Gannon Good for U encourages faculty and staff of all ages to participate in the annual Erie Walks competition, which consists of eight weeks of walking and physical activity by employers of local companies and corporations.
Although the competition started on April 2 and runs all the way until May 27, that doesn’t mean that next year’s Erie Walks is not an option. Gannon employees are highly encouraged to think about participating next spring and even coming out to support their coworkers during the coming weeks.
According to the flyer for Erie Walks, any employee who logs five or more active days every week for the eight weeks of the Erie Walks competition will be eligible for an extra vacation day with pay.
But the Erie Walks is just one way to motivate people to stay healthy. Good for U encourages everyone in the Gannon community to keep themselves active throughout the summer and during the school year.
Physical health is a huge part of the Good for U message. This includes anything that relates to improving the health of our bodies by adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as being physically active every day. By optimizing our health, we can decrease risk of disease and improve our overall quality of life.
But when it comes to maintaining physical health, an individual may not always have time to head out to the gym. Still, the things around us can help us get in that active 30 minutes. Exercise is the best way to feel rejuvenated and ready for more work, school or other things that may be happening in life.
All employees are encouraged to do anything just to get their heart rate rising, whether that be walking around the office building, heading on down to the Recreation and Wellness Center (RWC) for a walking meeting or even trying out one of the express group fitness classes, which are only 30 minutes long — a great option for fitting exercise into that busy work day.
The bayfront is also a great place to take a walk or jog to. Head down to the lighthouse and if you get tired, take a break and enjoy the scenery before ramping up again and heading home.
Another option if there is a lot of work to be done is heading over to the RWC, the Morosky Academic Center or even the Power Room at the Waldron Campus Center to use one of the active workstations. There are walking treadmills with a desk that allow for work to be done while getting in a 30-minute moderate walk or jog.
Gannon’s Good for U doesn’t just promote physical health, though. It promotes a balanced life in areas of environmental wellness, spiritual wellness, intellectual wellness, social wellness, emotional wellness and occupational wellness.
The RWC is not just a place to focus on physical wellness, either. It is a great source of every aspect of Gannon’s mission of wellness, which includes going for a smoothie at the Fresh Café. This is helping Gannon on its path to environmental wellness.
Whatever you choose to do, try to take advantage of the opportunities on and around campus this spring and get some exercise. Better yet, try to fulfill a part of each aspect of wellness during the final month of the semester.
AMY BENKOVICH
[email protected]
