USU supports students’ healthy resolutions
To support students’ healthy goals as they dive into a new semester, USU has organized a Health and Wellness Expo where students can participate in a free yoga class, health screenings and booths from organizations promoting many facets of healthy living.
With the start of the new year, resolutions are made, but often not kept, and it is because of this the expo was planned for January, said Ryan Barfuss, USU prevention specialist.
“Everyone has their New Year’s resolutions,” Barfuss said, “so our main point is going to be how to keep your resolutions and have better health. It is a new year, so why not?”
The inability to change habits is a major reason why Barfuss said students are unable to follow through with their goals. The habits are easier to fall back into, instead of putting an effort into changing, he said.
“They get busy with school, worry about their social lives, and their health goes on the back burner,” Barfuss said.
Ashlee Cannon, an intern for Student Health Services, said it’s easy to stick with goals, until students get back “into the swing of things.” She also said it is a lack of caring that keeps people from sticking with their resolutions.
“They just get wrapped up in their lives and they don’t care,” Cannon said. “You can’t make people care, you just have to get the information out there and give them the knowledge for when they decide to change.”
Caroline Shugart, employee wellness coordinator, said it is a “toxic environment” that keeps people from reaching their goals. She said since students are bombarded with commercials that promote caffeine and high-sugar drinks, among other things, and there are too many things “competing for attention.”
The expo will have free blood sugar and diabetes screenings as well as hearing tests. More than 50 booths of health information ranging from general health and wellness to different health clubs offering specials will be available. Barfuss said the main events will be a free yoga class at noon, blood sugar screenings and a motivational documentary to be shown in the TSC Ballroom.
There will be a Fitness Passport, created by Student Health Services, and whoever acquires 10 stamps from various booths will qualify for prizes, Shugart said. Cannon said prizes will include T-shirts, month memberships to local gyms, Fun Park passes, water bottles and Great Harvest coupons.
“This will just be a fun way for people to be more engaged throughout the day,” Shugart said. “Hopefully they will learn more about their bodies and want to protect it.”
Shugart said students are on a budget, which can make it hard to buy healthy food. She said the “food products” students buy create consequences for their bodies like not being able to concentrate and a higher risk of becoming sick.
“When you are on a limited budget I totally understand,” Shugart said, “but students need to feed their beautiful bodies with what it needs. It needs 30-60 minutes of activity, to drink water and eat whole grains. Those habits won’t just get them through January, it will get them through the rest of their lives and the competition for junk food.”
Having a healthy body physically isn’t the only reason students should pay attention to their habits, Barfuss said. Mental health disorders like depression and insomnia are increasing, he said, and this expo will be a resource for students to learn more about the risks and ways to get help.
“Students know themselves best and we just want to offer them help and give them a chance to reach out and know what the resources are. Our main goal for the booths are to get people to know what is out there to help them,” Barfuss said.
The Health and Wellness Expo is sponsored by the Be Well program as well as the employee wellness program and department of human resources. Businesses in the community like the hospital and Logan city recycling will be included as well, Shugart said.
“We have leveraged our resources and everything on campus that promotes health has asked to come participate,” Shugart said.
Barfuss said in the past, each separate entity has done their own health expo but this year they wanted to collaborate because their “goals are all the same, have focus on the students, but on the faculty as well.”
Faculty participation is a big goal this year, Shugart said, to help them realize there are options for them on campus as well.
“We allow people to be flexible, if they can’t exercise at noon, they can do it anytime. We want to let employees know of their options so there will be a booth with information for them to look at,” Shugart said.
Shugart said she hopes this year will be ‘bigger and better than ever” and students will feel motivated to come out and learn how they can improve their lives.
“Knowledge is key,” she said, “and when you learn all of these things about your body you want to feel good and protect your health.”
– megan.b@aggiemail.usu.edu