Programs to help you move well, eat well, breathe well, and feel well

Physical Well-Being


Your good health matters to UVA. We encourage you to develop a passion for living a healthy lifestyle. Getting regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. The benefits of physical activity include improved memory and sleep quality, increased energy, focus and productivity, weight loss, reduced stress, prevention of heart disease, better diabetes control and cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and blood sugar, and lower risk of certain cancers, amongst many other benefits.

While any amount of physical activity provides some health benefits, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) publish the current physical activity recommendations for all age groups and special populations. Food and nutrition also play a crucial role in your long-term health and chronic disease prevention, as does kicking harmful habits like tobacco use. Hoos Well provides a wide array of programs and resources for supporting a holistic healthy lifestyle through all stages of life.

Reward-eligible physical well-being webinars: learn more and register

Physical Well-being Programs

In addition to creating its own programs, Hoos Well partners with UVA and the community to provide you all types of tools to improve your physical well-being. Many of these programs are free or offered at a reduced rate.

  • Triple Tracker

    Work towards improving your physical well-being by participating in the Hoos Well Triple Tracker. By staying active for 20 days each month, you can earn $25 in rewards.

    Learn More About Triple Tracker
  • Free Group Exercise and Fitness Classes

    Virginia Recreation (UVA Rec) is a proud partner with Hoos Well to facilitate healthy activities and help you be stronger today than you were yesterday. Join instructor-led fitness sessions outside, in the gym, and at home at your convenience. Explore virtual and in-person drop-in classes and enrollment-based programs, which are free for employees. UVA Rec counts for progress towards the Hoos Well Triple Tracker challenge as well. Spouses enrolled in the UVA Health Plan or UPG Anthem Health Plan may also participate.

    View the schedule and register today!
  • Nutrition Counseling Center

    Hoos Well offers a variety of programs to help you learn about and take steps to improve your nutrition.

    Learn more
  • UVA Walking Paths

    Check out these walking paths near Main Grounds, Ivy Road, Old Ivy Road, Fontaine, Lewis and Clark, and UVA Wise. You can use the interactive map on your smart phone or print out a PDF.

    Enjoy the walking paths
  • Hoos Choice Nutrition Program

    Hoos Choice is a point-of-choice nutrition program that facilitates and encourages healthy food choices across the University of Virginia.

    Learn More
  • WW - 'Wellness that Works' (formerly Weight Watchers)

    Enjoy digital subscriptions and virtual workshops at a discounted price. You may also be eligible for 50% reimbursement. Take advantage of streamlined reimbursement requests through Workday!

    Explore WW
  • Tobacco Cessation Resources and Support

    Quitting tobacco may be the single most important step you can take for improving your overall health. Through our partnership with Virgin Pulse, Hoos Well offers free, nonjudgmental support-- including phone-based coaching and nicotine replacement therapy.

    Learn more
  • Support in Maternity

    Learn more about how UVA supports all employees who are lactating/breastfeeding, and about additional services for UVA employees and their spouses on the UVA Health Plan or UPG Anthem Health Plan who are expecting so that you can plan for and have the healthiest pregnancy possible.

    Learn More
  • Live Health Coaching

    Participants in the UVA and UPG Health Plans have unlimited access certified Health Coaches, who can work with you 1:1 by phone to help you understand the results of your health assessment, establish personalized well-being goals, and develop a strategy to achieve them. Experienced Virgin Pulse Health Coaches can assist in addressing many topics, including getting active, managing weight, and eating well.

    Learn about Live Health Coaching
  • Physical activity and nutrition Journeys

    Engage in reward-eligible educational modules in the Hoos Well portal, provided by Virgin Pulse. Topics include getting strong at home, walking your way to fitness, ramping up your workout, smart eating, and fitting in more fruit and veggies.

    Browse physical activity and nutrition journeys in the Hoos Well portal

Resources

The following resources are also available to help improve your quality of life. They include information about making your work space more ergonomically appropriate, addiction recovery support within the UVA community, and the UVA-WorkMed Clinic.

