It’s time to get up, get moving and hit max speed on your journey to a more active lifestyle. During this six-week challenge kicking off June 3rd, you’ll track your daily step count as you learn to develop long-term healthy strategies, maintain your motivation and maximize the benefits of your workout.
How do I sign up? Join before June 9th log in at NGoodHealth.com and select the “Enroll” button in the challenges sections.
How do I participate? Track your daily step count on NGoodHealth.com, the goal for the challenge is 5,000 steps a day. Review the challenge guide for tips on getting more steps each day. Note: If you have a device or app synced to N Good Health, it will automatically record your steps. Make sure it is working properly before the challenge starts.
How can I win prizes?
Weekly prize drawings: Five participants who reach the daily steps goal on four out of seven days each week will be randomly selected to win $25 to spend in the N Good Health rewards mall.
GRAND PRIZE: Five participants who reach the daily steps goal for at least 30 days of the challenge will be randomly selected to win $50 to spend in the N Good Health rewards mall.
Can I receive 2024 N Good Health program points? Yes, when you reach the daily steps goal for at least 30 days of the challenge, you’ll be awarded with 28 points toward your 2024 N Good Health rewards.
Multi-factor authentication is now required to access the N Good Health portal. In light of the increasing cybersecurity challenges, safeguarding your accounts and ensuring the confidentiality of our information is critical.
The addition of this security enhancement by our vendor, Navigate, aims to strengthen our accounts against unauthorized access.
With multi-factor authentication, a third party application is required for verification. This adds a step beyond entering your N Good Health password. Follow the steps below to enable multi-factor authentication:
1. Log in to your N Good Health account through a web browser. N Good Health can be accessed on any device with internet access; at home or work.
Note: Setup cannot be done through the Navigate mobile app.
3. Using your smartphone, download one of the following authenticator apps in your phone’s app store:
Duo Mobile
Microsoft Authenticator
Google Authenticator
4. Open the downloaded app on your phone and click add or “+” in the right-hand corner.
5. Select to add an account using a QR code. A QR code is displayed in the instructions open on your web browser. Scan the unique QR code using your mobile device.
6. Once you scan the code, the account will be created and you will receive a code on the authenticator app.
7. Return to N Good Health portal on your computer to enter the passcode from your authenticator into the “Authentication Code” field.
8. Backup codes will be displayed. Save these in the instance your authenticator app is not able to verify your credentials. Each backup code can only be used once.
If you need assistance, call (502) 629-2162, option 1, or call Navigate at (888) 282-0822.
We understand that these changes may require some adjustment, but these changes are implemented with your security and the protection of our sensitive information in mind. Please let us know if you need assistance with multi-factor authentication set up. The N Good Health team will be available onsite to assist in the set-up of this new process. We also understand that not every location, date and time will work for everyone, so we also have Webinar options available.
Norton Healthcare is participating in the Louisville Sports Commission Corporate Games presented by Humana. Any employee has the opportunity to participate, volunteer, donate items, or come out for a fun, family friendly wellness walk. Not familiar with the Corporate Games? It’s basically an adult field day!
The event is Saturday, June 1, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Kentucky Country Day School, 4100 Springdale Road, Louisville. Parking will be at nearby Olympia Park.
Seventeen competitions will be divided into bracketed and competitive events. Bracketed events include 3×3 basketball, 4×4 soccer, cornhole, Bocce Ball, dodgeball, lawn pong, pickleball, relay race, tug-of-war and volleyball. Competitive events include a basketball shootout, disc golf, football throw, Frisbee toss, golf chip challenge, lacrosse shot and water balloon toss.
Participants, volunteers and supporting families can start the day in the 1-mile family-friendly wellness walk at 8:00 a.m. Additionally, the YMCA Family Fun Zone will be open from 9 a.m. to noon. Kids will have a special area to be active play and enjoy inflatables. For adults who want more action, participate in a pro-football combine simulator and see how you measure up in the vertical jump, standing broad jump, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, 20-yard sled push and pull, and shuttle run.
