Intro to Mindfulness - the what, why and how
- 10 Ways to maintain your health (and spirit!) while working from home
- Outsmart Your Mind to Eat Better
- Matters of the Heart
- Which Fitness Test is Best for Me
- Healthy Holiday Season
- Limited Equipment Workout
- The Sitting Disease
- Quick and Easy Food Prep
For more information, please feel free to contact physicalfitness@dps.texas.gov.