Looking for more opportunities to improve your health? At Oklahoma Christian University, Team OC has new options available for faculty and the local community, respectively. A wellness challenge is beginning, as a faculty-only event geared towards giving faculty a structured approach to beginning or continuing their fitness journey. Walking groups, which are open to any members of the community, will also be available through a sign up. Arianne Gillham is the Fitness Center director and the head of Team OC, which is the health and wellness initiative on campus. She spoke with the Talon about these upcoming opportunities.
“A lot of people think that our fitness things are not for everybody… They feel like they’re not physically at the level they need to be to participate. But we include everybody, and all fitness levels are welcome. We make adjustments and modifications and just really help people to start their fitness journey, if that’s where they are. Do not be intimidated by our events or by coming into the fitness center…the misconception is that they’re not ready,” Gillham said.
“The Wellness Challenge is for employees only…. It’s just a way to keep our employees active and healthy. There are a few requirements, but it’s really just, like I said before, to get them started on their wellness journey or to keep them moving. And so we want to give them goals,” Gillham said.
The challenge has a couple of requirements, such as a steps count, fitness hours and joining a group fitness class. Gillhem elaborated on some of the specifics about steps and hour requirements and the goal behind them.
“We asked for about 8,000 steps a day, and lots of people—that’s the misconception—think that they can’t do that, but they can! We have lots of opportunities to get steps, like our fitness classes, our group fitness classes, and we started the walking group. And then we asked [participants] to participate in a group fitness class, because we have about 15 or 20 classes on campus a week, and that is really to build community and accountability. You know, if you say, ‘Oh, I’ll work out at home Thursday night,’ and then Thursday night comes around, and you’re like, ‘I’m just gonna rest,’ I totally get that. But then, if you’ve got the class set up, and you know the time, and you know that the instructor or a friend is gonna be there waiting for you, that just helps with accountability. And of course, it’s fun and community,” Gillham said.
“And then we recommend four hours of fitness a week. And that’s again not hard, because it’s not like it has to be intense fitness. Like that includes your walk, maybe a weekly walk, our daily walk, if you’re so inclined, and then the group fitness class, that’s another hour. So if you walk an hour a week, do your group fitness hour, and then just a couple of other things… If you go for a hike or a family walk, take the kids to the playground and actually get on the playground; it all adds up,” Gillham said.
“In the past, we have given them options, and we did three areas: nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness. This time we decided to be specific and say this is the challenge you’re going to do this week. So just trying to make it less options so less confusing,” Gillham said.
“The biggest challenge for me with hosting the challenge is actually getting participation. All of the preparation, getting it all out there, most people would think getting the event ready is the hardest part, but no, the marketing, the getting people to commit to participate, is the hardest part,” Gillham said.
The walking groups are a part of the challenge; however, they are open to the whole campus. There is an online sign-up sheet for the different groups, times, and days on which they occur, which can be found here: KS Walking Groups.
“I just wanted to say, you know, I will walk with [anyone]. So I just put that I’m hosting one and opened it up for everybody else to host one. And Res Life has put a walk on there too. I’m hoping it will grow and we can keep that throughout the year, and we will definitely keep it through the summer and hopefully fall, you know, when the weather is walkable. It’s just another way to support people on their journey,” Gillham said.
The goal of the walking groups and the wellness challenge is to continue the health and wellness of students and faculty at Oklahoma Christian.
“It’s just general wellness, just to keep people moving and keep the campus active. [The goal is] just a healthy lifestyle on campus. I don’t want, you know, a bad, negative feeling. Like, what’s coming to mind is like the ‘freshman 15.’ I want people to know that they don’t have to gain the ‘freshman 15’; they can get out there,” Gillham said.
There is an upcoming lunch and learn in April for the wellness challenge participants which will be teaching the use of resistance bands.
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