A student-led project to establish a Ram Fitness Trail on campus, along with university-wide efforts to develop a culture of wellness, earned the University of Mobile a silver-level designation for 2024 in the national “Exercise is Medicine” global health initiative.
“The dedication of our students to promoting health and wellness on campus has been instrumental in achieving this recognition,” said Lori DeLong, dean of the School of Health and Sports Science in the College of Health Professions.
UM is one of only 145 colleges worldwide to be honored through the “Exercise is Medicine” initiative as a university that encourages faculty, staff and students to work together to improve the health and well-being of the campus community.
The American College of Sports Medicine, the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization, co-launched “Exercise is Medicine” in 2007 with the American Medical Association. UM will be recognized May 29 at the Exercise as Medicine recognition ceremony at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting.
UM Kinesiology Club Projects
The silver-level designation highlights UM’s significant efforts in encouraging physical activity and healthy lifestyles within its college community. Previously, the university held the bronze-level designation.
Heather Smith, visiting instructor of kinesiology, said, “Initiatives such as the establishment of the Ram Fitness Trail, hosting health fairs, providing information about campus wellness resources and conducting surveys to assess physical activity needs have contributed to UM’s elevation to the silver level.”
Smith said the University of Mobile’s Kinesiology Club, along with the leadership team dedicated to this initiative, played a pivotal role in driving these efforts forward. The Kinesiology Club is one of more than 20 academic and student life organizations available for UM students.
Ram Fitness Trail
The Ram Fitness Trail was dedicated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 28, 2023, and follows sidewalks along the university’s scenic Pollock-Altmayer Drive. Walkers on the Ram Fitness Trail start at Weaver Hall, where a QR code provides a campus map of the trail and distance markers.
DeLong said future plans are to extend the trail and take advantage of the university’s 880-acre wooded campus in north Mobile County.
The dean said the university’s Exercise is Medicine initiatives are in keeping with the motto for the School of Health and Sports Science: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. The scripture describes the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit and urges Christians to “honor God with your bodies.”
For more information about the School of Health and Sports Science and other healthcare degree programs at the University of Mobile, visit umobile.edu/healthcare.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Marlee Montalvo and originally published by the University of Mobile.
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