April 22, 2019
Campus-wide Moving & Shaking: “Exercise Is Medicine Day” Promotes Free Physical Activity & Chronic Disease Prevention for the General Public and WCU
From a walk across campus at 10:30 a.m. that will include West Chester Borough Mayor Dianne Herrin and students from the Coatesville Area School District to yoga and group fitness classes on the Academic Quad, “Exercise is Medicine Day” will bring the general public together with students, faculty, and staff on Wednesday, April 24, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., for free movement lessons and health education at WCU. Nutrition Department students will even provide banana whip treats! Sponsored by the College of Health Sciences, all sessions and activities will be held on campus in Sykes Student Union Ballrooms, located at 110 W. Rosedale Avenue in West Chester, and the Academic Quad, which is located between University Avenue and W. Rosedale Avenue in West Chester (campus map: https://www.wcupa.edu/campusMap/).
Kicking-off “Exercise is Medicine Day” with words of inspiration will be Founder/CEO of The Movement Paradigm Arianne Missimer, a physical therapist, registered dietician, liposarcoma survivor, and American Ninja Warrior contestant. Missimer, who utilizes an integrated approach to health that blends Eastern and Western medicine with principles rooted in neuroscience, functional medicine, and movement science, will address those gathered at 11:15 a.m. in Sykes Student Union Theater.
An action- and energy-packed day will feature:
- Fitness testing activities throughout the day on the Academic Quad by the Exercise Science Division of the Kinesiology Department.
- Pulmonary function testing & oxygen saturation and carboxyhemoglobin saturation measuring by the Respiratory Care Program.
- Sweat testing and helmet sensor demonstrations by the Sports Medicine Department.
- Screening tests for hearing will be conducted by the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department.
- Blood pressure screenings and sun safety information will be provided by the Nursing Department.
- Blood glucose will be checked by the Diabetes Awareness Club.
- Information will be available about the Masters in Public Health Student Advisory Board.
A non-perishable food drive will be conducted throughout the day by the WCU Resource Pantry, which assists students on campus who are in need of critical resources.
Community partners will be on hand, including the YMCA, Bango Bowls, ACAC, CycleBar West Chester, Playa Bowls, and Planet Fitness. Attendees have the option of completing a wellness passport to learn about the numerous campus and community vendors. Attendees who complete passports will be entered in a raffle to win prizes from community supporters such as Country Bagel, I Love Kickboxing, Bon Bon Sushi, Bryn Mawr Running Company, LA Fitness, and more.
An international effort, “Exercise is Medicine” is a joint initiative between the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to promote physical activity as prevention and treatment of chronic disease. The AMA and the ACSM designated WCU a 2019 Gold Campus for its success in encouraging faculty, staff, and students to work together to improve the health and well-being of the campus community.
For more details, visit wcupa.edu/healthSciences/eim