If you would like to be a part of this event as a participant or volunteer, please email N Good Healthto be sent more information. The deadline to submit interest is May 22, 2024
There will also be an opportunity to ride in the Norton Children’s Foundation hot air balloon from 8:30am to 11:30am. This tethered ride will be weather dependent.
Anyone who completed their N Good Health physical by April 15th was entered into the first of six 2024 N Good Health prize drawings. One participant won free medical insurance for 2025, one participant won an Extra Flex Day, two participants won $500 to redeem in the rewards mall, two participants won $250 to redeem in the rewards mall and one participant won Tickets on the Town.
These winners were randomly selected out of about 2,800 participants who completed their N Good Health physical before Monday, April 15th.
2025 Free Medical Insurance winner:
Tonya Logsdon, Medical Assistant/X-Ray ICC Dupont
Extra Flex Time Day:
Leslie McWhirter, Radiation Therapist
$500 to spend in the N Good Health Rewards Mall winners:
Michael Logan, Transportation Care Associate, NCH
Angela Burgan, Infection Prevention RN, Education and Compliance
$250 to spend in the N Good Health Rewards Mall winners:
Terri Cowherd, Medical Assistant, Norton OBGYN Associates
Samantha Deplata, Medical Assistant ICC Preston
Tickets on the Town:
Tina Elmore, Medical Assistant-NCI
Don’t miss out on the next big opportunity! Complete your N Good Health physical by May 15th for more chances to win. Those that didn’t win a prize for April 15th, are still entered into each drawing.
Grand prizes offered each month:
Free medical insurance for 2025 (one winner each month)
$500 to spend in the N Good Health rewards mall (two winners each month)
$250 to spend in the N Good Health rewards mall (two winners each month)
Monthly bonus prizes:
May 15: 8 hours of FlexTime and a hot air balloon ride (separate winners)
June 15: Under-desk elliptical machine
July 15: Free entry in Bike to Beat Cancer 5-mile ride
Aug. 15: Wellness basket
Sept. 15: Tickets for the Festival of Trees & Lights
Eligibility The earlier you complete your N Good Health physical, the more chances you have to win.
All Norton Healthcare employees (regardless of insurance coverage) are eligible to participate and win prizes.
Any spouse covered on a Norton Healthcare medical insurance plan can win prizes too!
Schedule your N Good Health physical today
Primary care provider – Make an N Good Health physical appointment with your primary care provider by signing in to your Norton MyChart account at NortonHealthcare.com/MyChart or scanning the QR code.
Norton Prompt Care – Make an N Good Health physical appointment at a Norton Prompt Care location by visiting NortonHealthcare.org/PromptCare or scanning the QR code.
All employees are eligible for discounts at Planet Fitness. Norton Healthcare is partnered with Planet Fitness to offer Black Card membership discounts to all employees and spouses to improve their well-being. New members can select between the Planet Fitness Black Card or Classic membership when signing up at any of the 21 local area clubs.
Advantages of being a Norton Healthcare group member:
$0 down
No commitment
No annual fee with the Black Card membership
To join:
Visit PlanetFitness.com and use the search bar to find your preferred club location.
Click the “Have a promo code?” link and enter the applicable promo code below which will generate the offer.
Classic membership – Norton10
Black Card membership – NortonBC
Select your membership plan and enter your personal and payment information. A confirmation email will be sent to you so consider using your personal email address.
Current Planet Fitness members can stop at the front desk of their home club to have their membership type changed to a Norton Healthcare employee membership and take advantage of these group benefits.
Members can earn 2 N Good Health program activity points for each daily visit (maximum 200 points per year). Scan the Norton Healthcare QR code found on the glass near the facility entrance with your smart phone and you will be prompted to sign in to your N Good Health account and earn 2 points immediately.
Please read all the details on this partnership here.
