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The well-being of students, faculty and staff, matters every day at Northern Kentucky University, and during the month of February the NKU Wellness Center will team up with the American Heart Association along with many campus services and groups to bring added awareness and opportunities for highlighting and supporting heart health.
“Our culture is dramatically transforming to one that is supportive of health and wellness, and it is very exciting to see the involvement of so many campus organizations and individuals becoming actively involved in promoting and living healthier lifestyles,” said Karen Campbell, NKU’s director of wellness.
This year a Go Red for Heart Health event has being scheduled on Feb. 6, in the lobby of the Student Union from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wearing red not only raises awareness about heart health on that day, but also supports individuals with heart healthy options.
All students, faculty and staff who wear red will have access to discounted healthy meal options in the Northern Fare dining services, along with access to an array of health risk assessments including blood pressure screenings, body mass index and body fat calculations. Participants will even have an opportunity to get active with a Hula for Your Heart contest.
“Student wellness is a priority of our Student Governance Association this year, and it is exciting to have students from a wide array of campus involvements including nursing, public relations, psychology, the Honors Program, kinesiology and Greek societies seeking active internships and collaborations with the Wellness Center,” said Maggie Gough, student wellness manager.
Throughout the month, a number of additional wellness initiatives are being offered including a weight management series, heart health survivor presentations and roaming blood pressure clinics. All benefit-eligible NKU employees will have the opportunity to participate in a free comprehensive health screening process later in the month, including testing for cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
“Providing our employees with the knowledge about their overall health status is a significant step in their personal wellness journey,” said Campbell.
“Our participation rates in all our wellness programming have grown exponentially over the past few years,” she said. “We had so many people turn out to our ‘As You Are’ noon hour physical activity programming at the start of 2009 (employees wear regular work attire during these classes), that we had to move from a classroom size location to a ballroom facility.”
To participate in the Hula for your Heart contest, free blood pressure screenings, body mass index or body fat calculations stop by the Student Union lobby on Feb. 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and don’t forget to wear red.
