Skip to main content

2024 Lifestyle Medicine & Wellness Series

The Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Series are free, virtual events scheduled throughout the year focused on different lifestyle medicine and wellness topics. These events are free and open to the UC + Cincinnati community and beyond!

March 19, 2024, from 7-8 PM: Nature as Medicine with Barbara Walker, PhD in collaboration with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation

IMG_3159Learn the science behind the healing power of nature!

Did you know that according to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend 93% of their time indoors? This is concerning because spending time in nature has been shown to have many health benefits. Being in nature can help reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, enhance immune system function, and boost self-esteem and mood. People living with chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, depression, and anxiety, as well as those pre- and post-surgery, have been shown to have improved health outcomes when spending time in nature. 

The Details: March 19, 2024, from 7-8 p.m. virtually via zoom. A recording of this event will be emailed to anyone who registers for this program.

Download and share the Nature as Medicine event flyer!

Image of Dr. Walker

Meet Barbara Walker, PHD

Integrative Health & Performance Psychologist | Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, UC College of Medicine

Dr. Walker currently serves as an Integrative Health and Performance Psychologist within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and UC Health, where she provides consultations to a wide variety of patients to facilitate their optimal effectiveness, whether for performance in sport or within their career, coping with illness or injury, and/or a desire to improve areas associated with lifestyle for overall health and well-being.  She specializes in the use of biofeedback, mind-body techniques, high performance strategies, and lifestyle medicine as tools for teaching self-regulation.  Barbara also teaches Sport and Positive Psychology as an associate adjunct professor in the Psychology Department, as well as Nature-Based Therapies and Ecopsychology, and co-teaches The Science and Practice of Mind-Body Medicine within the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Walker earned her master’s degree in health psychology, her doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in exercise and sport psychology and is a licensed clinical psychologist.  Barbara has consulted with multiple professional and university athletic teams and individuals, Fortune 100 and 500 companies and their executives, physicians, and first responders.  Barbara is a regular presenter at local and national professional conferences and workshops, has authored multiple chapters in professional texts, and is a regular contributor to national periodicals.  She has appeared as a guest expert on multiple radio and television programs.  She currently serves on the board of directors for the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, as well as a member of the sport psychology registry with the United States Olympic Committee.  Barbara demonstrates a lifelong passion for peak performance principles applying them in her own professional and personal life as a former competitive athlete in the sports of marathon, triathlon, duathlon, and cycling.   She now mindfully trains for life- currently cycling, hiking, practicing yoga, organic gardening and spending time with family, friends, being outside as much as she can!

Past Event Recordings

Medication through Movement: The Benefits of Tai Chi

Presentation + Experiential in collaboration with Be Well UC

Plant-Based Power Hour with Chef Stephanie Michalak White, EdD
Click here to download the Whole Grain Bowl Handout Recipe(PDF)

UC Health Thrive & Be Well UC Points

UC Health Associates

UC Health Associates can earn 200 thrive points for attending this event! Instructions for adding your points with a voucher code will be sent to registrants following the event.

Be Well UC - UC Faculty/Staff

Eligible faculty and staff can earn 1,000+ Be Well UC points in the Virgin Pulse portal with UC’s employee wellness program for attending offerings with the Osher Center for Integrative Health, and earn up to $300 every calendar year. Get started by creating an account or logging in, click the “Home” icon near the top, then, click “Rewards”. Scroll (or search) to the “Participation” category. Click “Attend a UC sponsored event”. Fill out a brief form and submit!

Intranet Login

Contact Us

Osher Center for Integrative
Health

Medical Sciences Building Suite 4358
231 Albert Sabin Way
PO Box 670582 
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0582

Mail Location: 0582
Phone: 513-558-2310
Email: osher.integrative@uc.edu