A Better Me
Extension launches virtual challenge
By Heather Mullinix
Editor
The Cumberland County Extension
Service works year-round to improve the
health and wel-lbeing of the community.
Classes, clubs and youth activities help
share research-backed lessons in healthy
eating, getting active, and using resources
wisely. But the ongoing COVID-19
health crisis has impacted how the Extension
staff can reach the community —
just when the community may need them
the most.
“Now more than ever, families are
looking for ways to maintain emotional,
mental and physical well-being through
virtual means,” said Crystal Blankenship,
Extension agent.
Blankenship is working with the Meigs
County Extension office to present the
Be A Better Me Challenge, nine months
of virtual challenges to help participants
work toward their personal goals.
Social media will help share live and
recorded videos that educate, encourage
and engage participants in activities that
address healthy cooking, exercise and
mindfulness.
“Through social media and e-learning,
Extension will conduct monthly virtual
challenges to encourage participants to
drink more water, increase physical activity,
plan and prepare healthy meals, manage
stress and more,” she said.
Participants can sign up online and
report their progress each week.
The challenges kick off this month
with “Commit to Fit.” This month focuses
on small changes people can make
to improve their health — like drinking
more water.
During week one, the challenge will be
to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water
each day for the recommended total of 64
ounces.
The next week, the challenge adds 15
minutes of stretching exercises each day.
During week three, participants will
work toward adding 150 minutes of moderate
exercise for the week.
By week four, the challenge will
include cooking and eating a least three
healthy meals at home each week.
September is also the Cumberland
County Hiking Marathon, which encourages
participants to complete 13.1 miles
of hiking on local trails during the month.
In October, the healthy habits started
in the month before build into the Walk
Across Tennessee program. Tennessee is
about 500 miles from Bristol to Memphis.
Participants can join a team and log their
miles online over eight weeks. Walking
can be done outside or on a treadmill,
and teams don’t have to walk together.
The online platform also offers a calculator
to convert other activities into “miles”
toward the goal.
The University of Tennessee Extension
Service offers prizes to the team who
walks the farthest, but everyone wins with
a new healthy habit.
November marks the start of the holiday
season, one of the most difficult
times of year to stick to healthy eating
habits. The challenge that month will be
No-Junk November, with a 14-day challenge
of eliminating added sugar and junk
food from your diet.
In December, mindfulness activities
from the UT Extension Service help beat
the holiday stress for Destress December.
January returns to the focus on moving
more and staying active with Just Move
January.
February is American Heart Month and
Go Red for Women. The challenges that
month include using heart-healthy recipes
and supporting awareness of women’s
heart disease by wearing red on Fridays.
In March, Destination Food Fair helps
remake some of your favorite take-out
foods with healthier versions, proving you
don’t have to sacrifice flavor for good
health.
In April, participants will be encouraged
to Hydrate for Health with tips on
rethinking your drink choices.
May concludes the challenges with May
Marathon Month, complete with resources
to help you get moving and walking.
Blankenship said a private Facebook
group will offer a chance to interact with
others in the county and from across the
state, as she works with her colleagues in
other counties on resources.
“We want people to interact and share
posts both for accountability and encouragement,”
she said.
The private group will provide a platform
to share tips on consuming more
water, like using flavors and infusions;
videos of exercises and stretches to do at
home; and cooking videos and healthy
recipes.
She’s also working on some incentives,
and those will be announced in the
future.
For more information on joining the
challenge, email Blankenship at cblankenship@utk.edu.
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Cumberland Now • September 2020 | 23