This spring, there has been a flurry of new events, activities and offerings from the Healthy Lifestyle Center! Dr. Christina Doll, Professor of Health Science, has pioneered a new podcast product to address common health issues of the Muncie/ Delaware County Community.  Sponsored by the Indiana Department of Health, Habits is a health-focused podcast that will feature interviews with research and community experts, community organizers, and community members to provide insight into various health topics that influence the lives of East-Central Indiana citizens.

Dr. Doll said of this project, “I’ve been looking for ways to integrate new media into our coursework and to expose students to the more “technical” side of media production. Podcasts seemed like a good fit in that light, and it’s been powerful to see our health education students learn about production from the expertise of our media students…a pretty great example of cross-college collaboration.” Dr. Doll was assisted by Barbie Butler (an EMDD graduate student), and Sierra Dean (a HEP senior who is interning with the HLC) for recording, mixing and production.

Their first episode was released on January 31st called All About Habits, with follow up episodes titled, New Year’s Resolutions, and Nutritional Wellness. The current plans for April focus on substance abuse awareness, and the May episode will focus on maternal health and perinatal mood disorders. Guests of the podcast from around Muncie and Delaware County gave heartfelt advice and their own testimonials to really bring the episodes to fruition. The first episode had a total of 67 unique streams, and it is building from there. If you haven’t listened yet, all the episodes are available at https://habitsbyhlc.buzzsprout.com/

If the podcast wasn’t enough to expand the Healthy Lifestyle Center, Dr. Kristin Trainor, assistant professor of social work & clinical director of the Healthy Lifestyle Center has worked with students from Social Work, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Kinesiology. IU School of Medicine-Ball students, directed by Dr. Lynn Witty, contribute to the efforts of the HLC. Dr. Witty also supports the HLC outreach efforts. Dr. Trainor said, “The HLC is active in the community. Just this spring, the HLC has attended over 40 community events and met with over 600 community members!”  These offerings were new programs offered, along with longer running programs like the Diabetes Prevention Program, Healthy Mothers, and numerous health screenings.

• Building Connections focused on helping international and new students make friends and connect with others. They talked through the issues of culture shock, fostering group identities, and building self-confidence.
• What’s on Your Plate focused on tips and tricks to make balanced and healthier meals at home, which is a foundation of a healthy lifestyle. They had sessions targeted towards common food situations, like Particular Eaters, Convenience Foods, and Fast Foods.
• Mindefulness 101, stated that mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations. The workshops aimed to improve mental and physical well-being. This program was for beginners and was taught by graduate assistants in Sport and Exercise Psychology. There were three sessions, cultivating attention, mindfulness for better sleep, and mindful eating.
• Memory Café Event was run in partnership with Health Education and Promotion alumna, Hollyn Neal, (BA, ’22) who serves as the Caregiver Programs Coordinator at Lifestream Services in Yorktown, IN. A memory café is a welcoming safe place for people living with dementia and their caregivers to enjoy social engagement and a break for their normal routine. It featured activities, conversations, and snacks for attendees.
• Community Baby Shower Event, in partnership with the Ross Community Center, this event will be held on May 26^th from 2 – 4 p.m. at the Ross Center.
  

  Program Ads for the HLC’s newest workshops this spring semester.

To learn more about the Healthy Lifestyle Center, and the program offerings this summer visit their website, or email them HLC765@bsu.edu. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.