May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re launching #BeKindToYourMind to promote mental well-being and self-care and raise awareness about the importance of mental health.
In this toolkit, you will find social media content that is ready to post and the best ways to share it! These posts are all about how to improve your mental well-being in your day-to-day life through exercises to try on your own or with others, helpful tips for boosting your mood and providing beneficial links to resources.
Sharing Our Message with Everyone: Accessibility Best Practices
We want to ensure everyone can easily participate in the movement to #BeKindToYourMind! Here are some inclusive tips to use when promoting content!
Image Descriptions: Provide clear and concise alt text for all images, briefly describing the content and its relevance to the post.
Use Captions: Include captions for videos and live streams and consider providing downloadable transcripts for extended video content.
Clear Communication: Communicate in simple terms, avoiding technical language and jargon. Keep your sentences brief and straightforward for easy understanding.
Hashtags: Using camel case will help make hashtags more readable (e.g., #CommitToInclusion). This helps screen readers announce them clearly. Our Mental Health Awareness Month hashtag is #BeKindToYourMind.
Limit Emojis: Emojis, while enjoyable, should be used in moderation and placed at the end of sentences. Refrain from depending on them to convey your message.
Color Contrast: Color contrast between text and background on images helps with readability.
Social Media Post Examples
#BeKindToYourMind for Mental Health Awareness Month! We are proud to partner with @NCHPAD to spread the word about self-care and boosting mental well-being! Check out their latest article on 10 things you can do every day to improve your mental well-being! https://bit.ly/NCHPAD-10-things
Our friends at @NCHPAD are launching the #BeKindToYourMind initiative to support positive mental health practices during Mental Health Awareness Month! Learn more about the health benefits of mindfulness and meditation in this blog! https://bit.ly/NCHPAD-Mindfulness
Mental health matters! We’ve partnered with @NCHPAD to let everyone know to #BeKindToYourMind! Find out more about the MENTOR program and the benefits of mindfulness in their video! https://youtu.be/WiKz1WK92-o?si=9V7L08QG08vvVMUQ
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Join us in supporting #BeKindToYourMind with our friends at @NCHPAD. Check out their website for self-care tips to prioritize your mental well-being! https://bit.ly/NCHPAD-10-things
People with disabilities face greater mental distress risks. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re teaming up with @NCHPAD to promote #BeKindToYourMind for improved mental well-being. Check out their site for more info! https://bit.ly/NCHPAD-10-things
Promoting Inclusion in healthcare practices
Mental health is for everyone! May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and our partners at @NCHPAD offer guidelines for inclusive and accessible mental healthcare for individuals with disabilities. Check out the article to learn more! https://bit.ly/NCHPAD-promoting-inclusion
Downloadable Graphics to Share
Reminder, please us alt-text when you share them!
Mental Health Awareness Month – Main Image (Square)
As we celebrate 25 years of NCHPAD, we’re immensely proud of the nationwide impact we’ve had promoting the health, wellness and inclusion of people with disabilities into all areas of life. To commemorate our 25th anniversary, we’re looking back on our two-and-a-half decades of work.
NCHPAD’s 25 years of work with and for people with disabilities set the bar for our society to become more accessible and inclusive.
“Inclusion in health promotion and wellness activities is one of the most essential human rights in our society, no different from what curb cuts, ramps and accessible bathrooms did many years ago to allow people with disabilities to leave their homes,” said Dr. Jim Rimmer, NCHPAD Director. “NCHPAD’s 25 years of work with and for people with disabilities set the bar for our society to become more accessible and inclusive.”
From 1999 to 2012, we were known as the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), based at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Our journey began with a clear mission: enhancing access to physical activity for individuals with disabilities.
During the first 13 years of NCHPAD, we focused on what could be considered the most important pathway to optimizing health and function: exercise. As we became a leader in promoting physical activity in people with disabilities, we decided that we needed to broaden our emphasis on health and well-being, and in 2012 we added an “H” to our name, for health.
“Adding health to our name gave us more tools in our toolbox to assist people with disabilities in improving their personal health and well-being,” said Dr. Rimmer. “And moving here to UAB, which includes a strong core of researchers who understand every aspect of physical activity and disability, has been absolutely crucial to our growth as the national leader in promoting the health and wellness of people with disabilities. We really could not practice this type of inclusion science without strong, continual support from UAB.”
