Overview
Wellness is about optimizing health so we can do good in the world. It involves behaviors that allow us to engage in meaningful activities. It also helps us avoid damage from unhealthy behaviors.
Health and wellness professionals help people change their behaviors and adopt healthy lifestyles. This includes physical activity, healthy eating, managing stress, and sleeping well. These healthy behaviors provide short and long-term interest for people.
Integrative health and wellness (IHW) takes an individualized, whole-person approach to well-being. It focuses on the connectedness of mind and body. A person's thoughts, emotions, behaviors, physiology, and environment are all related. IHW approaches consider this and tailor behavior change efforts to the person.
IHW approaches are expanding fast in a variety of health and medical settings. As part of the Health Promotion and Education major, this program prepares you for these settings and for advanced study.
Completing the IHW sequence in the Health Promotion and Education major leads to exciting opportunities in:
- Health and Wellness Coaching
- Worksite Wellness
- Hospital-based Health Promotion
- Integrative Health
- Graduate or continued studies in various health and medical fields such as integrative health, nursing, occupational therapy, and various health and medical professions
IHW students in the Health Promotion and Education major are eligible to become National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches and Certified Wellness Practitioners.
Why Study Integrative Health and Wellness?
The Health Promotion and Education Program at Illinois State University has a long, successful tradition. The program began in 1973 and includes specialized sequences in school health education, public health, and integrative health and wellness.
The Integrative Health and Wellness sequence is accredited by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching.
You will take classes with full-time faculty who are highly experienced educators and health and wellness professionals.
