性视界传媒

Exercise is Medicine honors Mason for creating a well-being culture

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性视界传媒 earned a silver-level designation from (EIM-OC) for its commitment to health and wellness.

people walking outside
The Mason community gathers for the annual Happy Heart Walk on the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

Mason is one of 156 universities and colleges around the world to be honored by Exercise is Medicine for its efforts to create a well-being culture on campus. The silver rating highlights campuses that engage students, faculty, and staff in education initiatives and make movement part of the daily campus culture.

University-wide initiatives that contributed to the rating include the , a Mason Exercise is Medicine , and other activities including fitness webinars, bingo, and an exercise is medicine walk led by a health and fitness professional.

In summer 2021, Debra Stroiney, EIM-OC advisor in Mason鈥檚 , partnered with Becky Demus, assistant director of fitness at , to form Mason鈥檚 first EIM-OC leadership team. The team includes faculty, staff, and students who want to help promote how exercise is in fact medicine.听

Demus said the team has formed strong partnerships across campus to help educate students on the importance of physical activity.

鈥淲e want to spread the word to the Mason community that exercise should be thought of as medicine, and that you can make exercise work for you鈥攊n a way that fits your schedule and is enjoyable,鈥 Demus said.

One goal of the leadership team is to establish a health assessment program that will be accessible on all campuses, as well as a referral program with and .

鈥淲ith this team we are working to increase the visibility of this important initiative on all campuses,鈥 Stoiney said.

The program recognized 156 colleges and universities this year, with 73 earning gold, 50 earning silver, an 23 earning bronze recognition. All 156 will be recognized on June 1 as part of the 2022 Exercise is Medicine World Congress, held in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine鈥檚 Annual Meeting.

鈥淲e are thrilled to recognize these campuses鈥 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,鈥 said Robyn Stuhr, vice president of Exercise is Medicine.

The American College of Sports Medicine co-launched Exercise is Medicine庐 in 2007 with the American Medical Association. EIM-OC, which launched in 2014, calls on universities and colleges to promote physical activity as a vital sign of health, and encourages faculty, staff, and students to work together to improve their campus community鈥檚 health and well-being.