By Bridget Seelinger | For The Duquesne Duke
The Power Center is now offering new classes for students, faculty and staff as part of its Wellness in Motion Initiative, aimed at keeping the campus community healthy and fit.
The initiative is in response to a drastic increase in attendance at the Power Center, in addition to the University’s goal to achieve wellness among faculty, staff and students alike.
Amber Lasure, assistant director of wellness and fitness, said new programs include motivational speakers, medication management and education, fitness education on faculty lunch breaks, learning how to use the Power Center equipment properly and a program called “Know Your Numbers” where participants can earn money for finding out their BMI, weight and blood pressure.
Lasure also said the Power Center staff has a vested interest in keeping students healthy too, exemplified through a new series of yoga and spin classes.
“Everything is booked … the [student] response is very good,” Lasure said. “Now that it is getting dark sooner, we want to have the classes sooner so that students can still do their Friday thing and not be here as late as eight or nine o’clock.”
Nancy Generalovich, campus relations coordinator and staff nurse at the Student Health Center, said obesity, particularly among students, is a problem and all of these new programs and initiatives help address.
“Overweight adolescents have a 75 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults,” Generalovich said. “Overweight or obese adults are at risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and some forms of cancer.”
Generalovich also said “wellness” does not refer to just physical health; it refers to overall self-understanding and lifestyle pattern.
“We are committed to creating an environment that encourages a student to take responsibility for their personal health, fitness and education,” Generalovich said. “An increase in student programming for fitness and health and wellness education is integral in achieving the goal of total wellness.”
