Healthy Lifestyle

At Vanderbilt

• Vanderbilt Recreation and Wellness Center - Gain access to the exercise facilities & classes with a monthly membership.
• Walking Routes: Enjoy campus walking routes ranging from 10 to 40 minutes. 1/10th mile markers allow you to customize your own route.
• VWell Connect - An online portal to connect members of the Vanderbilt community with shared activity interests such as hiking, golf, tennis, running, etc.
• Health Plus Step Challenges - ​Compete with colleagues or just have fun recording your steps to celebrate health for a chance to win great prizes
• Health Plus Pacers - Participate in a weekly on-campus walk or run with colleagues, or digitally document your personal walk or run for the week to help foster a culture of physical activity.
• Health Plus Wellness League - Wellness Champion teams in an 8-month physical activity tracking competition.

Additional Resources

• Physical Activity Resource Page - Learn the guidelines and recommendations for aerobic exercise
• CDC Physical Activity - Learn easy strategies to improve you physical activity status

Other places around town

• Planet Fitness - A 24/7 fitness club with no commitment membership options.
• CLIMB Nashville – A rock climbing and fitness facility centrally located in Nashville.
• Orange Theory – A group workout club using science-based fitness theory to maximize results.
• Hot Yoga Plus: A community of yoga studios offering a variety of classes and treatments
• Iron Tribe Fitness – A fitness studio specializing in High Intensity Interval Training
• Gordon Jewish Community Center – A community center rooted in Jewish values with aquatic, fitness, and sports programs.
• Nashville Parks and Recreation – Parks with miles of greenways and trails for those keen on hiking or nature walks.

• VUMC Benefits - VUMC offers a wide range of investment and financial planning options (login required).
• Financial Empowerment Center - Provides free, professional financial counseling to Nashvillians citywide, helping Davidson County residents (and often will see Vanderbilt employees regardless of residence) reduce debt and build assets through free, one-on-one financial counseling.
• Finding a Financial Planner - Financial planners advise clients on how best to save, invest, and grow their money. Certified Financial Planners are licensed and regulate professionals. Be sure to check out qualifications before hiring.
  • National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
  • Financial Planning Association
• Financial blog for physicians -The White Coat Investor is a blog that focuses on the financial issues that impact physicians
• VUMC Faculty/Staff Hardship Fund - Established in 1994, this funding assists VUMC faculty and staff who are experiencing a temporary hardship due to a life event. To begin the application process please call: (615)936-1327
• VUMC Crisis Situations -If you are having an immediate psychological crisis, call Work/Life Connections-EAP at 936-1327.
• The United Way Helpline - If you have the need for immediate shelter or food, call the Helpline by dialing – 211.
• Room at the Inn - Assist in addressing short-term needs, such as shelter and utility assistance, as well as long-term solutions.
• Second Harvest Food Bank - If you or someone you know is in need of emergency food assistance call 329-3491

Vanderbilt University Medical Center Resources

• Faith Traditions - Learn more about the diverse faiths represented in the area
• VUMC Adult Pastoral Care - for VUH patients and families
• VUMC Pastoral Care at MCJCHV– spiritual care for patient and their families at the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital
• Vanderbilt Pastoral Care has compiled listings of accommodations, houses of worship, restaurants, and other pertinent information as a courtesy.

Eating a balanced diet is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Programs and Resources for VUMC Faculty & Staff:

• Eat Right Now: ​​A healthy eating guide to support you in planning meals and buying foods that fit your busy lifestyle.​
• Nutrition Corner: Enjoy healthy samples, practical recipes, and reliable nutrition information in a fun, come and go atmosphere.
• Healthy Recipes: Try out healthy, affordable, delicious recipes.
• Vanderbilt Farmers' Market: June—October.
• ​​Eat Right with Healthy Bites: Learn about healthier food options on the Vanderbilt campus to help support you in healthy eating.
• Choose My Plate: Resources and nutrition information are available to help you determine your daily recommended amount of food based on your age, gender, and activity level.
• Healthy Catering Guide​: Use this guide for your next catered event and support healthy eating on the Vanderbilt campuses.
• Vanderbilt Nutrition Clinic: Registered dietitians are available to support you in healthy eating, as well as nutritional management of nutrition related disease and conditions.
• Listen and Watch Online: A variety of Wellcasts and videos are available to support healthy eating.

Getting to a healthy weight is important because obesity increases the risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and other diseases and conditions.

Programs and Resources for VUMC Faculty & Staff:

• Know Your Numbers: Track your weight and body mass index.
• One-on-One Weight Management Coaching: Individualized support and encouragement, by phone or in person, is available to VUMC faculty and staff to support healthy weight.
• Diabetes Prevention Program​: A one-year lifestyle change program to reduce the risk of diabetes through healthy eating, regular physical activity, and moderate weight loss.
• Eat. Move. Feel.: This video includes a variety of resources to support you in maintaining or attaining a healthy weight.
• CDC Healthy Weight: Online resources are available to support your healthy weight goals.
• Listen and Watch Online: A variety of Wellcasts and videos are available to support weight loss.

Get help in quitting use of tobacco.

• Tobacco Cessation Resources at VUMC- Get a Quit-Kit from Health Plus and more.
• Quit Rx Program - The Vanderbilt Occupational Health Clinic Quit Rx Program offers counseling and treatment services to help faculty and staff become tobacco free; medication prescriptions are available when recommended.
• One-on-One Tobacco Cessation Coaching - Individualized support and encouragement, by phone or in person, is available to VUMC faculty and staff to support tobacco cessation.
• Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine​ - The State of Tennessee offers this toll-free telephone service that provides personalized support for Tennesseans who want to quit tobacco use.
• The American Lung Association - Learn more at this site about why and how to stop smoking.
• Smokefree.gov​ - Offers many helpful tools and strategies for quitting smoking including a texting program, social support, and Smokefree apps.

Stress by itself is neither good nor bad. Our ability to respond well or not to a stressor determines the value we place upon it.

• Vanderbilt Work/Life Connections-EAP - Work/Life Connections provides psychological support for Vanderbilt University Medical Center faculty and staff.
• One-on-One Stress Resilience Coaching - Individualized support and encouragement, by phone or in person, is available to VUMC faculty and staff to support stress management.
• Facing Life's Challenges - Learn ways to help manage your stress whether the cause is financial or from other sources.
• Stress Self-Assessment -Take the self evaluation to assess your stress level.