Paralympian and public speaker Bob Lujano joined NCHPAD immediately after the move to Birmingham. He is grateful for the resources and opportunities NCHPAD has provided and proud to continue our legacy of inclusion and accessibility.
“Over the past 12 years, it has been my honor to work as an Expert Inclusion Specialist (EIS) at the NCHPAD – a job that is a continuous joyful endeavor,” said Lujano. “A big thanks to NCHPAD and those who have paved the way for me to have a platform of disability service in which I am allowed to forge ahead with my own disability lived experience. Here’s to many more years of NCHPAD continuing to better the lives of people with disabilities!”
During our first few years in Birmingham, we pioneered several initiatives promoting health and wellness among the disability community. From building a ‘paperless’ Information Center to transitioning towards dynamic online programs, we continuously evolved to better serve our community’s needs.
Our goals during this time were ambitious yet important: We wanted to improve access to programs, venues and services while increasing participation in beneficial physical activity and nutrition. We also worked to promote adherence to healthy behaviors and advocated for policy change and education by bridging research to practice through several unique, innovative approaches.
We are immensely proud of two significant milestones during that time: the launch of “NCHPAD 14 Weeks to a Healthier You,” a revolutionary online program offering personalized resources for physical activity and nutrition to individuals of all abilities and health aspirations, and our collaboration with the American College of Sports Medicine to introduce the Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer training program.
“The past 25 years have allowed NCHPAD to make a positive impact on inclusion and disability in the education space,” said Penny Edwards, NCHPAD Program Manager. “We have impacted administrators, future leaders, university professors, classroom teachers, health educators, physical educators and the list goes on in the education space, reaching well over one million students! We can’t wait to see what the next 25 years bring.”
We have impacted administrators, future leaders, university professors, classroom teachers, health educators, physical educators and the list goes on in the education space, reaching well over one million students!
In 2013, we launched our YouTube channel. Our YouTube channel is our largest resource hub, with over 30,000 subscribers – reaching millions each year. It’s been an incredible journey of sharing valuable content and stories that equip and empower people with lived experience and stakeholders who work with people with disabilities.
“Throughout the years of NCHPAD, we’ve interviewed hundreds of people with disabilities. It’s a huge privilege to be trusted with that access, learn about their needs, platform their stories and foster change,” said Matt Henton, NCHPAD Video Production Manager. “We get to work directly with these individuals to create resources that can help millions of people. We’re uniquely poised and honored to slowly fill the disability health and wellness content vacuum, one video at a time.”
In the beginning days, our focus was on creating concise exercise videos that catered to individuals with physical disabilities, to promote health. As time passed, we broadened our content to include information on adapted sports, community inclusion guides, cooking demonstrations, disability education and material tailored for teenagers and children. This expansion reflected (and continues to reflect) our commitment to serving people of all ages and backgrounds, promoting health and advancing inclusion.
“I was born with cerebral palsy and have active epilepsy, so NCHPAD, for me, has been a place to learn about Universal Design, the ADA, internalized ableism, medical ableism, aging and disability, mental health and so much more,” said Ingrid Pfau, Lead Digital Media Producer. “We are here to share stories, educate and help people as much as possible with our resources.”
As time passed, we broadened our content to include information on adapted sports, community inclusion guides, cooking demonstrations, disability education and material tailored for teenagers and children.
Some of our video highlights include our “How-To” series featuring Paralympian Mary Allison Cook, offering practical tips and tricks for navigating life as a wheelchair user, and The Awesome Mary Show with Mary White, focused on spreading positivity and advocating for equal treatment for people with disabilities.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, our nationally recognized home workout video playlist, which provided expert advice for older adults, was featured in The New York Times. In addition to that playlist, we have collaborated with Coach Dave Geslak at Exercise Connection to promote exercise for children with autism and provide valuable resources for parents, caregivers, educators and therapists – and this video series is closing in on an incredible one million views.
“The Autism Exercise video series started in 2015 because both Exercise Connection and NCHPAD wanted to provide evidence-based strategies so practitioners and caregivers could help their autistic clients or children in a variety of physical activity settings. At that time, there was not a lot of information available,” said Dave Geslak, Exercise Connection President and Founder. “Over the years, we have heard from people all over the world, and they say it is so valuable because we are not only sharing evidence-based strategies with field-based exercises but that the videos also involve individuals with autism.”
