Wellness is more than a workout
Hot yoga! Illustration by Zoe Wren Arntsen, Illustrator.
It is easy to think of rest as doing nothing, but not every break has to be sitting still.
Sometimes it's rolling out a yoga mat, going on a walk or trying something new.
For college students, managing a work-life balance may make prioritizing health and well-being last on the to-do list.
Well-being looks different for everyone. And though wellness is not just working out, movement as a whole can play a large role.
Chapman’s wellness and recreation not only has recreation centers, but also provides fitness classes and recreation trips both on campus and off, from hiking to the Hollywood Sign to yoga on the lawn.
Senior business administration major Alana Firsty teaches high intensity interval training classes on campus.
“My favorite part of teaching is seeing people fall in love with fitness in any form,” Firsty said. “I get to watch people improve and it makes me proud to see people challenging themselves and realizing their bodies are capable.”
According to Firsty, wellness does not only have to be fitness.
“Wellness isn’t only working out, but it could be sleeping well and eating well too,” said Firsty.
Having physical and mental outlets such as fitness classes can help prioritize wellness and can assist in alleviating pressure or anxiety students may have.
“Our mission is to provide physical resources for students to reduce their stress, increase their overall well-being, and feel connected to the Chapman community in some way,” said Michael Sakhel, assistant director of wellness and recreation.
Sakhel’s favorite program with the wellness and recreation center was the three-day retreat in Pali Mountain, where students were given the opportunity to go on hikes, play sports outdoors and discover more about their emotional health through a holistic approach.
“It encompasses everything that recreation is supposed to be, where we're secluded enough from civilization so you feel like you're escaping into nature,” Sakhel said. “But it's also a multi-day, overnight trip where you get to experience core memories with students too.”
But not every student may have three days to retreat and relax. For others, even a short break to relax can be difficult to carve out in an already full day.
Kendal Roney, a senior business administration major, teaches the yoga classes for the wellness and recreation center.
“I make sure to have time for meditation, whether that's breathwork, walking, journaling or spending time with people I love,” Roney said. “All those things make me feel like I can be the best person I can and that is important to me.”
Getting involved in the group fitness classes such as spin, HIIT and pilates, or the recreational events like the retreat, hikes or sports tournaments may also offer a unique way of meeting new people and finding a sense of community.
“In yoga, we focus a lot on our breath and body,” said Roney. “It feels good to create a space for people who may not always get that.”
Having that space and sense of community can help with not only your physical health but your mental well-being through interaction and socializing.
The Wellness and Recreation Center aims to offer Chapman students a break by providing experiences to step away.
“We could do almost anything,” said Sakhel. “We want to provide Chapman students with the most excellent, best quality programs and relationships that we can.”
Experiencing burnout from a packed schedule or running out of time in your day to fully reset happens. Yet, whether you can only take a few seconds to ground yourself or you have an hour to go for a run, prioritizing time for yourself can be the best type of wellness.
A break does not always have to be silent or still. It could be going on that walk with friends, taking the time to stretch, finding quiet moments to breathe. Chapman’s Wellness and Recreation Center offers ways for students to find the pause that works for them.
As Roney told The Panther: “Wellness is something that starts from the inside.”