NIU has received Exercise is Medicine® On Campus official designation from the American College of Sport Medicine thanks to work led by faculty from the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education.
The global health initiative enlists higher education to help promote physical activity as a vital sign of health by:
- Making movement a part of the daily campus culture.
- Assessing physical activity at every student health visit.
- Providing students with the tools necessary to strengthen healthy physical activity habits that can last a lifetime.
- Connecting university health care providers with university health fitness specialists to provide a referral system for exercise prescription.
Combining forces will create a “clearinghouse” of information on activities at the Rec Center, organizations that support wellness, for-credit courses and whatever else to help spread the word, boost participation and support the health and well-being of the university community.
Shaine Henert, associate professor and director of the Kinesiology program, and Rachel Kowal, instructor and lab coordinator, were part of the leadership team behind NIU’s application.
“What we’re trying to do is identify and recruit people and resources on campus who have similar motivations and interests so that we can work together to create a culture of movement and health here on campus that includes physical and mental health,” Henert says.
“I want to make it clear that that we’re not talking only about a 90-minute workout at the gym,” he adds. “We’re talking about walking, biking, dancing and other types of movement activities indoors and outdoors.”
Henert’s motivation is simple.
Decades of research show that sedentary lifestyles are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and that exercise is among the factors that reduce that risk.
“Remaining active and moving makes happier, heathier, more productive people,” he says, “and, in this instance, it makes happier, healthier, more productive students so they’re able to keep up with the demands of classes, homework, exams, jobs and other time demands.”
For NIU’s large population of first-generation students – 56% of this fall’s freshmen are the first in their families to attend college – who he says “come with unique demands and stressors,” the initiative “is important to help them understand that being physically active makes them healthier and also helps them be successful in college and in their careers afterward.”
Meanwhile, he says, “the same thing goes for faculty and staff.”
“If our faculty and staff and are moving and taking care of their health, they’re happier, healthier and more productive in their jobs,” he says, “and they can provide better support and leadership for our students.”
Kowal was happy to join Henert on the committee, which also included Dr. Amanda M. Rajendran, D.O. and director of NIU’s Northwestern Medicine Student Health Center. Two graduate students, Mikel Avalos from Exercise Physiology and Chloe Starr from Nutrition and Dietetics in the College of Health and Human Sciences, also serve.
“Shaine has wanted to do this for the whole time he’s been here and, at the end of last semester, he decided to push forward with the application,” Kowal says. “Basically, we’re trying to make sure that everybody knows what resources they have on campus to become more active.”
Research is also on the agenda.
“We’re trying to start that from the ground up,” Kowal says, “basically taking data on, ‘When we implemented this, did it help us become healthier overall?’ That’s Shaine’s desire to have this data on, ‘When students first came onto campus, did they become healthier by the time they graduated?’ That’s where we want to get to eventually.”
Doing so, she adds, “can be something we can advertise: ‘We have all these resources so that, when you come here, you’re going to learn more about being healthy and active. You’re not only going to grow intellectually but you’re also going to improve your health here at NIU.’ ”
Indeed, NIU President Lisa Freeman recently signed a proclamation declaring October as Exercise is Medicine® On Campus Month, which encourages the university community to participate in related events in the interest of better health and quality of life for all.
Henert and Kowal invite all to a “Walking Challenge” Wednesday, Oct. 29, which not only supports health and well-being but also serves as a friendly competition with all other participating colleges and universities.
The institution that walks and/or moves by wheelchair the most in one eight-hour period (in-person and/or virtual) wins. Watch official university communications for more information.
Meanwhile, they’re filming a video with Victor E. Huskie for the Exercise is Medicine® On Campus Mascot Challenge with the theme “Exercise Makes the World Go Round” that will post by Thursday, Oct. 30, on YouTube for all NIU students, staff and faculty to view.
Judges from the American College of Sport Medicine will choose and reward an overall winner with a $1,000 cash prize; the second- and third-place finishers in this category also will receive cash prizes.
Voters from the public also have the chance to vote via YouTube for the “Fan Favorite” winner: The campus declared the Fan Favorite will receive a trophy and bragging rights while second- and third-place finishers also will receive prizes.
Henert and Kowal ask everyone at NIU to vote in support of their Mascot Challenge video between Thursday, Oct. 30, and Wednesday, Nov. 5. Winners are announced the week of Nov. 10.
Email shenert@niu.edu or rkowal1@niu.edu for more information.