Lately, our video team has focused on content for our growing roster of health promotion programs, including videos on mindfulness, meditation and healthy, delicious recipes.
In late 2022, we launched NCHPAD Connect, revolutionizing how we connect individuals with disabilities to health promotion programs and personalized resources! NCHPAD Connect is our online portal housing a growing community of health promotion programs and resources for people with disability.
“We have people who have had their disability from birth or people who have gotten their disabilities from accidents or different situations in life,” said Marie Granucci, a participant in several NCHPAD Connect programs. “It’s nice to connect with other people and see things from broad perspectives, like how different people look at different parts of disabilities. No one is ‘woe is me’ or ‘what am I doing here?’”
NCHPAD Connect tackles health disparities head-on by providing comprehensive programs and resources specifically designed to support the health and wellness of people with disabilities and help prevent secondary conditions.
NCHPAD Connect tackles health disparities head-on by providing comprehensive programs and resources specifically designed to support the health and wellness of people with disabilities and help prevent secondary conditions.
“NCHPAD Connect provides information and options for ALL levels of ability and tailors the information to the recipients,” said Teresa White, program participant and assistant coach of a NCHPAD health promotion program. “This is something that I believe makes NCHPAD a unique and valuable resource for any individual with a physical disability.”
Each program focuses on holistic health and wellness, from diet and nutrition to evidence-based mindfulness and meditation, exercise, and more! Each year, there are new programs available through NCHPAD Connect, specially tailored to individual participant needs, goals and feedback.
“We see NCHPAD as a ‘disruptor’ in health and wellness,” said Dr. Rimmer. “We provide connection to every single area of health, from physical and mental health to emotional or spiritual health, which has been often neglected.”
“This connection includes building strong relationships, giving back to others and a versatile, evidence-based spiritual practice that connects the individual to a state of mind that induces peace, joy and love.”
Central to our success has been our collaboration with national healthcare partners, facilitating patient involvement and educating healthcare providers on the importance and impact of inclusive wellness initiatives. Since we started, we’ve made incredible strides in fostering partnerships and expanding our reach to thousands of individuals with disabilities nationwide.
“Our healthcare partners are vital to our success in reaching thousands of additional people across the country. We empower each provider with expert training and disability education that helps reduce medical ableism while increasing empathy and access to care,” said Tracy F. Tracy, NCHPAD Healthcare Inclusion Specialist. “This gives often overlooked or marginalized populations access to programs and resources that make a huge difference in overall health and wellness.”
Our healthcare partners are vital to our success in reaching thousands of additional people across the country. We empower each provider with expert training and disability education that helps reduce medical ableism while increasing empathy and access to care.
Our collaborative approach is deeply rooted in the belief that strategic partnerships are vital for the development and sustainability of community health inclusion.
“Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers values partnering with NCHPAD; it enriches our programs by connecting us to like-minded organizations and rehabilitation hospitals on a national level, as well as strongly aligns with our four Pillars of Excellence: Education, Advocacy, Outreach and Research,” said Hayley Brown, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) with Spaulding and MENTOR health coach. “More specifically, collaboration with the MENTOR Program supports ongoing resource development that is available to all our staff and clients.”
With over 60 national partners on board, including respected names like Ochsner Health, Craig Hospital, Spaulding Adaptive Sports Center, Health Choice Network, Methodist Rehabilitation, Alabama Department of Public Health, Motus Nova, OhioHealth and Cerebral Palsy Research Network, among others, we’re proud of the diverse network we’ve built and the impact we’re making together.
As we reflect on our journey these past 25 years, we’re grateful for the support of our partners and the opportunity to continue advancing inclusion and revolutionizing access to health and wellness. Here’s to many more years of collaboration and progress!
“I would like to end with a tribute to all the NCHPAD staff who joined us from 1999 to the present,” said Dr. Rimmer. “It’s been a joyful 25 years meeting all of these wonderful and dedicated staff and watching them grow into careers that are addressing a tremendous need in our society – inclusion and acceptance.”
Looking ahead, NCHPAD is expanding on our important work of the last 25 years to reach more of the millions of Americans with disabilities. Thanks to our Data Coordinating Center (DCC) and Evaluation and Performance Measurement Team, we are refining and personalizing programs and resources with even more precision.
