Get Involved, Get Moving: Center for Student Wellbeing Redefines Cross-Training

Thanks to the full scope of services offered by the Center for Student Wellbeing, including Counseling Services, Health Services and Recreation Services, Lily Faith DeLong has all the resources she needs to train hard and meet her boldest goals as she approaches her next competition.
 
The digital marketing and analytics major from South Park, Pa., finds herself in the Power Center nearly daily—not only for her strength-training and cardio workouts, but to fulfill her shift as an employee. 
 
 “One of the main reasons I transferred to Duquesne was because of the large gym and all of the classes and equipment available to students,” she said. “The Power Center has a lot of diverse machinery that other gyms don’t have.”
 
As a Power Center student employee, Lily enjoys sharing knowledge with others as they meet their wellbeing goals. She hopes to become a personal trainer and online coach in addition to pursuing a career in digital marketing and graphic design. 
 
“I get to show people around the gym and explain everything,” she said. “One time a faculty member asked me about a particular machine, and I got to demonstrate. I love that experience of helping others.” 
 
Lily finds that her time in the gym benefits her mental health as well. “Training is a fantastic way to pause for an hour or two to do something outside of schoolwork to reduce stress,” she said.
 
To supplement her gains in the gym, Lily taps into the University’s Counseling Services to further manage stress, build confidence and enhance overall mood.
 
“I’ve received amazing resources after every session by email, and I’ve learned a lot about coping mechanisms for stress, especially exercise,” said Lily. “It’s really helped me for the better, and I feel more confident in my day-to-day activities. I experience things without being scared because I took the first step, then everything else was a lot easier.”
 
Assistant director of the Power Center, Amber Lasure, has noticed Lily’s growth. “When I interviewed her, she wondered if school was right for her,” said Amber. “Now she’s excelling so much; she does so much, and she’s a fantastic student. Duquesne was a big part of that.”
 
Center for Student Wellbeing staff walk alongside students so they can take advantage of the Center’s offerings and actively promote campus wellness to their peers. The team often seeks feedback through student focus groups to inform decision-making related to equipment purchases, programming and schedules. 
 
“Everything that’s important for wellness is built upon one another,” said Bill Jones, instructor in the Health Sciences program. “When you exercise, you’re not just improving your physical health; you're improving your mental health and cutting down your risk of certain diseases. Duquesne has a wonderful system built around this knowledge.”
 
The University’s efforts to promote wellbeing have been recognized by the prestigious Exercise is Medicine Gold designation, an honor bestowed to campuses that acknowledges activities related to physical activity promotion and education, as well as a campus commitment to creating a culture of wellness and a healthy academic environment.
 
“This recognition means that Duquesne promotes physical activity, shows the benefits of physical activity to students’ overall health, and goes beyond by integrating counseling services, health services and recreational services,” explained Bill.
 
Every day, Amber observes these programs and their results. She also believes that exercise can become “a mental vacation” from to-do lists, deadlines and obligations, providing students with the focus they need to move forward and pursue their passions.
 
“Students tell me after a workout they have more mental clarity studying, which can help academic outcomes and retention, and focusing on a more integrated approach can help people with how they feel about their university experience overall,” she said. 
 
According to Dr. Ian Edwards, assistant vice president for student wellbeing and director of Counseling Services, the team’s longstanding mantra has been “get involved.” The Center for Student Wellbeing has expanded upon this by adding the important complement, “get moving.”
 
“Now it’s not only ‘get involved,’ but ‘get involved and get moving,’” he said. “The promotion of wellbeing is an extension of the University’s mission. We not only want to offer students an outstanding academic education; we form them as whole persons from the moment they get here.” 
 
Dr. Edwards says this is how success is shaped and defined—it’s about the people Duquesne students become. “It’s not just academic success, but success as a human being involving psychological, physical and spiritual development,” he said. “For me, that’s what cross-training truly is.”