Simple challenges that can lead to healthier lifestyles for West Virginians, that’s the concept behind West Virginia University Extension Service’s new website: the Wild, Wonderful Wellness Challenge.

The site (www.fh.ext.wvu.edu/wellness), offers a weekly health challenge, healthy recipes and participant blogs. Links to other community-based WVU and WVU Extension resources are also provided. The goal is to create a place where visitors can set their own goals to improve their well-being.

“Wellness isn’t about weight-loss,” Emily Murphy, WVU Extension Specialist, said. “This challenge is focused on helping participants improve their emotional, social and physical health.”

Murphy suggests that a main barrier to changing bad habits is that people set unrealistic goals when it comes to improving health.

“We understand that if you set an unrealistic goal then you’re setting yourself up for failure,” she said. “Our challenge focuses on simple and realistic steps that you can incorporate into your daily routines.”

Challenges might be something like replacing one can of soda a day with a glass of water or taking a 15-minute walk on your lunch break.

“You don’t have to move mountains to make a change,” Murphy said. “Not every challenge will be easy for every person. We know that from research and personal experience. This is a site that lets you set your own pace for progress.”

In addition to the wellness challenge, WVU Extension delivers practical health and nutrition information to all 55 West Virginia Counties through programs like Dining with Diabetes and the 4-H Health Planner. The goal is to provide research-based resources from the University and create easy-to-use programming for people in communities.

The site will be updated each Monday in 2011.

For more information on healthy lifestyle programs in your community, contact your local county office of the WVU Extension Service, or visit www.ext.wvu.edu.

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CONTACT:
Ann Bailey Berry
voice: 304.293.5691
cell: 304.376.7740
e-mail: ann.berry@mail.wvu.edu