Comprehensively capturing health behavior changes among our participants across the entire United States deepens our understanding of the multifaceted needs within the disability community. And this systematic data collection effort empowers us to rigorously evaluate the impact of our health promotion programs on participants’ health and quality of life outcomes and continue building evidence-based resources and practices for the disability community. We couldn’t be more excited about the future!
Whether you need a health promotion program, inclusive resource, partnership, educational resource or simply a community to interact with, NCHPAD has something for you. Connect with our team at nchpad@uab.edu or give us a call at 866-866-8896.
By Emily Hornsby, NCHPAD Mindfulness Curriculum Coordinator
We have all heard of multitasking, but do you always like to multitask? Do you ever feel too busy? Trying to complete several different tasks at once can sometimes be overwhelming and even cause anxiety.
Multitasking is doing more than one task at the same time. We drive and talk on the phone, or we talk on the phone and clean the house, or we even type on our computers while talking on the phone or on a Zoom call.
Multitasking is necessary for many people, and multitasking is even considered an admirable trait! But is it always good?
Have you ever been frustrated, anxious or stressed out when you are multitasking? Do you ever move from one thing to the next without completing any of the tasks? Do you make more mistakes when you multitask? You aren’t alone.
Recent studies have shown that multitasking can be less effective and productive than previously thought. It can decrease the accuracy of certain tasks.
When we shift from one task without completing it to another, the brain needs time to focus on the new task. If we are constantly switching from one task to another without completing them, this can increase the amount of time it takes to complete the task. This often causes frustration, anxiety and stress.
And when we are frustrated, anxious or stressed, we are unable to do our best work or be our best selves.
Single-Tasking to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Productivity
Productivity experts suggest that the best way to accomplish something well is to direct all our attention, energy and time to completing one task before we move on to the next one. This is also known as “single-tasking.”
Harvard researchers recently tracked the activities and thoughts of several thousand volunteers, and they found something really interesting. Almost one-half of the time, our thoughts are not related to what we are currently doing; our minds are wandering. We are not present.
The researchers also found that we are happiest when we are present and focused on exactly what we are doing – whether having a conversation, moving down the street or doing the dishes. In other words, single-tasking.
So, what are some tools that will help us to be able to rest our attention on one task at a time and be happier? Mindfulness and Meditation.
Mindfulness is simply paying attention to the present moment without judgment.
You can practice mindfulness in your everyday life by resting your attention on whatever task it is that you are doing. This can be anything from cleaning the house, brushing your teeth, washing dishes or having a conversation with someone.
Being fully present with the experience that is going on right then and there without stressing about the future or over-thinking about the past is mindfulness.
Meditation is just a formal way of practicing mindfulness. In meditation, you direct the focus of your attention deliberately without judgment. Here are some helpful meditation tips if you’re just starting out:
Focus on your breath and have that be your anchor.
When thoughts, feelings and emotions come up – AND THEY WILL – simply notice them and even name them to yourself.
Let your thoughts go like clouds in the sky or waves in the ocean and return to your breath.
Scientific studies have shown that mindfulness and meditation improve your attention, lower your anxiety and stress, and increase calm and focus.
This simple practice of mindfulness and meditation will help you be able to single-task. Try focusing your attention on one thing at a time to reduce your anxiety, frustration and stress.
Today, try completing one task before you begin another. Even if you can’t single-task all the time, pick some tasks in which you can rest your full attention on that task until you complete it. See how you feel!
Thank you and see you soon!
If you would like more information about the MENTOR program or Mindfulness and Meditation please contact the National Center for Health, Physical Activity and Disability at www.nchpadconnect.org or call 1-866-866-8896.
In recognition of World Braille Day, we’re showcasing one of our great videos from 2019 discussing the importance of braille. Mary Beth Wagner, a braille instructor from the Alabama Freedom Center for the Blind in Birmingham, Ala., explains why it is important to read and write in braille as well as the impact braille has had on her life.
“Reading is essential anyway,” said Wagner. “Unfortunately a lot of blind children fall through the cracks because they are not exposed to braille at a young age. My vision teacher sat down with me at three years old and began to teach me the braille alphabet. If it weren’t for braille I can’t even imagine where I would be education wise.”
In the video below, Wagner explains how braille is a series of dot combinations and shows how to write in braille both manually and using a braille writing machine.