  • Ergonomics (UVA Environmental Health and Safety)

    You will find information here about defining and evaluating ergonomic risks, creating ergonomically appropriate workstations, and preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. You also will find tips on taking stretch breaks and how to maintain proper posture at your desk, as well as information about the effects of highly repetitive movements, excessive force or strain and vibration for those working in offices or laboratories around the University.

    Struggling with office ergonomics?  For those experiencing pain or significant, ongoing discomfort from their computer workstation, whether on Grounds or at home, UVA Environmental Health & Safety provides a 20-minute online office ergonomics self-assessment and training tool called ROSA by MyAbilities. EHS Occupational Health personnel provide further assistance as needed based upon the ROSA result. Click the link below to get started today!

    Request an ergonomics assessment
  • UVA-WorkMed

    A comprehensive occupational health- and team member-focused wellness clinic within the UVA Medical Center, which provides medical treatment of work-related injuries as well as occupational health and wellness services tailored to employer needs (including medical physicals, immunizations, drug screens, fitness for duty evaluations, and executive wellness programs. UVA-WorkMed team members include Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Exercise Physiologists, Registered Dietitians, and Wellness Specialists.

    Visit UVA-WorkMed
  • Recovery-Ready Grounds

    UVA’s Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) works to ensure that students, faculty, staff, and alumni do not have to choose between substance use disorder recovery and a world-class academic, employee, and alumni experience. This growing support network respects and fosters recovery through encouragement, empathy, and celebration of success.

    UVA CRP hosts monthly social events, a support group called Hoos in Recovery (HiR) that meets weekly during the regular school year, Recovery Ally trainings, and much more.

    Learn More About UVA CRP and Hoos in Recovery
  • Flu Vaccine

    Influenza vaccination is a critical step in protecting yourself, your coworkers, family, and your community from infection with influenza virus. Pursuant to promoting healthy lifestyle choices and a healthy workplace for all UVA employees, Hoos Well encourages annual flu vaccinations for all who are able. Each fall, Hoos Well hosts flu vaccination events across Grounds.

  • UVA Exercise Physiology Core Lab

    The UVA Exercise Physiology Core Lab offers body composition, metabolism, and fitness testing to UVA employees. They work with everyone from elite athletes to people just starting an exercise program. 

    Put numbers to your goals by finding out how many calories your body needs, what your current body fat level is, and/or what your heart rate should be during exercise. Services are paid out of pocket. Each test they offer includes a consultation with their staff.

    To schedule a Bod Pod, Resting Metabolism test, or Exercise Test, contact Lisa Farr: 434.982.3565 or lisafarr@virginia.edu

    Learn more about the Exercise Physiology Core Lab's services
  • Free Resource for Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes

    Charlottesville area residents with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes can currently join BEATDiabetes for FREE. BEATDiabetes delivers diabetes prevention or management tips directly to your mobile phone by text and offers financial rewards to help motivate you to take action. Texts focus on small, attainable changes that can add up to big improvements in your blood sugars and overall health. If you are successful in improving your blood sugars, you can earn entries in the $1000 BEATDiabetes Drawing held 3 times a year.  The 12-month program is currently free for people with Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in Charlottesville and the surrounding area. Sign-up is fast and easy, and you can discontinue the program at any time. To learn more or to sign up, go to www.beatT2diabetes.com or call 434-234-7676.

    Participation is limited, so sign up soon to secure your spot.

    Learn more and sign up
  • Chronic Care Coaching

    UVA-WorkMed provides chronic care coaching to assist UVA team members and their families manage chronic health conditions, with the goal of improving health and wellbeing. There is no cost to UVA team members for this service, and eligibility does not depend on enrollment in the UVA Health Plan. For more information, call 434.243.0075 or click the button below.

    Visit UVA-WorkMed

Physical Well-Being Webinars

In collaboration with multiple partners, including IM-Rec, UVA Work-Med, UVA Nutrition Counseling Center, and Virgin Pulse, Hoos Well offers webinars to support your physical well-being, by furnishing evidence-based recommendations to engender healthy eating and physical activity habits. Enrollees in the UVA Health Plan or UPG Anthem Health Plan can earn $25 in Hoos Well rewards for participating live in up to four (one per quarter) of these educational webinars each year.

