If your New Years’ Resolution involves improving your health and your wealth, you’re in luck. The Cooperative Extension system is launching an online Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ (SSHW) Challenge called “Winter 2013 SSHW Challenge.” This free six-week program, will run from Sunday, January 13 through Saturday, February 23, 2013, and is open to anyone who enrolls online.

The SSHW Challenge is part of Small Steps to Health and Wealth™, a national Cooperative Extension program developed to motivate Americans to take action to simultaneously improve their health and personal finances. It is based on the daily performance of ten recommended practices. Five of these behaviors involve health and nutrition and five that involve financial management. The five daily health and nutrition practices are:

• eat at least 4 cups of fruits and vegetables;
• get at least 30 minutes of physical activity; drink water or unsweetened beverages instead of sugar-sweetened beverages;
• eat at least two servings of whole grain foods;
• learn something new about health and nutrition.

The five daily financial management practices are:

• save a $1 bill (or more) and/or pocket change;
• invest $5 or more per day (including automated retirement savings plan deposits);
• track money spent throughout the day;
• eat lunch prepared at home;
• learn something new about personal finance.

Ten points are given for performing each practice, for a maximum of 700 points per week and 4,200 points for the entire challenge (700 x 6 weeks). Prizes will be awarded for participants who report the highest total points.

Doing even one of the ten recommended daily practices is a great way to get started on the path to better health and improved financial security. The more SSHW Challenge activities you practice, the more likely they will become a habit!

To sign up for “Winter 2013 SSHW Challenge” visit http://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/ or the UF/Okaloosa County Extension site, https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/okaloosaco

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