Fitness and Wellness

FTWL 106 - Lifelong Fitness and Wellness

FTWL 106 - Lifelong Fitness and Wellness is the General Education course for Group V: Health/Fitness. The course includes both a lecture portion and a physical activity component and is designed to help students increase their knowledge, behaviors, and skills related to personal wellness in the context of the dimensions of wellness.

Topics covered include:

• stress management
• Health at Every Size (HAES ©)
• healthy eating
• financial wellness 
• fitness
• substance abuse/misuse
• prevention of chronic and communicable diseases

The lecture component is intended to help students evaluate their personal health habits, behaviors, and attitudes while educating them about how to establish or maintain healthy lifestyle practices to improve both quality and quantity of life. Students learn about risk factors, behavior modification, and goal setting in order to reduce their chances of developing chronic health problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. The physical activity component of this course requires students to participate in activity three days per week. The lecture and activity portions are weighted equally in the grading of this course.

Lecture Component Details

The lecture component of the course is offered online or face-to-face. Regardless of whether students select to participate in the online or in-person lectures, all weekly assignments, exams, and projects are completed through MyClasses. Face-to-face lectures meet one day per week for 50 minutes. Online lectures are posted on MyClasses and there are no in-class meetings. Lecture enrollment occurs automatically with enrollment in a specific activity course. Students cannot enroll in lecture and activity independently.

Physical Activity Details

Students have the opportunity to select from a variety of physical activity options. Prior to engaging in the activity portion of this course all students are required to complete a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire. If students have chronic health conditions that might be exacerbated by physical activity they will need to seek medical clearance from a health care professional prior to participating in the activity portion of this course. The activity sessions can be completed through in-person group classes or through self-directed, independent sessions.

Note: Participation in intercollegiate varsity, club or intramural athletic team practices or games CANNOT be used to fulfill the activity requirement for the class.

In-Person Physical Activity

The face-to-face group classes meet three days per week, 50 minutes each session and are offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. There are a variety of activity options to select from such as aerobics, boot camp, circuit training, swimming, walk/jog, weight training, and yoga.

• Boot Camp: Group fitness, circuit-style class designed to improve strength and aerobic fitness through a combination of resistance training exercises, high intensity interval training (HIIT), and cardiovascular training.
• Circuit Training: A combination of cardiovascular and weight machines are used to improve aerobic fitness, flexibility, and strength.
• Walk/Jog: A self-paced physical conditioning class that emphasizes cardiovascular fitness through walking, jogging, or a combination of both.
• Weight Training: Participants are taught and engage in basic weight training principles, safety considerations, etiquette, exercise selection, and techniques using free weights.
• Yoga: Students are taught the philosophies and basic asanas (poses) of yoga, incorporating flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. This class takes place at the University Fitness Club.

Self-Directed Activity

Students exercise independently three days per week for a minimum of 30 minutes each session. Because this option allows students the flexibility of choosing when they participate in their weekly activity sessions, it is recommended for non-traditional students. Students use a Bluetooth-compatible smart phone, a University-supplied PolarH7 heart rate transmitter, and the Polar Beat app to record their exercise sessions. They are free to exercise at any facility (on-campus, off-campus, outside, etc.) Students must attend a mandatory orientation session if enrolled in this section. Because technology is heavily utilized in this option, students should be able to troubleshoot basic tech issues that may arise. If you’re not comfortable with technology, this may not be the best option.

FTWL106 Sanctioned Events

Group Fitness classes at the University Fitness Club (UFC) are Sanctioned Events.

Visit the GroupX Schedule – you must register in advance (login required).

Bring your confirmation email to the fitness class for the instructor's signature. A signed registration email is required to receive credit.

NOTE: Any events not listed on here must be approved by your activity instructor in advance. You must participate in the event (not just volunteer) and provide documentation of participation in order to receive credit.

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