Expand the sections below to learn about and register for upcoming webinars, and to view the recordings of past webinars. Please note that watching recordings of past webinars is not Hoos Well reward-eligible.

  • Virgin Pulse Nutrition Guide Live Demo (March 2024)

    Celebrate National Nutrition Month by joining Hoos Well for a live demonstration of the Virgin Pulse Nutrition guide housed within the Hoos Well Portal. Optimize your nutrition with recipes, meal planning, and grocery shopping lists generated by your unique dietary habits and preferences. Learn about cooking and eating healthier and how to participate in nutrition related Journeys and Healthy Habits and earn rewards! Attendees will also learn about healthy meal options on grounds through Hoos Choice and gain information about the UVA Nutrition Counseling Center, which provides one complimentary nutrition counseling session per year to subscribers on the UVA Health Plan.

    *Please note: This webinar is not a reward-eligible activity. For a complete listing of Hoos Well reward-eligible activities and eligibility criteria, visit https://hr.virginia.edu/wellness/earn-rewards.

    Watch the recording (not reward-eligible)
  • Virgin Pulse Sleep Guide Live Demo (November 2023)

    Do you want to learn how to set sleep goals, track your sleep daily, take steps to better sleep, or make sound sleep a habit? Register for a live interactive demonstration of the Virgin Pulse Sleep Guide featured in the Hoos Well Portal. Beyond tracking the quality and duration of sleep, the Sleep Guide will help you develop good habits like eliminating the food and beverages or activities that can disrupt sleep. Additionally, you’ll adopt strategies to help you unwind after a long day and prepare for bedtime so you can achieve greater health and well-being, are better equipped to tackle daily challenges, and derive more enjoyment from your waking hours.

    Learning Objectives

    1. Learn the multiple health related benefits associated with sleep
    2. Examine the stages of sleep and their physiological processes
    3. Review the recommended sleep duration guidelines throughout the lifespan
    4. Discover how technology, stress, and illness can negatively impact sleep
    5. Learn how to leverage the Virgin Pulse Sleep Guide within the Hoos Well portal to help you set and work towards achieving sleep goals.

    About your presenter

    Joseph Giandonato, MBA, MS, CSCS serves as an employee well-being coordinator within Hoos Well and holds masters degrees in exercise science and business administration and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

    Watch the webinar recording
  • Keeping Active, Setting and Revisiting Goals, and Staying the Course with the Hoos Well Triple Tracker (August 2023)

    Eliminate the guesswork and trepidations associated with physical activity. Identify barriers and challenges related to incorporating and maintaining physical activity. Learn about and employ proven measures to set, accomplish, and examine goals, how to instill accountability and harness the power of visualization, as well as optimally leveraging Hoos Well resources to assist you in achieving your health and fitness goals.

    Learning Objectives

    1. Learn the science behind goal setting.
    2. Examine and apply multiple constructs, including the Health Belief Model to goal setting.
    3. Discover how to inculcate and celebrate the adoption of healthy behaviors requisite to achieving improved health.
    4. Step back and appreciate the process of working towards goals.
    5. Learn how to leverage Hoos Well resources, including the Triple Tracker within the Hoos Well portal to help you in achieving your goals.

    About your presenter

    Joe GiandonatoJoseph Giandonato, MBA, MS, CSCS serves as an employee well-being coordinator within Hoos Well and holds masters degrees in exercise science and business administration and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He possesses over a decade of experience in higher education, where he's assisted with the conceptualization, deployment, and evaluation of employee and student wellness initiatives in tandem with responsibilities of overseeing recreational programming, fitness and athletics facilities, and varsity strength and conditioning. Giandonato also serves as an adjunct faculty member at a number of colleges where he teaches exercise science and health promotion electives. Giandonato is also pursuing doctoral studies in exercise science.

  • Questions about Hoos Well reward-eligible webinars?

Hoos Well Triple Tracker: Earn $25 in rewards each month!

Join nearly 10,000 UVA and UPG colleagues and their spouses who have participated in the Hoos Well Triple Tracker since 2021 and work towards improving your physical well-being. Accumulate one of the following: 7,000 steps, 15 workout minutes, or 15 active minutes daily for 20 days throughout each calendar month, between February and November, and earn $25 in rewards.

