PNCA Health Coaching and Education

Plan B and Narcan have been restocked in the health supplies vending machine! Grab what you need on your way out for summer. Remember Plan B and Narcan are always free ✌️

Do you want to work as a Certified Peer Educator next year? Now is your chance to apply! Support the work of the HCE office by creating programming, supporting your fellow students in connecting to resources, and get excited about health education! Application is live on Handshake now!

PNCA’s health coach/educator Hunter Marcus is currently out on maternity leave, (swipe to the end to see a photo of Hunter and her beautiful baby girl!) but health coaching appointments are still available to PNCA students!
Gabrielle Monaco has begun her role as Interim Health Coach on on the PNCA campus. She brings an interdisciplinary background in clinicial mental health and health promotion. Gabrielle holds a Master of Public Health and a Master of Social Work, and has nearly a decade of experience in behavioral health. She is committed to supporting students as they navigate academic stress, life transitions, social relationships, and wellness goals. Gabrielle looks forward to connecting with students and sharing tools and resources to support both personal health and academic success. You can email her at [email protected].

Rest and self-care are just as important as exercise! Even athletes need rest days. Resting gives your body a chance to recover from stress and decreases the risk of injury. Always listen to your body. Pushing through for a new PR can be good, but only if you're not straining yourself past what your body can do. Remember also that if you are struggling to move, doing any amount of movement can be self-care, even if it's just doing some gentle stretches beside (or in) your bed. Everyone is in a different place with what feels good for them.

Movement is beneficial for both your physical and mental health! Regular movement strengthens your heart, lungs, and muscles, improves your energy and stamina, helps your sleep, and generally makes you feel better! We know that when we aren't doing well mentally, physical movement is often on the of the first things to go by the wayside, but it can actually be one of the keys to making us feel better. Even just a little bit of gentle movement reduces stress, improves your mood, and releases "feel good" chemicals that can help reduce your depression and anxiety. Give it a try!

Most adults should aim for about two hours of moderate exercise each week. Remember, this doesn't need to be all at once! See if you can incorporate some muscle-strengthening movement in there as well. Check the post for examples of how to work this movement into your daily life!

The best exercise is the one you want to do! Movement doesn't have to be boring or repetitive--give yourself credit for what you're already doing, and find small ways to work it into your life. Smaller chunks of movement over a longer period of time is actually better for you than one huge burst!

You don't need to overhaul everything about your diet to take healthier steps! Anything helps when you're taking care of yourself. Try ADDING things like fruits and veggies into your meals instead of focusing on taking away things like sweets.
Eating well is supposed to be fun and make you feel good, not just be about deprivation.

Hydration is key! (And no, iced coffee and soda don't count!) Drinking enough water through the day is just as important as eating food that is nutritious. Water keeps all our body systems functioning, and is even more important when we are sick, injured, or stressed.

We know we're supposed to eat healthy, but WHY? Getting your body the nutrition it needs will help it run better. This includes your physical self but also your brain! More nutritious food will give you energy, make you feel more full, and protect you from sickness (or help you recover!)

There are general recommendations for what our plate should look like--what are they? Getting in as many food groups as possible is ideal, and their proportions are important (remember, we're looking at overall trends and not just one day or one plate!). Overall, most of your meals should be 1/4 grains, 1/4 proteins, and 1/2 fruits or veggies. But remember, it's perfectly ok if not every meal or very plate looks like this!