“No parent of any sighted child would be content with their child just listening to an audible recording, they want their children to read,” said Wagner. “If your child is blind, they have the same right to learn how to read as a sighted child. Reading is amazing. I have had a lot of experiences in my life where I’ve been able to just become a part of the story. I’ve always loved stories. So the fact that I can have the same access to information as any sighted person who loves to read is definitely a blessing. I’m thankful that it’s available to the blind.”
What is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities?
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is an annual international observance on December 3 that was started in 1992 by the United Nations (UN). According to the UN,
It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
Each year the day focuses on a different message or theme. The 2023 theme is “United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities.
What are SDGs? SDGs are Sustainable Development Goals. According to the UN, SDGs are not on track to reach targets for the 2030 agenda, but there is a renewed commitment by world leaders to achieve shared prosperity and sustainable development for all.
Why is this Important?
When inclusion barriers exist for people with disabilities, our society is not progressing. IDPD aims to remove those barriers and empower individuals with disabilities. When everyone is able to participate, our communities, countries and world can benefit.
“On this important day, I call on the world to work side-by-side with persons with disabilities to design and deliver solutions based on equal rights in every country and community,” said UN Secretary General António Guterres.
How the NCHPAD Team is Celebrating and How You can Celebrate
Members of NCHPAD attended the 2nd Annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities Celebration on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on Friday, December 1. The event was hosted by NCHPAD’s own Dr. Robin Lanzi and her team at the Inclusive Well-Being Translational Science Collaborative.
A keynote address by Dr. Graham Sisson, Executive Director of the Alabama Governor’s Office on Disability, was followed by a panel discussion on disability health and well-being from several respected public health professionals.
“Health inequities occur because of a lack of information and lack of awareness. Today is about bringing awareness to that issue,” said Dr. Sisson. “Regulations and laws make a difference, but the real change occurs when we change attitudes.”
“Despite barriers and the need for improvement, there is still hope.”
There are many ways you can celebrate IDPD in your personal or professional life.
Attend or host a disability awareness training session to embrace an inclusive culture.
Donate to disability charities.
Attend or host an event with a disability awareness speaker.
Make a statement of support.
Advocate for better accessibility at common public places or in the workplace.
Being a caregiver does not mean that you must now sacrifice your health. If you have recently added the responsibility of being a caregiver for a spouse, parent, or other family or friend, please take time to take care of your own health as well.
My wife has recently become the main caregiver of my mother-in-law, but I also share many of those same responsibilities. As a person with a disability, I also have some secondary health conditions, so it’s extremely important that I pay extra attention to my health – and my wife’s health as well.
Here are some ways that I stay healthy as a caregiver:
Me time.
Once you have made the important decision to be a caregiver, make the same commitment to have some time for yourself. There is nothing wrong with having some ME time. It is this me time that can help you become a better caregiver.
Organization.
This first step is very important when you become a caregiver. Set up a daily schedule for caregiving, and schedule a time of day for meals, exercise, sleep and activities. This can help you stay organized in order to schedule that me time.
Accountability person.
An accountability person is someone who can cover your responsibilities as a caregiver AND check in on you. Make sure you have a backup person who can take over your responsibilities, even if it’s just an hour or two! And have regular conversations with your accountability person ensure that you are taking care of yourself.
I am that accountability person for my wife. I help her out by preparing meals and taking her to dinner. I also encourage her to take time for herself while I take care of her mother. We also play tennis and go swimming together to get some exercise and de-stress from work.
Sleep and rest.
If you have taken care of young children, do you remember the suggestion of sleeping when the child sleeps? I definitely do! This is a good suggestion for caregivers, too. There’s nothing wrong with scheduling your own sleep, naps and rest time along with the person you are providing care for. Artificial intelligence (AI) devices such as an Alexa can help with scheduling naps and activities. For people with disabilities, these devices are accessible and voice-activated.
Your health is just as important! Follow these tips and learn more about additional caregiver resources below!
Additional Caregiver Resources
NCHPAD Connect links you to free resources, communities and wellness programs specifically tailored to people with a wide range of physical disabilities. Here’s what you should know.
NCHPAD Connect
NCHPAD Connect is a valuable resource that can help you and the person you are caring for to stay healthy and well.
Personalized resource recommendations: NCHPAD Connect can recommend health and wellness resources tailored to the specific needs of the person you care for. This can be a huge time-saver for caregivers, as it can be difficult to know where to start looking for inclusive health and wellness resources.
