In an effort to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, the Student Life Center has incorporated the Fitness Incentive Program.
Kelly Holland, a Fort Lewis College alumni who majored in Exercise Science, established the Fitness Incentive Program.
Students can sign up at any time during the hours of operation at the Student Life Center in the weight room, Holland said.
This Fitness Incentive Program has acquired the most participation from students compared to past fitness programs. Currently, there are 158 students registered, she said.
With the program, enrolled students get rewarded for working out when they reach certain points. When a student works out for 50 hours, thereby earning 50 points, he/she will get a pair of FLC Recreational Services socks, Holland said.
Initially, at 100 points, a student would earn an FLC Recreational Services coffee mug. At 150 points, a student would earn a pair of shorts and at 200 points, a jacket customized with the FLC Recreational Services logo, she said.
Being that we are halfway through the semester, Holland said that she felt the need to modify the requirements. Currently, the points go as follows: the socks are still set at 50 points, the coffee mug now at 75 points, the shorts at 100 and the jacket at 150 points.
“I received no requests for the modification. Participants have been incredibly determined and I wanted to modify the point system based on my observations.” Holland said. “I also thought it would be an extra boost of motivation for people to keep up the hard work because they are now that much closer to winning great prizes.”
“The way that we reward students for working out is different with this Fitness Incentive Program in that it doesn’t matter who’s ahead,” Holland said. “Everyone gets the same prize for reaching the same checkpoints.”
Towards the beginning of the semester Holland had to place another order for the mugs because so many people had signed up.
“If we need to order more prizes we absolutely will - no one should be concerned about not getting a prize.” Holland said.
Holland designed the Fitness Incentive Program to motivate students to work out in a safe and healthy way, which is why she has set a maximum amount of points students can earn each day.
“I set the maximum at three points per day because we don’t want students to over-exercise and risk burning out which is really unhealthy,” Holland said.
One student registered in the program since the beginning of the semester, Zaira Chacon, who currently has 43 points, says the Fitness Incentive Program definitely encourages her to work out more.
“I am seven points away from the first prize, which is a pair of socks. All of this working out is about to pay off,” said Chacon.
Chacon said that she sets aside two hours every day from Monday through Friday to get in her points. However, with classes and studying, making time to exercise can get a little difficult.
Regarding the maximum, Chacon says that it should be set higher. She would like to reach her goal of 150 points by the end of the semester.
Aly Delamico, a staff member at the SLC who is also registered with the program, has set her goal at 100 points as well.
“Everybody on our volleyball team and even friends in my classes have registered,” Delamico said. “The program has benefitted me in that it’s motivating me to come in and work out more.”
Students can sign up anytime throughout the semester at the SLC.