K-State receives top designation from Exercise is Medicine for promoting physical activity
Monday, April 8, 2024
Students, faculty and Willie the Wildcat participate in the Exercise is Medicine-On Campus walk. K-State earned a gold-level designation from the program for the first time this year. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University is one of only 145 universities and colleges worldwide to be honored by the Exercise is Medicine global health initiative for its commitment to the belief that physical activity promotes optimal health and is integral in the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions.
For the first time, K-State — through the department of kinesiology — earned a gold-level designation from the Exercise is Medicine-On Campus program, a community impact initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine that calls upon universities and colleges to promote physical activity as a vital sign of health and encourages faculty, staff and students to work together to improve the health and well-being of the campus community.
For the past eight years, the department of kinesiology and the Exercise is Medicine leadership team have coordinated activities each October to celebrate Exercise is Medicine-On Campus Month to stress the importance of physical activity for physical and mental health. Activities have included research-based seminars with experts from across the country, lunch and learn sessions, campus walks, health screenings, games and events that encourage physical movement.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, along with the previous activities, the leadership team implemented a new outreach measure: administering a physical activity assessment and referral system through Lafene Health Center and K-State Recreational Services.
The physical activity assessment is given to each student who receives a service at Lafene Health Center. Following their visit, students are asked to complete a survey that gauges how physically active they are and if they are interested in learning more about physical activity. Within their patient portal, students are also provided with a handout detailing the benefits of physical activity on physical and mental health and on-campus physical activity resources.
K-State Recreational Services contacts students who indicate interest in learning more about physical activity and provides them with options, including a tour of the recreation center, a fitness assessment and a personal training session. Providers at Lafene Health Center can also make a direct referral for patients who indicate interest in becoming more physically active during their appointments.
Additional outreach measures for the 2023-2024 academic year included the creation of campuswide signs focused on the benefits of physical activity and prompts to be more active and a sample walking path for walking meetings.
"The Exercise is Medicine initiative highlights the importance and impact of exercise and physical activity on both physical and mental health and well-being," said Craig Harms, kinesiology department head. "This aligns with our departmental philosophy, and we are pleased that we have now achieved gold status as we continue to work with others on campus to promote these values to the Kansas State University community."
The Exercise is Medicine-On Campus program plays a pivotal role in supporting the university's Okanagan Charter, which was adopted at the end of 2023. This international charter calls upon higher education institutions to strategically embed health into university culture and lead health promotion collaboration and action across all communities served both locally and globally. K-State has created the K-State Committee for a Health-Promoting University, which is chaired by First Lady Sally Linton.
"It is such a thrill to see that K-State is now recognized as an Exercise Is Medicine gold-level institution," said Kathleen Hatch, Morrison Family associate vice president for student well-being and K-State Committee for a Health-Promoting University member. "Inspiring movement with robust programs and services for our campus is such a critical part of supporting our work as a new Health-Promoting University. I am deeply grateful for the talent and dedication of so many to keep inspiring our wider environment to value human health and well-being in all that we do."
The Exercise is Medicine-On Campus leadership team includes Lauren McDaniel, program director and kinesiology instructor; Michael Campbell, M.D., medical director, Lafene Health Center; Megan Maransani, assistant director of marketing and well-being, K-State Recreational Services; and Kaylee Reiser and Julisa Wolf, Exercise is Medicine-On Campus student ambassadors in the kinesiology department.
To learn more about K-State's Exercise is Medicine-On Campus initiative, please visit the program website.