Free, online programs: NCHPAD Connect offers a variety of free health and wellness programs that focus on mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, diet and weight management. These programs can help caregivers and the people they care for to stay healthy and manage any secondary conditions.
Expert Inclusion Specialists (EIS): NCHPAD Expert Inclusion Specialists (EIS), including Bob Lujano and Cara Riggins, provide access to free, personalized resources and programs to anyone who needs them! Learn more about Cara in our recent blog.
The Great American Smokeout, held on the third Thursday of November every year, encourages smokers across the nation to commit to quitting smoking for at least one day, in the hopes that it will lead to a smoke-free future.
While the focus of this event is on the broader population, it’s important to know how this initiative can be especially impactful for people with disabilities.
Smoking poses unique challenges and risks to individuals with disabilities, making the event a prime opportunity for change, empowerment and improved health outcomes.
Tobacco Prevalence in People with Disabilities
People with disabilities face many barriers to health and wellness access. As a result, people with disabilities often are more susceptible to preventable health problems that decrease their overall health and quality of life. Contributing factors include limited access to health programs and services that meet their needs.
According to the CDC, current cigarette smoking is significantly higher among adults with a disability (19%) compared to adults without a disability (11%). The percentage of adults with disabilities using E-cigarettes is also higher (8%) compared to adults without disabilities (3.9%). Adolescents with disabilities are also consistently more likely to smoke cigarettes compared with their nondisabled peers (Senders et al., 2020) .
Access to tobacco prevention and cessation programs and public information campaigns can significantly improve the health and wellness of people, including those with disabilities. It’s especially important to provide inclusive programs aimed to provide equal access to people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized. This includes those having physical or intellectual disabilities or belonging to other minority groups.
Public health organizations promoting health and wellness must prioritize access to resources, education and programs that will lead people with disabilities to engage in positive healthy behaviors related to a smoke-free life. The graphic below highlights strategies for avoiding – and quitting – tobacco.
Did you know that NCHPAD offers personalized resources for people with physical disabilities and mobility limitations? Our expert inclusion specialists, or EIS, provide access to free, personalized resources and programs to anyone who needs them – anywhere in the country.
But what exactly is an EIS – and how do you connect with them? Here’s what you should know.
What is an Expert Inclusion Specialist?
A NCHPAD EIS guides people with mobility disabilities and chronic health conditions to a wide range of resources. Our team also provides professional training and resources to coaches, educators, caretakers and healthcare providers.
“We provide people with tailored, disability-specific resources,” said Cara Riggins, EIS with NCHPAD since 2019. “This includes programs or helpful everyday resources in many areas.”
“We are representatives of NCHPAD who find and create resources to share with people with disabilities,” said Bob Lujano, a NCHPAD EIS who’s been with the team since 2012. “The resources are on a wide range of topics like accessible places, organizations, parks and programs. We cover many, many areas!”
How to reach an EIS
EIS expertise is always free and available 7 AM-7 PM Monday-Friday.
The primary way to contact an EIS is through the NCHPAD Call Center. Our Call Center team works with individuals to get them enrolled in NCHPAD Connect, answer questions related to programs or connect them to an EIS for community resources and technical assistance.
To reach the NCHPAD Call Center, call 866-866-8896 or email nchpad@uab.edu.
Professional training
NCHPAD EIS also have experience in professional training. Since 2016, our EIS have served as implementation coordinators in training a wide range of individuals, from state public health departments to service providers and program developers.
This training covers health-promotion topics and practices through in-person and virtual sessions. The center has trained tens of thousands of health and wellness professionals in such topics as:
Disability awareness and inclusion
Inclusive worksite wellness
Inclusive and healthy communities
Supplemental nutrition assistance program and inclusion
Rx for exercise and healthcare providers
Inclusive diabetes prevention programs
Active and inclusive school programs
“Another part of our job is to create resources and disseminate them to educators, healthcare providers, consumers, and fitness professionals to fill the need where people with disabilities can specifically go for resources,” Bob said. “We’re always happy to chat with program participants or individuals looking for personalized resources as well as educators or community leaders looking for specific expertise.”
This is the second blog in a three-part series on exercise and balance, presented with our friends at Allard USA. Please note that if you have severe balance problems or have been losing your balance more often recently, see a healthcare provider before you get started with these exercises.
