The Health and Wellness Center is an amazing resource for students at WOU. It is a great place to work out on the machines, take a fitness class, or rent equipment. But there are many aspects of the HWC that some students might not be aware of that deserve to be highlighted.

 

More Instructors

The HWC has recently taken on more fitness instructors; people that are truly passionate about the classes they are teaching and have the energy and attitude to motive people into shape—while still having fun! The benefit of this? More classes! More pilates classes have been added and yoga has recently been pumped up to three days a week instead of one. And the range of classes vary from Tai Chi to ballerobics, providing something for everyone’s interests.

Aquatic Classes

Classes in the pool are offered every single day, in both the shallow and deep end of the water. Aquatic exercise is a fun and effective way to get in a good work out. It puts less impact on the joints—versus a workout out of water, on a hard surface—and can help with the body’s blood flow to aide circulatory problems. Every person can benefit from working out in the pool and all fitness levels are welcome to attend. The substantial benefits of aquatic exercise should be enough encouragement for everyone to give one of the classes a try.

Equipment Rentals

Many students will go to the front desk of the HWC to rent basketballs, tennis rackets etc—but those are not the only types of equipment available to students. Planning an upcoming camping trip but are short on supplies? No problem, sleeping bags, mats, tent, backpacks, and hiking poles are all available to rent for just a few dollars each per night. Interested in a trip to the mountains? Snow shoes are also available to rent. The front desk is the place to go to ask about any types of equipment rentals.

Staying Healthy

While staying active at the Health and Wellness Center, keep in mind some of these healthy tips, provided by Melissa Ineck, assistant director of programs at the Health and Wellness Center:

• “Don’t go too hard too fast. Ease into it… you have to give your body rest, its equally as important as getting off the couch.
• Eat, don’t skip meals; it’s really bad for your body. Your mind can’t function properly without sustenance… learning which type of workouts require which types of fuel, you’ll get better results
• Don’t be afraid to try something new!”

So next time you head over to the HWC check out a few of these resources or try out a new class. The HWC makes staying active and healthy fun. And follow the mission of the campus recreation department—mens sana in corpora sano: healthy mind, healthy body.

 

by Katrina Penaflor