Women’s Resource and Services Office and other departments on campus are celebrating National Women’s Health and Fitness Day (Sept. 26) with a week of activities.
According to fitnessday.com, this is the 11th annual National Women’s Health and Fitness Day. Local events that will take place across the country include fitness walks, health fairs and other activities focused around women’s health.
On Sept. 24, there was an info expo held outside the union from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The departments that participated in the info expo were Women’s Resource and Services Office as well as the Counseling Center, the Recreation Center, University Health Services, Komen, Tobacco Free Living, and SEALS.
Each group handed out information about women’s health and fitness in regards to their group. “For example,” Alicia Kozak, graduate assistant for Women’s Resource and Services, said, “the Tobacco Free living group handed out information on brochures and about tobacco free living.
On Sept. 25, a Women’s Walk was held at 5 p.m. starting at the new recreation center.  
The walk was done to set a good example of exercising to promote women’s health and fitness, Kozak said.
On Wednesday, a Health 101 Forum was held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Bridget Scott was in Le Bijou answering questions about health and dieting, Kozak said. There was also a yoga class held in the quad at 5 p.m. yesterday, where an instructor from the recreation center headed the class.
“Today, we are showing our Colonel pride by supporting the women’s volleyball team at their game at 6:30 p.m.,” Kozak said.
All events are open to faculty, staff and students.
“This day and our events on campus are not to tell women to lose weight, it is to teach women how to be healthy,” Kozak said.   “I think it is amazing that there is such a day to focus on women’s health and fitness, because often times focus is only on men’s fitness except when women are being scrutinized about their weight.”  
According to fitnessday.com, “This unique national program – with participation by local organizations throughout the U.S. – focuses attention on the importance of regular physical activity and health awareness for women.”  There will be more than 1,000 groups across the country participating.
Fitnessday.com holds a contest each year to decide the theme of the event.  The theme for 2012 is “Being Active is a Healthy Choice!” The winner received a $250.00 prize and will have their theme on all incentive gifts, including balloons, shirts and posters.
“Our goal for this national event is to encourage women to take control of their health, to learn the facts they need to make smart health choices, and to make time for regular physical activity,” Patricia Henze, Executive Director of the Health Information Resource Center and organizer of the event, said in a press release from fitnessday.com.