Students of Running

This morning, my colleague Rebecca Newell from Middlesex Community College gathered a group of about two dozen students together for the first of her Friday Fitness classes, hoping to engage the students in some smart choices about health and wellness.

For her first outing, she opted for a 1.2 mile run, and drafted the services of ye blogger, along with my friends from the Lowell Police Academy PT team to coach the students through their first run.
It was a lot of fun, and hopefully was very rewarding for the students.  Here's hoping they stick with it!  If you see them running the streets of Lowell on Friday mornings, give them a beep or shout out some words of encouragement.

In the meantime, I'm going to turn the blogging airtime over to Rebecca so she can let everyone know in her own words what she's up to and why health and wellness is a good thing!  Here she is leading the charge and commandeering this blog!

It was a wonderful, crisp Fall day for our first class outing!  About two dozen Middlesex Community College students showed up for class in their favorite sneakers to participate in a non-traditional lesson plan on physical wellness.  IDS108 - General Education Seminar:  Wellness meets weekly to discuss the 8 areas of the wellness wheel and rather than sit through a Powerpoint presentation about the benefits of getting active, they put feet to the pavement and it was experiential learning at its best!

These students didn't know what they were in for when they enrolled in a course about their personal health as a college student with me, Professor Rebecca Newell!  Anyone who thought they were going to sit through 15 weeks of lecture learned quickly that wasn't the case.  Many were apprehensive when reviewing the syllabus and it informed them to meet outside with comfortable clothes, but they were motivated by the promise of fresh air, 2 participation points, a Center for Health & Wellness goody bag, and probably most enticing - personal inspiration from MCC fitness enthusiasts.

"Coach" Patrick Cook led the charge with his team of experts -  Lowell Police Officer and MCC Campus Safety Officer Thomas Hickey, Boston Marathoner Donna Corbin, Administrative Assistant in the President's Office, Jonathan Crockett, MCC's Coordinator of Athletics, Health & Wellness, and Lowell Police Officer Erin Byrne, a Staff Instructor at the Lowell Police Academy.

With some words of wisdom and a brief explanation of the course, the students were off on a 1.2 mile walk/jog/run around the historic Merrimack River, over the Bridge Street bridge and up to the Hunts Falls rotary.  The students represented multiple levels of fitness and experience, but all gave 100% and felt invigorated by the activity.

Immediately following the course, students were provided with personal advice from each of the experts.  They soaked up the information and many expressed interest in continuing.  To wrap up the session, students participated in 15 minutes of aerobic conditioning with a few onlookers jumping in. With a few jumping jacks and squats to top off the fun run they were ready to tackle the day.  Seems there might be a correlation between movement and student success!  Stay healthy and well, everyone!