Monday marked the completion of the five-week Wellness Center "Get Fit Be Well" Incentive. One hundred and twelve students participated in the program whose goal was to promote health and wellness in AU students
"The program was created as an incentive for students to be energized about making changes in the areas of health and wellness." Kathy Haldeman, Wellness Center Health Promotion Coordinator, said.
Adopting a holistic approach to wellness that includes physical, social, spiritual, emotional, and environmental health, the program collaborated with Jacobs Fitness Center, the Counseling Center, the Health Promotion Management Graduate Program, the Office of Housing and Dining, and Women's Initiative to offer 22 workshops ranging from stress relief to the prevention of sexually transmitted infections to laughter yoga, Haldeman said.
As an incentive for individuals to achieve fitness goals that were determined in a free preprogram health assessment, Haldeman noted that participants received points when they made steps toward those goals such as going to the gym or attending one of several wellness workshops. Although the program was not supposed to be centered on competition, those with the most points at the end of the program received a $50 gift card for the movement they made toward their goal.
"I think that regardless of their fitness condition, more people would really enjoy the program," Jeff Miller, a senior in the School of Public Affairs and first-place male winner of the competition, said. "It gave me the jump start I needed to get back into weight training. I learned about a lot of new things like laughter yoga, and I'm now a pretty regular member of the AU Laughter Yoga Club."
The female first-prize winner and senior in the College of Arts and Science, Lisa Rothman, said that she participated in the program because it offered a free and fun way to get in shape and the potential to win a prize.
"The program was great because it was more then just a fitness challenge it was a wellness challenge, which focused on all the aspects of a healthy lifestyle." Rothman said.
Vishal Marwah, a graduate student and assistant health educator for the program, said that they chose to launch this program after learning of a similar program at the University of Maryland. Marwah was pleased with the success of the program.
"This is the best time of year for a program like this," Marwah said. "It's right between New Year's and spring break -- important times for students to work toward wellness goals."
This was the first year for the program that was initially designed for a group of 50 students, Marwah said. Because of an unprecedented amount of interest, the program adjusted to accommodate the 112 participants.
According to an online survey completed by 30 percent of the participants, 70 percent were satisfied with the program and approximately 95 percent said they would attend the program next year.
"I'm looking forward to the next time AU holds the program, and I'm sure it will be even better." Miller said.
