Physical Wellbeing

Physical wellbeing refers to maintaining a healthy body through regular movement, proper nutrition, rest, and preventive care.

Components of Physical Wellbeing:

• Exercise: Engaging in regular physical activity to improve strength, endurance, and flexibility
• Nutrition: Eating a balanced diet that fuels the body and supports optimal function
• Sleep: Getting adequate and restful sleep to allow the body to recover and recharge
• Preventive Care: Attending regular check-ups, screenings, and vaccinations
• Healthy Habits: Avoiding harmful behaviors like smoking or excessive alcohol use

Please refer to the resources below to help foster your physical wellbeing:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

• Buena Vida can help improve your mental health or work toward financial wellness, Buena Vida is here to support every part of your well-being. Buena Vida makes improving your well-being simple with easy-to-use tools that you can access from one convenient place.
• Care Management assists HealthSelect^SM medical plan participants to have access to a dedicated team of care management clinicians who can address all types of health-related questions. Managing health concerns and figuring out the health care system can feel overwhelming! You don’t have to do it on your own.
• Catapult Health VirtualCheckup is a program for HealthSelect of Texas® participants, including those enrolled in Consumer Directed HealthSelect^SM, you have a new, convenient way to get your annual preventive exam at no additional cost to you, through the Catapult Health VirtualCheckup.
• Fitness Program (Health Select) is a flexible membership program that gives you and your covered dependents (age 16 and older) unlimited access to a nationwide network of facilities, from gyms and sports facilities to specialty fitness studios, including access to digital fitness videos and live classes. The digital only option lets you stay active from the comfort of your own home.
• Hello Heart program focuses exclusively on cardiovascular health, aiming to prevent or decrease the development or advancement of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. The program is available at no additional cost to eligible participants. It includes a Hello Heart blood pressure monitor that pairs directly with your smartphone to help build a habit of monitoring your blood pressure and other aspects of your heart health and create sustained lifestyle changes.
• Hinge Health is a digital, physical therapist-led musculoskeletal (MSK) care program. Hinge Health is available at no additional cost to eligible participants and includes access to the Hinge Health mobile app and a care team including a board-certified health coach and physical therapist.
• Virtual Visits allow participants to see and talk to a doctor in the virtual provider network from their mobile device or computer when they need non-emergency medical attention. No appointment or referral is needed. Virtual visits offer convenient, high-quality care when a patient's primary care physician is not available, when a patient becomes ill while traveling or as an alternative to the emergency room or urgent care clinic for non-emergency health problems.
• Weight & Lifestyle Management Programs are avialble to eligible individuals. Choose from two different online programs: Wondr^TM and Real Appeal^®.

ERS Benefits 

• Choose to Quit is a program that allows tobacco users to have their Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP) tobacco-user premiums waived for the plan year.

• Tobacco Cessation Programs are part of every Group Benefits Program (GBP). Every health plan has at least one tobacco cessation program, and each plan covers various tobacco cessation prescription drugs at 100%. For more information, contact your health plan at the phone number listed on the back of your ID card.

  As a GBP-health plan participant, you have 100% coverage for tobacco cessation consultations with your network primary care physician when the physician codes them as visits for tobacco counseling. If you discuss any other health issues during your tobacco cessation consultation, you may be responsible for a copay, depending on how your physician codes your visit.

• ERS Wellness Event Calendar
• Texas Work Well Virtual Wellness Calendar

UHD Resources

• Fitness Release Time (FRT) is a program designed for full-time benefits eligible staff that allows a maximum of three (1.5) hours a week for participating in an exercise program and/or fitness activity offered in the UHD Student Life Center.
• Wellness Leave provides up to eight (8) hours of leave time to full-time, benefits-eligible staff employees who complete an online Health Risk Assessment and receive an annual comprehensive physical exam.
• Health & Fitness Workshops And Certifications are offered to UHD staff, faculty and students. Workshops and certifications cover such topics as CPR/AED and First Aid certifications, nutrition and exercise workshops.
• Intramural Sports are available through Sports & Fitness to UHD staff, faculty, and students. Sports and include volleyball, flag football, bench press, badminton, bowling, soccer, softball, tennis and basketball.
• Personal Trainers are available through Sports & Fitness at a cost of $35 for a one hour session for non-students.
• Student Health Services provides medical information and limited healthcare services at no or low cost to UHD faculty and staff.
• UHD Bookstore is home to exclusive UHD clothing, new/used textbooks, school supplies, graduation regalia, magazines, snacks, and souvenirs. UHD employees receive a 10% discount on some purchases made at the bookstore upon presentation of a valid UHD ID card.
• UHD Dining Services is located on the third floor and provides healthy dining options in a food court-like setting. They offer a large variety of dining options such as salads, daily specials, sushi, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, pizza, calzones, hamburgers, and french fries.
• UHD Wellness and Success Center (WSC) features many amentities and discounted memberships for all UHD employees. The WSC includes the following amenities:
  • 75,000 square ft. facility
  • Large weight training and cardio training areas with dramatic views of downtown Houston
  • Indoor Functional Training Area
  • Outdoor Functional Training Area
  • Bouldering wall
  • 3 exercise class studios
  • Indoor Running Track
  • 3 personal training and massage therapy rooms
  • Demonstration Kitchen Room
  • 3 courts for basketball/volleyball/badminton
  • Large locker rooms
• UHD Police Department provides comprehensive police services 24/7. All police officers are licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. They enforce federal, state and local laws in addition to penal provisions to the Texas Education Code as well as University regulations. Some of the services they offer are jump starts, unlocks, and police escort services.
• Wellness Leave provides up to eight (8) hours of leave time to full-time, benefits-eligible staff employees who complete an online Health Risk Assessment and receive an annual comprehensive physical exam.

UH Resources

• The University Eye Institute at the University of Houston Central Campus offers services that range from complete vision exams to the medical and surgical management of eye disorders. Its nationally renowned vision professionals use advanced diagnostic instruments in over 80 exam rooms and 30 specialized testing areas. Faculty and staff receive fee reductions for primary examinations and optical materials.
• University Of Houston Health Center provides medical services to UHD faculty and staff. Some of these services include physician visits, walk-in clinic services and pharmacy services. They also periodically offer free cholesterol and diabetes screenings, free HIV testing and various other screenings.