Submitted by Penn State PRO Wellness
Penn State Mont Alto, in partnership with Penn State LionPulse, has made significant strides in improving health and wellness initiatives for students, staff and faculty. Since January, Danielle Werner, a Mont Alto campus nurse and the campus Health Champion, has worked with the wellness committee to implement nutrition and stress management initiatives across campus. Over 100 students, faculty and staff have been impacted by efforts in less than three months.
In March, the Mont Alto wellness committee promoted nutrition at their smoothie bike event. Werner utilized the smoothie bike, to show students and employees how fun partaking in an active lifestyle can be. The unique spin on a nutritious snack became a popular scene on campus, more than 40 participants of all ages utilized the smoothie bike for a refreshing reward! Click here to watch a video of the blender bike in action.
The brand-new smoothie bike, which can be borrowed through Penn State LionPulse, is a stationary bicycle with a blender attached. To generate the blender a rider must pedal the bicycle for thirty seconds, and a smoothie is ready!
Since receiving LionPulse funding in January 2019, Werner and the wellness committee have also launched a “Wellness Wednesday” series. This series hosts events that encourage healthier environments and promote healthy living on the last Wednesday of each month. These popular events have received positive feedback, which include: “We love these events!” and “Thank you for doing this!”
In the coming months, Werner plans to help individuals destress during one of the most stressful times of the semester, finals. Finals season can be challenging, for this reason she plans to offer a campus spa, yoga sessions, nature walks and time with a service dog to help others navigate this stressful time. The smoothie bike will also be back by popular demand, to help exercise the stress away and indulge in a nutritious smoothie!
During the fall semester, the wellness committee plans to host a series of events and seminars, some of which include: Exercise is Medicine, Nutrition is Medicine, Friendship is Medicine and Sleep is Medicine.
Stay up to date on Penn State Wellness and LionPulse events visit, sites.psu.edu/lionpulse.
Interested in borrowing the pedal-powered LionPulse Blender Bike? Click here to complete the form.
LionPulse is a Penn State PRO Wellness initiative to enhance wellness within the Penn State Community, courtesy of funding from the university strategic plan seed grant.
PENN STATE MISSION: Penn State is a multicampus public research university that educates students from Pennsylvania, the nation and the world, and improves the well-being and health of individuals and communities through integrated programs of teaching, research, and service.