Ohio State among 153 schools honored worldwide for creating a culture of wellness on campus
COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio State University is one of 153 universities and colleges around the world to be recognized by Exercise is Medicine® for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus. With many programs tailored to the needs of students, faculty and staff, Ohio State earned gold-level designation from the Exercise is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC) program. This destination signifies the university is implementing routine physical activity assessments, provide education and promoting events to encourage faculty, staff and students to engage in 150 minutes of physical activity a week. Ohio State also earned EIM’s COVID Conqueror badge, a new honor given to campuses that demonstrated creative adaptations to physical activity programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are thrilled to recognize these campuses’ commitment to make movement a part of daily campus culture and equip students with tools to cultivate lifelong physical activity habits, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Robyn Stuhr, vice president of Exercise is Medicine. “These campus programs are nurturing future leaders who will advance a key tenet of Exercise is Medicine: making physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in health care.”
At Ohio State, we strive to be sure our students, faculty and staff have the tools to build their lifestyles with healthy habits in mind. From our Student Wellness Center to our Employee Assistance Programs, the opportunities for wellness are endless. We are so proud to have accomplished this,
Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN
University Chief Wellness Officer, Vice President of Health Promotion, The Ohio State University
Learn more about some of the programs that enrich the culture of health and wellness for faculty, staff and students
Faculty and staff are encouraged every year to complete the Personal Health and Well-being Assessment (PHA) and biometric screening assess their overall health status. Within the PHA and biometric screenings, physical activity is assessed with the Physical Activity Vital Sign questionnaire. Based on the results, participants can be referred to the Exercise is Medicine program that offers strategies to improve their physical activity levels.
Buckeye Wellness invited Dr. Kayla Borchers, PT, DPT to provide safe ways to stay healthy and keep active during the COVID-19 pandemic
Rec Sports offers a fitness assessment year-round for just for all members. The fitness assessments include body composition, flexibility, cardiovascular and muscular strength and endurance testing. The testing will be completed by a certified personal trainer. Learn more.
The Faculty and Staff Fitness Program is a fitness facility through the Physical Activity Educational Services for faculty and staff. Members receive a full body composition and exercise test proctored by the Exercise Physiology students. Learn more.
This monthly challenge was offered during the summer months of 2020 to encourage students to stay active at home. Students would track the number of miles they ran or walked each day of the week to measure their physical activity minutes each week.
CHAARG is a health and fitness community that liberates individuals from traditional exercise methods and provides fun workout programs for all to enjoy. They partnered with the Exercise is Medicine Club on September 27th to host a virtual group fitness class.
It is so rewarding to see evidence that our campus continues to build a culture and supportive environment inspiring our physical health. The Student Life-Recreational Sports team is fully committed to inspiring every buckeye to find their unique place and space to move, get active and achieve great things. We celebrate with the entire university community in developing lives of balance, physical activity, and well-being.
Kathleen Hatch
Executive Director, Office of Student Life Recreational Sports
Of the 153 campuses recognized this year, 73 received gold, 59 silver and 21 bronze. All gold, silver and bronze universities and colleges will be officially recognized in June as part of the 2021 virtual Exercise is Medicine World Congress, held in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting.
EIM-OC launched its recognition program in 2014 to honor campuses for their efforts to create a culture of wellness. Schools earn gold, silver or bronze status based on their activities. Gold level campuses have created a referral system where campus health care providers assess students’ physical activity and refer students as necessary to a certified fitness professional as part of medical treatment. Silver campuses engage students, faculty and staff in education initiatives and make movement part of the daily campus culture while bronze level campuses promote and generate awareness of the health benefits of physical activity.
About Exercise Is Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) co-launched Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) in 2007 with the American Medical Association. ACSM continues to manage the global health initiative, which seeks to make physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care, connecting health care with evidence-based physical activity resources for people everywhere of all abilities. EIM is committed to the belief that physical activity promotes optimal health, is integral in the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions and should be regularly assessed and included as part of health care. Visit www.ExerciseisMedicine.org for additional information.
About the American College of Sports Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 50,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. More details at www.acsm.org.
