A helping hand
GatorCare programs provide support to improve your health
Ready to quit tobacco?
Quitting is hard. When you’re ready, GatorCare offers an array of incentives to help members quit tobacco their way.
Members can receive $50 for attending a tobacco cessation class, including group classes in the community or a one-on-one session with GatorCare’s wellness coordinator. The classes provide information, tools and behavioral coaching to help you succeed when you’re ready to quit.
Members can also receive free quit aids with a prescription, including patches, gum, lozenges and medications like Chantix and Bupropion.
GatorCare members who successfully quit tobacco for three months are eligible for $75. Those who cease tobacco use for an additional three months (six months total) are eligible to receive another $75 — that’s $200 for attending a cessation class and staying tobacco-free! It’s never too late to live a healthy, tobacco-free lifestyle.
Visit GatorCare.org/tobacco for more information.
Weight-management program
In January, GatorCare will launch a new, comprehensive weight-management program for GatorCare members just in time for the new year. The multi-week program will cover essential topics like nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress.
In addition to educational presentations, the program will incorporate a variety of interactive, hands-on activities, including grocery store tours, group workouts, cooking mixers and individual sessions.
The new program is geared for those interested in maintaining or losing weight, managing diabetes or prediabetes and/or managing other chronic conditions like high blood pressure. Participants will have the ability to pick and choose activities from a menu of options to build a program that fits them best. This customization, along with the variety of topics covered, will provide an exciting and engaging twist to the traditional weight-management program.
Registration for the program will begin this December; look for updates on GatorCare.org and in Shands News emails.
Back in motion program
Traye McGehee, M.A., A.T.C., UF Health Fitness and Wellness Center clinical coordinator, shows Lisa Smith, UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital personal care assistant, flexibility exercises as part of GatorCare’s Back in Motion self-management program.
About 80 percent of adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives. If you’re among them, you know how debilitating it can be. For GatorCare members suffering from chronic back pain, the Back in Motion self-management program can help provide relief.
Participants complete an online education module before beginning one-on-one sessions with a personal trainer at the UF Health Fitness and Wellness Center, where they receive guidance on basic flexibility and strengthening exercises.
Between sessions, participants continue with the exercises on their own. A tracking component holds them accountable and keeps them motivated.
While Back in Motion is a great option for those experiencing back pain for an extended period, the program is not a replacement for formal physical therapy or other management strategies when applicable.
“The program is designed to motivate individuals who suffer from chronic back pain,” said Traye McGehee, M.A., A.T.C., UF Health Fitness and Wellness Center clinical coordinator. “We hope to provide some accountability for them to consistently exercise, because studies have shown that this is one proven method to help decrease back pain.”
Visit GatorCare.org/back to learn more. Learn about our fitness center at fitness.UFHealth.org.