  • How to Participate in the Hoos Well Triple Tracker

    1. Open the Hoos Well portal or access the Virgin Pulse app. (Need help registering for an account in the portal? View step by step instructions.)
    2. Locate “My Profile” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen if accessing the web-based Hoos Well portal, which should appear as a silhouette, if accessing the portal for the first time, or a picture of you, if previously uploaded.
    3. Click on “My Profile” and scroll down the page until you locate the “Devices and Apps” section and “Connect a Device” button.
    4. Click on the “Connect a Device” button and select the device or application you would like to sync with you Hoos Well portal account and proceed with the specific instructions associated with your chosen device or application. Note: As of February 1, 2023, Virgin Pulse is compatible with Apple Health, fitbit, Garmin, Google Fit, iHealth, nuyu Health O Meter, myfitnesspal, Polar, S Health (formerly known as Samsung Health), Strava, and Withings.
    5. Begin to import activity from your connected device or app. Check to see if your activity appears in the “Stats” module within the Hoos Well portal. The “Stats” module can be located on the Hoos Well portal landing page upon logging in or along the tab at the top by scrolling over the “Home” icon, if navigating the web-based Hoos Well portal, or by clicking on it, if operating the Virgin Pulse app. Alternatively, you may manually enter your activity by clicking on “Steps”, “Active Minutes”, or “Workouts”.
    Connect a device in the portal
  • FAQ: Why were 7,000 steps, 15 workout minutes, or 15 active minutes chosen as thresholds?

    Research has shown that adults who take 7,000 steps per day decrease their mortality risk by 50-70% in comparison to adults who take fewer than 7,000 steps (Paluch et al., 2021). Exercising 15 minutes per day was shown to reduce mortality risk by 22% (European Society of Cardiology, 2016). Engaging in 15 minutes of daily physical activity has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality by 14% while increasing life expectancy by three years (Wen et al., 2011).

  • FAQ: May I still participate if I'm not enrolled in the UVA or UPG health plan?

    Yes! You may have a colleague or friend who is an employee subscribed to either health plan invite you as a friend. You will be able to access the Hoos Well portal and use the Virgin Pulse app, however, you will not be able to earn rewards associated with the monthly Triple Tracker, among other reward-eligible activities.

    Read FAQs about reward eligibility.
  • FAQ: How much is the reward and how do I get it?

    UVA employees and spouses on the UVA or UPG health plans can earn a $25 reward for completing the monthly Triple Tracker. If your activity data meets the thresholds, or if you report completion of one of the three qualifying activities (20) days within a calendar month, your reward of $25 will appear during the following month. For example, if you meet the requirements of the Triple Tracker for February, your reward of $25 will be reflected in March.

    Read FAQs about earning rewards.
  • FAQ: When will I receive the reward associated with the Triple Tracker?

    The reward will appear immediately in your Virgin Pulse account when you complete the Triple Tracker. All Hoos Well rewards are directly deposited into the health plan subscriber’s paycheck after each quarterly rewards period. Please allow approximately one month for rewards to be processed after the close of each quarter. For example, rewards earned by March 31, 2023 will be paid to the subscriber by late April or early May.

    Read FAQs about receiving rewards in your paycheck.
  • References

    Hupin, D., Roche, F., Gremeaux, V., Chatard, J.C., Oriol, M., Gaspoz, J.M., Barthélémy, J.C., & Edouard, P. (2015). Even a low-dose of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces mortality by 22% in adults aged ≥60 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49 (19): 1262-1267.

    Paluch, A.E., Gabriel, K.P., Fulton, J.E., Lewis, C.E., Schreiner, P.J., Sternfield, B., Sidney, S., Siddique, J., Whitaker, K.M., & Carnethon, M.R. (2021). Steps per Day and All-Cause Mortality in Middle-aged Adults in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. JAMA Network Open, 4 (9): e2124516.

    Wen, C.P., Wai, J.P., Tsai, M.K., Yang, Y.C., Cheng, T.Y., Lee, M.C, Chan, H.T., Tsao, C.K., Tsai, S.P., & Wu, X. (2011). Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: a prospective cohort study. Lancet, 378 (9798):1244-1253.