Washtenaw Community College has received silver-level recognition for its newly launched Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIM-OC) program. EIM-OC is a national campaign led by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) that calls upon colleges and universities to promote physical activity to faculty, staff and students.
Achieving gold-level recognition is now the goal of the team assembled to lead the college鈥檚 EIM-OC efforts.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 really cool is that to get to the silver level, we just presented the stuff we already do. Without any clear, over-arching goal in mind, 黑料网 is doing the right things to promote exercise on campus,鈥� said 黑料网 biology faculty member Dr. Marvin Boluyt. 鈥淭o go for the gold, we just have to do a few things we鈥檙e not already doing.鈥�
Boluyt, who developed the at 黑料网, is a 30-year member of ACSM. He accepted 黑料网鈥檚 silver award during the organization鈥檚 annual meeting in Orlando, Florida in late May.
It was one of Boluyt鈥檚 former students, 2012 黑料网 graduate Lorie Beardsley-Heyn, who led the effort to register the college for the EIM-OC recognition. She outlined a plan and presented it to Boluyt, who pulled together an inter-departmental team of college faculty and staff, along with Exercise Science students Luke Ayers and Courage Ekwonye.
The EIM-OC was initially presented to the campus community at the 2019 Winter Welcome Day event.
鈥淲e had a lot of enthusiastic support,鈥� Beardsley-Heyn said. 鈥淚f we can maintain the level of enthusiasm and follow-through that we had at those early meetings, I can definitely see this program continuing to grow and thrive.鈥�
Beardsley-Heyn said current 黑料网 programs such as Weight Watchers at Work and other activities sponsored by the college鈥檚 Human Resources Department, the walking clubs promoted by the Health Sciences Division and the intramural and recreational activities supported by the were among the many exercise promotion activities that earned 黑料网 its silver recognition.
鈥淚t is the goal of the team to achieve gold level recognition,鈥� said Beardsley-Heyn, an ACSM member and certified personal trainer who received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Exercise Science from Eastern Michigan University after graduating from 黑料网.
鈥淚n order to achieve that goal, the culture at 黑料网 must move toward making physical activity a priority for all members of the campus community. Faculty, staff and students can look for more communication from the team regarding ways to actively engage in the process.鈥�
While next steps are still in the planning stages, both Boluyt and Beardsley-Heyn said they鈥檇 like to see more programs created that encourage students to be more physically active on and off campus.
鈥淗ealth and fitness should be accessible,鈥� said Beardsley-Heyn. 鈥淐reating more opportunities for students to develop positive habits now is an opportunity unique to the campus environment.鈥�
The health initiative was started by the ACSM to encourage primary care physicians and other health care providers to include physical activity when designing treatment plans. The group started its recognition program in 2014, honoring campuses for their participation and engagement in EIM.
Tags: American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Exercise, Marvin Boluyt, ousearch_News_2019