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Northwest Missouri State University recently became one of 145 universities and colleges throughout the world to be honored by Exercise is Medicine (EIM) for its efforts to create a culture of wellness.
In recognition of its commitment to promoting physical activity as a vital sign of health and encouraging faculty, staff and students to work together to improve the health and well-being of the campus community, Northwest earned a gold-level designation from the Exercise is Medicine On Campus (EIM-OC) program.
EIM-OC awarded gold designations to 83 campuses worldwide. Exercise is Medicine is a community-impact initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which will recognize gold, silver and bronze recipients at its annual meeting on May 29.
Dr. Tina Gaa Pulley, pictured with students during an exercise testing class this spring, leads Northwest's Exercise is Medicine initiative. (Photo by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)
“EIM-OC provides a setting for Northwest to serve as a microcosm that can help to educate and inspire students, faculty and staff to work together to promote physical activity on campus,” Dr. Tina Gaa Pulley, an assistant professor of health and physical education who is spearheading the University’s involvement in the program, said. “The time and effort Northwest commits to make movement a part of daily campus culture will benefit students the rest of their lives while nurturing future leaders who will advance a key tenet of Exercise is Medicine — to make physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in health care.”
In October, Northwest signed a proclamation signaling its adoption of Exercise is Medicine On Campus, joining about 200 colleges and universities throughout the world.
By encouraging faculty, staff and students to work together to improve health and well-being in their campus communities, the Exercise is Medicine initiative seeks to make movement a part of the daily campus culture, assess physical activity at every student health visit, provide students with tools to strengthen healthy physical activity habits and connect health care providers with health fitness specialists to offer a referral system for exercise prescription.
Northwest students and employees have numerous opportunities to participate in recreation activities, including at the Robert and Virginia Foster Fitness Center. (Photo by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)
Northwest's Campus Recreation program offers a variety of intramural activities throughout the year. (Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)
In addition to providing students with training and mentorship that connects them to research and career opportunities, Exercise is Medicine fosters collaboration and leadership to support exercise and health goals.
“Our goal at Northwest is for every student to graduate with better health and fitness than when they began, to become knowledgeable and passionate advocates for the benefits of regular physical activity, and to work toward the systematic assessment and promotion of physical activity within health care.” Pulley said. “The gold recognition is a direct reflection our amazing Northwest support, including many different departments.”
Joining Pulley, School of Health Science and Wellness faculty Dr. Rhonda Beemer and Dr. Brooke McAtee comprise the Exercise is Medicine campus leadership advisory board in collaboration with student leader Brooke Katen.
EIM-OC launched its recognition program in 2014 to honor campuses for their efforts, awarding school with gold, silver or bronze status, based on their activities. Gold-level campuses have created a referral system where campus healthcare providers assess student physical activity and refer students as necessary to a certified fitness professional as part of medical treatment.
“We are thrilled to recognize these campuses’ commitment to make movement a part of daily campus culture and give students the tools to cultivate physical activity habits that will benefit them throughout their lives,” Katie Feltman, ACSM’s interim chief executive officer, said. “These campus programs are nurturing future leaders who will advance a key tenet of Exercise is Medicine – making physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in health care.”
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) co-launched Exercise is Medicine (EIM) in 2007 with the American Medical Association. ACSM manages the global health initiative, which seeks to make physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care, connecting health care with evidence-based physical activity resources for people everywhere of all abilities. EIM is committed to the belief that physical activity promotes optimal health, is integral in the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions and should be regularly assessed and included as part of health care. Visit www.ExerciseisMedicine.org for more information.
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 50,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. For more information, visit www.acsm.org.
