Healthy Boiler

Mental health resources also available via Healthy Boiler Portal

The Healthy Boiler Portal provides a variety of health and wellness resources for your use. Once you’ve connected with the portal, there are five main areas of information to utilize found under the tabs in the top navigation – Home, Engage, Track, Earn and Learn. You also have access to campus-specific information via Campus. 

Currently there are three sections on the portal that offer resources that also support the behavioral health pillar (as well as the physical health pillar and others) of the Healthy Boiler Program. They are: 

Mindful Minute Series  

The Mindful Minute Series – named due to the short timeframe of the videos – is accessible from the Learn tab on the main page of the portal and consists of 11, short (approximately 1 minute) videos.

“This is such a great tool,” said Lindsay Bloom, health coach at Purdue Fort Wayne. “Breathing is something that is so automatic, and it tends to be shallow, or we hold it during moments of stress and anxiety. Just one minute of focused deep breathing can expand the lungs, lower heart rate and reduce tension in the muscles. The Mindful Minutes are especially useful because they combine relaxing music, beautiful nature scenes, with visual cues to breathe.” 

Mayo Clinic reports that the benefits of deep breathing extend beyond in-the-moment stress relief. Many studies have found that deep, yogic breathing helps balance the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions, such as temperature control and bladder function. This may help ease symptoms of stress-related disorders and mental health conditions such as anxiety, general stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I would recommend the mindful minute sessions,” Bloom added. “It takes one minute to completely refresh the brain, reduce stress and increase focus. After selecting a video, put away all distractions and allow relaxation to set in. Focus on breathing in and out slowly as the video plays. Let go of any thoughts entering the mind, bringing attention back to the breath.”

Propel Fitness Library

In an effort to help employees access convenient and affordable fitness resources and routines, a Fitness Library is now available. Through the Propel Studio, employees can access a variety of guided workouts as well as workplace flexibility & ergonomics tips and stretches.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), exercise has been researched and validated for treating a variety of mental issues and mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, addictions, grief, relationship problems, dementia and personality disorders.

MentalHelp.net reports that the three pillars of exercise – Cardio/Aerobic Exercise, Resistance Training/Strength Training and Stretching/Flexibility Activities – also benefit mental health. The Propel Studio offers sections that focus on each of those three pillars of exercise.

  • Guided workouts

Guided workouts are offered in the following categories:

  • Bodyweight – exercises that focus on full body, upper body, abs and lower body plus an exercise ball ab routine
  • Cardio/HIIT – low-impact/apartment HIIT and a 10-minute HIIT routine Yoga/Flexibilit
  • Yoga/Flexibility – open chest and shoulders stretches, exercise ball stretches routine, back and neck stretches, upper body stretches, lower body stretches and printable stretching PDFs
  • Weights – total body dumbbell routine for toning, total body kettlebell routing for strength and total body kettlebell routine for conditioning

“Overall health and well-being, which includes behavioral health and physical health, continues to be a top priority for the University,” said Candace Shaffer, senior director of benefits in Human Resources. “Adding the Propel Studio workouts to the virtual offerings already available for employees provides even more access to convenient, cost-controlled resources they can utilize to benefit their mental and physical health, and in doing so directly aligns with the foundation of the Healthy Boiler Program.”*

  • Workplace flexibility & ergonomics

Regardless of where an employee is working from – home or on campus – being able to stretch and improve workspace ergonomics to help alleviate and / or reduce pain and discomfort is important for physical health as well as mental health. The Propel Studio offers the following:

  • Desk Posture Tips
  • Neck Mobility Routine
  • Low Back Mobility Routine
  • Hips and Calves Mobility Routine
  • Shoulder Mobility Routine

“An uncomfortable workspace and the resulting discomfort can affect our mental health, too,” said Bloom. “Stretching, breathing and movement are all important to both our mental health and our physical health. Work can be stressful enough without the added stress of pain and discomfort while you work. Taking a few moments each day to use the steps and tips offered in the studio will help relieve tension, reduce stress and increase blood circulation. Stretching causes our nervous system to invoke the relaxation response, making it a great tool to have in your toolbox when it comes to managing stress.”  

Well-Being Articles

Also found under the Learn tab, the Well-Being Articles section offers articles on four featured topics – Get Active, Live Healthy, Eat Well and New & Trending.

Articles in the Get Active section include topics such as “Wait Until You Learn the Mental Benefits of Exercise,” “How to Fit a Workout into Your Busy Schedule,” 10 Ways to get in a work day workout” and more.

Live Healthy articles include “Stress in the Workplace?,” “10 Steps to Maintain Good Health,” “6 Ways to Stay Motivated” and more.

In the Eat Well section, articles cover topics such as “Well Nourished Mood,” “12 Time-Saving Tips for Eating Healthy in a Hurry,” and others.

New & Trending – which shares the latest news regarding health and well-being – provides articles including “How to Improve Your Work-Life Balance,” “Time Management,” “Why an Emergency Fund Should Be a Priority” and more.

Register on the portal

Overall, the Healthy Boiler Portal is a well-rounded resource conveniently accessible via your computer, smart phone, tablet, etc. that can assist you in not only earning the Healthy Boiler incentive, but also to help you in all areas of your health and wellness journey.

To access all that that the portal has to offer, be sure to register or login at www.healthyboiler.com. Employees and covered spouses who have not yet registered will need to do so to access the site. Please note: employees must register and login first in order to allow spousal access to the site.

To register from the link above:

  • Click the REGISTER button (in gold)
  • When prompted, provide employee first name (as it appears on pay stub)
  • Provide last name (as it appears on pay stub)
  • Enter Employee ID number including two leading zeros, for a total of 10 digits 
  • Continue with the steps as prompted to finish registration
  • Please DISREGARD the referral code box, unless you have received an email invitation, with a referral code, from a spouse or a friend.