Sul Ross gets gold designation from wellness organization

May 3—Sul Ross State University is one of only 149 universities and colleges around the world to be honored by Exercise is Medicine (EIM) for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus and has now earned a gold level designation from the program according to a Tuesday press release.

"We are thrilled to recognize the campuses commitment to make movement a part of daily campus culture and give students the tools to cultivate physical activity habits that will benefit them throughout their lives," Robyn Stuhr, vice president of EIM, said in the press release. "These programs are nurturing future leaders who will advance a key tenet of Exercise is Medicine: making physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in health care."

Of the 149 campuses recognized this year, just 73 received gold, all of which will be officially recognized on June 1 as part of the 2022 Exercise is Medicine World Congress, held in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting, according to the release.

EIM calls upon universities and colleges to promote physical activity as a vital sign of health and encourages faculty, staff and students to work together to improve the health and well-being of the campus community.

The initiative requires the establishment of a campus leadership team, which includes Dr. Shanna Moody, assistant professor of Kinesiology and Human Performance; Dani Bell, Health Services coordinator; Kara Pool, director of Recreational Programs; Hannah Newman, a graduate student in Kinesiology and Human Performance; and Brandon Mayers, a student of Athletic Training.

"The goals of this team are to foster collaborative relationships and leadership on campuses among exercise, health and other disciplines that support the EIM vision," said Dr. Moody in the press release. "The vision is to see all campus and community members across multiple disciplines discover, share and adopt the principles of EIM that will help change the culture of physical activity and chronic disease prevention and management campus-wide."

Moody said a critical part of the program is including Physical Activity Vital Signs (PAVS) in the medical records of students who visit the campus health center. PAVS assess the physical activity levels and habits of students at each patient visit to determine if they are meeting established guidelines.

SRSU also hosts events that promote physical activity, offers options for exercise, educational seminars and fitness counseling and training.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) co-launched (EIM) in 2007 with the American Medical Association. ACSM continues to manage the global health initiative, which seeks to make physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care, connecting health care with evidence-based physical activity resources for people everywhere of all abilities.

EIM is committed to the belief that physical activity promotes optimal health, is integral in the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions and should be regularly assessed and included as part of health care.

Visit exerciseismedicine.org for additional information or email [email protected].