Western Holds Annual Wellness Challenge
Western Wyoming Community College’s (Western) Exercise Science students would like to invite the community to join the annual Wellness Challenge (Challenge). The Challenge is hosted by the Exercise Science students every year and will kick off January 27, 2024, with pre-testing. The Challenge is a ten-week fitness program designed to provide students with practicum hours to graduate from the program, practice working with “clients” to meet goals and help community members progress toward their fitness and wellness goals. The Challenge will run from January 27 through April 19, 2024.
During the Challenge, Exercise Science students will be working with participants in a variety of ways including equipment demonstrations, leading exercise classes, and assisting in setting realistic exercise goals - all information is kept confidential. In speaking of the Challenge, Western’s Professor of Exercise Science Kristine Clark said,
I have been overseeing the Wellness Challenge for 14 years and it is one of the community events the students host which allows them to apply the majority of the skills they are learning in the classroom. I am grateful for those who have participated with us for many years and for the "new" faces who participate each year. The event provides the students with direct experiences to improve their skills in communication, fitness testing, and fitness instruction. Please come support the students in our program and join us this year!
Participants can attend free workout nights hosted by the Exercise Science students, every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM in Western’s Fitness Center. Participants will have access to Western’s cardio and weight rooms. During the free workout nights, students will be on hand to answer any questions and demonstrate the use of various equipment along with proper form. Mark Huebbe, a student who worked on the Challenge in 2023 shared, “The Wellness Challenge was unlike any other learning experience I have had when it comes to hands-on work in the health and wellness industry. It helped me gain confidence in talking to people and teaching people [how] to take care of their bodies through fitness classes. Overall, the Wellness Challenge is a fun and exciting program to run with people from the community.”
Community members can participate as an individual or a family. The registration fee is $5 per person, whether participating on their own or with a group, or $15 for a family ($5 for each parent and $5 for their children). The fee is collected at the time of registration at the beginning of the Challenge and will be split between the top male, female, and team improvement winners.
The Challenge is open to anyone ages six and older. Children ages 6-14 can participate in fitness classes during the free workout nights under the supervision of their parent/guardian. Children 14 and older will be allowed to use the equipment in the Fitness Center under parental/guardian supervision.
Pre-testing will take place by appointment only. Pretesting consists of a cardiorespiratory 1-mile walk, a grip strength test, a sit and reach flexibility test, and a muscular endurance test with a full body plank. Visit the Wellness Challenge website page to sign up for your time.
Participants are asked to come prepared with a physician's release for physical activity if they have any cardio, pulmonary, metabolic, or joint issues. Pretesting cannot begin until this is provided. Prizes at pre-testing, post-testing, and throughout the Challenge are provided by Western and local businesses.
This event is sponsored by Western’s Exercise Science Program, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, the Wyoming Department of Health, and Wyoming Cancer Resource Services.
For more information on the Wellness Challenge, visit www.westernwyoming.edu/wellnesschallenge or email wellnesschallenge@westernwyoming.edu. To learn more about Western’s Exercise Science program contact Kristine Clark at 307-382-1876 or by email, kclark@westernwyoming.edu.