Campus Life

Penn State Berks celebrates Exercise Is Medicine Week

The Penn State Berks Kinesiology Department is celebrating Exercise Is Medicine Week from Oct. 3 to 7, with a variety of events and activities, including daily 20-minute walks on campus; participation in a Health and Wellness Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 5, in the Multipurpose Room of the Perkins Student Center; and various activities on the lawn of the Perkins Student Center -- including Zumba, Tai Chi, Kickboxing and Yoga on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the common hour, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. All events are open to students, faculty and staff.

In 2015, Penn State Berks began a program called Walk with a Kinesiologist (WWAK) in an effort to transform the campus into a “walkable community.” Kinesiology faculty members take turns leading daily 20-minute walks on campus, meeting at 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and at noon on Tuesday and Thursday.

During the Health and Wellness Fair on Oct. 5, kinesiology students will perform assessments on posture, balance and flexibility. They will also assess body mass index, body fat, visceral fat level, skeletal muscle percentage, resting metabolism rate and body age using the Omron body composition scale.

In addition, upperclassmen in the kinesiology degree program serve as personal trainers to faculty and staff who sign up for the program and have a physician’s release to participate.

Exercise is Medicine is a global initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine. Exercise is Medicine on Campus calls upon universities and colleges to establish physical activity promotion as a vital sign for health. It encourages making movement as a part of the daily campus culture and providing students with the tools necessary to engage in lifelong physical activity.

Penn State Berks offers the bachelor of science degree in kinesiology with the exercise science option. For more information about Exercise Is Medicine Week, contact Helen Hartman, senior lecturer in kinesiology, at hah7@psu.edu or 610-396-6201. For more information about the Penn State Berks bachelor of science degree in kinesiology, contact Ben Infantolino, assistant professor in kinesiology and program coordinator, at bwi100@psu.edu or 610-396-6153.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated September 27, 2016

Contact