More options available for faculty, staff fitness

It's 2 p.m.

You’re sitting at your desk, and suddenly the after-lunch fog begins to roll in. Time for a coffee break?

Or, perhaps a brain break.

“Instead of a coffee break, take a brain break and move away from your desk,” said Anna Devito, associate professor in Radford University Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP). “You will not need to change your shoes. Come to Peters Hall and see what 10 minutes of movement does for your concentration and ability to work.”

These breaks are among the many new programs HHP is now offering to faculty and staff during the fall semester. Classes include yoga, Zumba, kickboxing, functional fitness, group fitness, exercise instruction, getting back to movement and Metabolic Boot Camp. Days and starting times vary for each class.

In addition, HHP is offering a number of special topic sessions each Friday from noon to 2 p.m. Sessions include learning to pack a healthy lunch, body composition testing, vegetarian nutrition, exer-gaming, self-defense/violence prevention, movement analysis, cholesterol and glucose testing and bioelectrical impedance nutrition.

There also will be team games with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity assessment, as well as badminton and pickleball.

Classes and special sessions begin Aug. 31. HHP is planning more topics for the spring semester.

“We want to help people live a healthy lifestyle by teaching them ways to move, exercise and eat correctly,” said Doug Wohlstein, who was hired by the university in July to serve as director of Faculty and Staff Fitness.

Wohlstein also manages the Peters Hall fitness center, where hours have been extended to better serve the needs and busy schedules of the Radford University faculty and staff.

“If you’re a morning person or a night person, we’ve added hours to try to accommodate everyone,” Wohlstein said. “And, it’s all free. No membership fees required.”

Beginning Aug. 31, the Peters Hall fitness center will be open 6-8 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday, noon-2 p.m. Monday – Friday and 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

“The critical feature in creating exercise programming is to have a deep understanding of the client and their goals. Offering a variety of programming allows participants to be in a place that is appropriate and follow various tracks toward their goals,” said HHP Associate Professor David Sallee. “We are not a one-size-fits-all world. Exercise is no different. You have to find the right fit.”

If swimming is your fit, faculty and staff now have no-fee access to the Christiansburg Aquatic Center through a cooperative agreement between Radford University and the aquatic center. The center is a 64,000-square-foot facility that features a 50-meter diving pool, a leisure pool with a two-story water slide and a heated therapy pool.

Radford University employees will receive a Christiansburg Aquatic Center membership card at the center upon presenting their Radford University ID.

As a result of the partnership, RU’s Dedmon Center pool has now ceased operation and is closed to patrons.

Located about nine miles from campus, the aquatic center will be easily accessible by Radford Transit.