It’s time to get up, get moving and hit max speed on your journey to a more active lifestyle. During this six-week challenge kicking off June 3rd, you’ll track your daily step count as you learn to develop long-term healthy strategies, maintain your motivation and maximize the benefits of your workout.
How do I sign up? Between May 20th – June 9th log in at NGoodHealth.com and select the “Enroll” button in the challenges sections.
How do I participate? Track your daily step count on NGoodHealth.com, the goal for the challenge is 5,000 steps a day. Review the challenge guide for tips on getting more steps each day. Note: If you have a device or app synced to N Good Health, it will automatically record your steps. Make sure it is working properly before the challenge starts.
How can I win prizes?
Weekly prize drawings: Five participants who reach the daily steps goal on four out of seven days each week will be randomly selected to win $25 to spend in the N Good Health rewards mall.
GRAND PRIZE: Five participants who reach the daily steps goal for at least 30 days of the challenge will be randomly selected to win $50 to spend in the N Good Health rewards mall.
Can I receive 2024 N Good Health program points? Yes, when you reach the daily steps goal for at least 30 days of the challenge, you’ll be awarded with 28 points toward your 2024 N Good Health rewards.
Enroll in the six-week virtual N Good Health program to enjoy holistic well-being support
Being healthy is not just eating healthy or exercising. N Good Health now offers a virtual program designed to take you on a journey to discovering not only how important it is to take care of your complete self but methods to accomplish this!
Discovering Complete Wellness is a six-week, holistic well-being program that encourages participants to take a proactive approach to wellness. Guided by the 8 pillars of wellness, guest speakers will lend their expertise to participants, who will learn how to define and measure wellness in each dimension and how to take action to build wellness-affirming habits and coping strategies. Participants will be introduced to Norton Healthcare resources that are available to support them as they discover complete wellness.
Discovering Complete Wellness
Norton Healthcare resources to support well-being
A six-week program offered virtually through Zoom
Option to enroll for sessions on either Mondays (noon to 1:00) or Tuesdays (5:00-6:00pm)
150 N Good Health program activity points for program completion
Open to all employees plus all spouses insured on a Norton Healthcare medical insurance plan
Registration
Discovering Complete Wellness courses will begin on April 15 (Mondays) and April 16 (Tuesdays). Whichever option you select will become your regularly scheduled day and time for the course. Courses will continue weekly at the allotted time through April 29.
Click here to register for Mondays (noon to 1:00pm)
It helped to have a reminder that health and wellness isn’t just food and exercise. There are lots of other areas that affect wellness as well -AngelaB
“I am very glad I took this course and will recommend it to other employees.” –SarahP
“I thought it was a great program and worth my time.” –TaraM
“I was very surprised by the info and insight into this courses- I felt like I thought I had a good grasp of this before, but I learned even more through these classes.” -EricaW
“I can’t tell you how glad I am that I enrolled and followed through!” JudyE
Learn to use breathing as a way to bring a sense of calm
We are very busy in our work and our personal lives. Life can be hectic, right? Do you ever find yourself saying “so much to do, so little time to do it?” It is vital to our wellbeing to take time to breathe, to relax, to focus on ourselves and shift away from the crazy schedules we create for ourselves. Although a vacation to somewhere that’s not here sounds wonderful, planning a trip can actually create stress rather than offer solace.
When you are stressed or anxious, your breathing tends to be shallow and possibly irregular. Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body and it provides quick results. When you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then relays this message to your body. Breathing deeply allows for more carbon dioxide to enter your bloodstream which quiets down the brain and helps synchronize your breathing with your heartbeat. Take a few moments to try these breathing techniques and feel the calming sense come over your mind and body.
Explore other self-care resources offered through the Take 3 For Me videos offered on NGoodHealth.com. These videos are about three minutes in length with nine topic options, each worth 3 N Good Health program activity points. After viewing each video click on the link in the video description and follow the prompts to sign in to your account. You will then get a confirmation that you earned three points.
Alternate nostril breathing, also known as nadi shodhana, is a simple breathing technique that’s often used to calm anxiety before yoga or a meditation session.
