From the BGSU Marketing & Brand Strategy Office
Bowling Green State University has been nationally recognized for the fifth consecutive year for promoting a culture of well-being throughout its learning community.
BGSU was named an “Exercise is Medicine” Gold Campus by the American College of Sports Medicine, making it one of only three universities in Ohio and 83 worldwide to receive the gold-level designation out of 145 schools honored worldwide.
“What’s great about our program is the collaboration across campus that makes it successful,” said Dr. Jessica Kiss, assistant professor and exercise science lab coordinator and associate director of graduate education in the School of Applied Human Development. “We’re pleased to once again be recognized as a Gold Campus for our contributions to creating a healthier environment at BGSU through physical activity.”
“Exercise is Medicine” is part of a global health initiative by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association that aims to make the assessment and promotion of physical activity a standard of clinical care.
The university’s “Campus Exercise is Medicine” initiative encourages universities to make exercise a daily part of campus culture. BGSU’s “Exercise is Medicine” program provides students with an introduction to physical activity, which Kiss said has been crucial in achieving gold status since 2020.
Through this program, students are introduced to the Student Recreation Center where they can participate in personal training, coaching, group fitness classes, and a host of other wellness activities.
Kiss said the counseling center values the connection between physical and mental health and is an active referral partner.
“Physical activity is extremely beneficial for reducing stress and improving mental health, and studies have shown it is also linked to academic performance and engagement,” Kiss said. “The Counseling Center is a great partner in supporting the mission of athletics on campus medicine.”
In addition to educational programs, the university’s “Exercise is Medicine” program offers a variety of health assessments to students, faculty, staff and community members through the Exercise Physiology Lab at Eppler South and provides experiential learning opportunities for exercise science and food and nutrition students.
Under Kiss’s supervision, students will complete assessments and gain real-world experience through the process.
“There are many different aspects to the ‘Campus Exercise is Medicine’ program, but our primary focus is to increase physical activity and health at BGSU and throughout the community,” Kiss said.
