Cigna Whole Health® Calendar 2023

Exercise lowers our risk of developing many chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Research shows that getting active is also a great way to improve our mental well-being. Sounds like a win-win! You don’t have to play sports or go to a gym to give your physical activity a boost. Whether in a city park or rural nature, there are lots of ways to improve your fitness.

Burnout is an unpleasant combination of extreme physical and emotional exhaustion and a cycle of negative feelings. It’s usually caused by prolonged periods of high stress connected to our job. With new pressures impacting our daily lives, burnout is on the rise. If you think you’re experiencing the symptoms of burnout, there are many things you can do to tackle it head-on.

Group exercise is the perfect way to stay fit and socialise at the same time! Not only does it help you achieve your fitness goals, but it also provides a sense of community and support. Working out with others is a great motivator and can help you push yourself to new levels. So grab your workout buddy and discover why there's truth to the old saying, “There's strength in numbers.”

Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes days spent basking in the sun’s warm glow. But while you’re enjoying the great outdoors, it’s essential to take extra care of your skin and protect yourself from harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays. Skin cancer is a serious health concern, but the good news is that there are many things we can do to prevent it.

Studies have found that teenagers with electronic devices in their bedrooms reported consistently worse sleep. Not enough quality sleep can have an almost immediate effect. It makes it harder to think and easier to become irritated and stressed. But did you know that poor sleep increases the risk of more serious medical conditions? Getting to grips with sleep can help you make healthier choices for yourself and your family.

Our interactions with friends and family can be essential in supporting many aspects of our health and wellness. But when we experience a lack of drive, negative self-worth or an ongoing sense of feeling low, it can be harder to manage healthy relationships or even engage in everyday social situations. This could signify languishing, a term used to describe the absence of well-being around the midpoint of mental health.

The world around us is changing. Working nine to five is much less common, and today’s society can make real demands on our time and energy. It’s little wonder we can easily lose the balance between work and personal life from time to time. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed and overworked, it might be helpful to take a step back and recheck how you’re managing your priorities.

Whether you’re active throughout the day or spend hours sitting at a computer, musculoskeletal (MSK) pain can affect any part of the body. Pain can start following an accident or injury, or it might build up gradually with no apparent cause. Although persistent pain is complex, appropriate physical activity can help you self-manage your symptoms while positively impacting your overall health and mental well-being.

When it comes to diets, it’s not always easy to keep track of the latest ways to lose weight and improve overall health. From paleo to vegan and low-carb diets, it’s essential to know the facts and think about your lifestyle, preferences and goals before shifting to a new way of eating. Using this information to shape your approach could help your new diet go the distance.

Done right, social media platforms can offer young people valuable opportunities to expand their horizons. However, teenagers and young people who spend more than three hours a day on social media are more at risk of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and antisocial behaviour. As social media grows in popularity, we need to be aware of its impact on young people.

Chronic conditions include diabetes, heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease and strokes. Living with a chronic condition can drastically change someone’s life, as treatment is usually required indefinitely or over a long period. The good news is that there are things we can do to help prevent the onset of a chronic condition or make managing an existing one easier.

Being a parent isn’t easy. With global increases in obesity, ensuring children grow up to be happy and healthy is another challenge entirely. Health risks associated with childhood obesity include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and poor psychological health. But, making small changes to family lifestyle dynamics can play a positive role in helping children get more active and achieve a healthier weight.