In our first blog in this series, we explored some simple ways to improve our sense of balance. Improving balance makes movement easier and increases how safe we feel while moving. Another way to improve our balance and mobility – and reduced our risk of pain or injury – is to strengthen our core.
Remember, our core includes muscles in our mid-section, hips, back and even shoulders! Another way to think of this is the muscles that attach to our spine, ribs and pelvis.
“Our core muscles help us move with a sense of stability,” says John Reams, NCHPAD Exercise Physiologist. “With that in mind, we can start to strengthen our core through two easy to learn exercises: diaphragmatic breathing and core pulls.” Both exercises can be done flat on your back, seated and standing. And both exercises help us increase awareness of how it feels to engage our core muscles.
REMEMBER: be sure to continue to breathe throughout all exercises. Avoid holding your breath at ANY point in these exercises.
Exercise 1: Diaphragmatic Breathing
Our diaphragm is a large dome-shaped muscle that separates our lungs from our abdomen. The diaphragm flattens and moves downward when you breathe in, and then it expands and moves upward when you breathe out. Diaphragmatic breathing is a simple exercise that can help you as you begin to work on your core strength. Here’s how it works:
Inhale through your nose and relax (or expand) the muscles around your midsection.
Exhale through your mouth and actively contract (or tighten) the muscles around your midsection.
Try to inhale deeply for two seconds, and then exhale slowly for four seconds.
Repeat this ten times.
Diaphragmatic breathing can help you feel the muscles around your midsection and be more aware of what relaxing and tightening your core feels like.
Exercise 2: Core Pulls
Core pulls engage muscles in our abdomen, hips and pelvis. Here’s how they work:
Pull your belly button back and down towards your hips.
At the same time, push or tighten your heels and the balls of your feet to the floor.
Maintain this for 10-30 seconds, and the exercise repeat 5-10 times.
Looking for delicious and nutritious meals that combat inflammation? We’ve got you covered with three easy-to-make recipes that are not only packed with anti-inflammatory goodness but can also be prepared in just 15 minutes!
“Decreasing inflammation in your body decreases risk for heart disease, stroke and certain cancers,” says Lacey Gammon, NCHPAD Nutrition Coordinator. “From fatty fish and dark, leafy greens like kale to nuts, watermelon and sweet potatoes, these recipes feature many ingredients that can help decrease inflammation and support your health.”
In this video, we’ll guide you through the process of creating a refreshing watermelon arugula salad, a delicious seared tuna salad with fruit and hummus dressing, and a hearty sweet potato hash with broccoli and walnuts.
Watch the video and check out the recipes for each meal below.
Watermelon salad
Serving size: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups watermelon, diced
1 cup arugula
6 mint leaves
1 cucumber, diced into ¼” cubes
1 oz. goat cheese
1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Directions:
Dice watermelon in ½” cubes and set aside.
Toss arugula in bowl with half of the oil, season with salt and pepper and arrange on a plate to form a mound in center. Place cubed watermelon around base.
Sprinkle goat cheese evenly around salad. Place cucumber around watermelon and drizzle the rest of oil over cucumber and watermelon.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze to finish. If looking for more crunch, sprinkle 1 teaspoon toasted, sliced almonds, pumpkin seed, walnuts, or personal preference.
Seared tuna salad with fruit and hummus dressing
Serving size: 1
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1, 4-6 oz. tuna fillet
2 teaspoons oil
1 ½ cups kale
¼ apple, sliced
¼ cup assorted berries, (strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate, etc
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup hummus
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 bunch fresh basil
Directions:
Place kale in bowl, add apple slices and berries. In smaller bowl, mix hummus with vinegar and pour over salad.
Heat pan on high heat. Season tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan and sear tuna 2 minutes on each side.
Pull tuna off heat and let cool 2 minutes. Slice thinly and add to top of salad.
Add-on or substitutions:
Tuna may be replaced with salmon or chicken. Assorted berries may be used according to season. Kale may be replaced with spinach or other lettuces.
Sweet potato, broccoli and walnut hash
Service size: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1, 6 oz bag of prechopped sweet potato (or 2 small sweet potato, cut in to cubes)
1 cup prechopped broccoli
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup halved walnuts
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup low sugar craisins
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Chop fresh vegetables into equal sized pieces. About ½” cubes.
Spread ingredients on to a prepared baking sheet.
Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil and mix until all ingredients are covered. Add walnuts.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender, lightly caramelized, and walnuts are toasted.