To practice alternate nostril breathing, assume a seated position with good posture that opens up your chest. Next, take the index and middle fingers of your right hand and rest them next to each other between your eyebrows (you can do this with your left hand if you feel more comfortable).
Now you’re ready to practice alternate nostril breathing:
Use your thumb to close the right-hand nostril and inhale slowly through only your left nostril
Pinch your nose closed by bringing your ring finger to your left nostril. Temporarily hold your breath
Open up your right nostril by removing your thumb and exhale
Hold for a moment before inhaling again through the right nostril
Pinch your nose closed again and hold your breath for a moment
Now open up the left nostril and exhale. Again, wait a moment before you inhale
That is one cycle of alternate nostril breathing, which can take anywhere up to a minute. Repeat the process for about 10 minutes or until you feel suitably calmed.
2. Lion’s breath
Like alternate nostril breathing, lion’s breath is a yogic breathing (or pranayama) exercise that’s predominantly done during a yoga session. However, its ability to alleviate stress makes it useful for anyone looking for a breathing exercise to calm themselves.
This one is done by sitting either in a chair or on the floor, with your hands on your knees or flat on the floor.
Spread your fingers wide and inhale through your nose
Open your mouth and stick out your tongue. Stretch it down to your chin
Do a big exhale, pushing the air across your tongue and making a ‘ha’ sound from the depths of your abdomen
Take a short break by breathing normally before starting again
Repeat the cycle several times to see the benefits. Yogic breathing practices like lion’s breath are proven to work effectively as a stress reducer.
3. 4-4-4 breathing
4-4-4 breathing, commonly known as box breathing, is one of the easier breathing techniques you can practice to help you calm anxiety. It’s perfect as a quick fix for reducing stress, by distracting your mind and body. In fact, if you’ve taken a minute to breathe deeply then you’ve likely come close to box breathing.
Take a breath then exhale on the count of 4
Hold your breath for 4 seconds
Inhale to the count of 4
Hold your breath for 4 seconds
A few rounds of box breathing should help to keep a raised heart rate down and distract you from the anxiety-inducing situation around you. Sitting down with an extended spine and open chest is the best way to practice this technique, but it can be done stood up too.
4. 4-7-8 breathing
Also known as relaxing breath, 4-7-8 breathing follows the same principles as 4-4-4 breathing. Get yourself in a seated position, either in a chair or cross-legged on the floor or your bed.
Inhale to the count of 4
Hold your breath for 7 seconds
Exhale to the count of 8
Relaxing breath is the perfect pre-bedtime breathing technique, reducing feelings of tension and anxiety to help you get a better night’s sleep.
5. Pursed-lip breathing
For many breathing techniques, pursed lips can help to make your breathing more effective and purposeful. Pursed lips also have a dedicated technique of their own. You can do this when sat down or when you’re active.
Take a breath in slowly through your nose for 2 seconds. Keep your mouth closed
Purse your lips, as if you were about to whistle or sip through a straw
Exhale through your mouth while counting to 4
This technique is especially good at slowing the pace of your breath and limiting the distress caused by shortness of breath. Once you’ve mastered this technique, your breathing will be more efficient, helping your body do less work when breathing.
6. Diaphragmatic breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, is a breathing technique with plenty of research supporting its benefits.
To practice it, take a seated position or lie down.
Place one hand on your chest and one just below your ribcage on your abdomen
Slowly breathe in through your nose, feeling the air move down to your abdomen
As you do, your belly will expand and push outwards but your chest should remain relatively still
Purse your lips and exhale slowly for a few seconds
Throughout, take note of how your stomach expands and contracts, but your chest makes only slight movements
For maximum effect, repeat this cycle a few times.
7. Resonance breathing
Resonance breathing, or coherent breathing, is another great way to reduce anxiety, respond positively to stress and bring about a more relaxed self. To start resonance breathing, lie down flat and close your eyes.
Breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of 6. Be careful not to fully inflate your lungs
Gently exhale for 6 seconds
Throughout the process (around 10 minutes), focus on your body and how it feels as the air passes in and out
Evidence shows that resonance breathing can have positive effects on a wide range of anxiety, stress and mood related modifiers.
8. Long exhaling
Longer exhalations can help you to combat your fight or flight stress response and improve your heart rate variability – which, over time, can help us to deal better with stress. As a breathing technique, it means exhaling out for longer than you inhale.
Inhale for a short period, around 2 to 3 seconds
Pause at the top of the breath for a second
Exhale gently for double the time of your inhale, so around 4 to 6 seconds
Continue for at least 5 minutes and monitor your mood and feelings of anxiety for any improvements
When we’re stressed, too many big inhalations can lead us to engage our fight or flight instincts and hyperventilate. This technique, which can be done stood up, lying down or sitting, can help to keep those overwhelming feelings at bay.
9. Teddy bear breathing
Teddy bear breathing is very similar to diaphragmatic breathing, but adds a child’s toy into the exercise in order to engage younger people.
Place one hand on your chest. Place a teddy bear or toy on your belly and hold it with your other hand
Slowly breathe in through your nose, feeling the air move down to your tummy
As you do, your belly will expand and push the bear outwards. Your chest should stay almost where it is
Purse your lips and exhale slowly for a few seconds
Throughout, take note of how the bear moves up and down with your belly, but your chest makes only slight movements
You could try this one with your children, helping them to become more aware of their breathing and less worried about the world around them.
Benefits of breathing exercises
Many of the breathing exercises above have benefits that have been extensively researched. The science behind why they work revolves around the vagus nerve, which is a part of your nervous system, that’s activated when you breathe deeply. The vagus nerve oversees your mood, digestion and heart rate. Tailored breathing exercises like these stimulate your vagus nerve, helping us respond better to stress and anxiety.
When you practice a breathing exercise, you’ll benefit from:
A more relaxed body
A lowered heart rate
Distraction from anxiety
Lowered blood pressure
Stress reduction
Slower breathing for better energy conservation
Sources:Clare Gridley, Integrative Psychotherapist at Priory Hospital Woking, Psychology Today, Brigham Young University
Give the Y or Y @ Work fitness facility a try on us
Norton Healthcare has partnered with the YMCA of Greater Louisville and the Scott County Family YMCA to bring employees and immediate family members two weeks freeat the Y! Visit any of the 10 YMCA Louisville area locations, the Norton Y @ Work or the Scott County YMCA between March 1 and March 14 and get started on your wellness journey!
How to enjoy free weeks at the Y
Bring your Norton Healthcare employee badge to any of the locations and check in at the front desk between March 1 and March 14.
The Y @ Work is available 24/7, but you will need to schedule a time during staffed hours (M, W, F 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or T, Th 9am to 6pm) to gain access to the facility.
N Good Health participants can earn 2 N Good Health program activity points each day they check in, up to 200 points per year, by scanning a QR code near the entrance of the facility. Once scanned, you will be prompted to log in to your N Good Health account to earn two points immediately.
Want to learn more about YMCA offerings?
The Y@Work fitness center is located in the Norton Healthcare Pavilion, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and equipped with top notch equipment, locker rooms, showers and a sauna. Employees pay $10 per pay period and $5 additional to add on a spouse/adult household member. If you are a community-wide YMCA member, your access to the Y @ Work is included in your membership.
The YMCA also offers youth sports, child development programs in addition to the full array of fitness classes and equipment with some locations providing access to swimming pools.
Motivate and refer a friend to join the Louisville area YMCAs or The Y @ Work and you could receive one month free with the Y’s “Refer a Friend” promotion.
For details on memberships or more information on the Louisville area YMCAs and the Y @ Work, please call (502) 629-BFIT (2348) or email Margaret Sexton, director at The Y @ Work at [email protected]. For information on the Scott County Family YMCA please call (812) 752-9622.
