{"251441":{"#nid":"251441","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Healthy Lifestyles Program Brings Physical Fitness into Mental Wellness","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis semester, some students who visit the Counseling Center may also find themselves in the Campus Recreation Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese two entities in the Division of Student Affairs have joined forces to develop \u201cHealthy Lifestyles for the Mind and Body,\u201d a new program that incorporates physical activity into mental health solutions for some students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cVarious types of depression, anxiety, and stress can be alleviated through physical activity, exercise, and social connections with other students,\u201d said Ruperto Perez, director of the Counseling Center. \u201cCoupled with group or individual counseling, students may receive a combination of benefits \u2014 physical, psychological, and social. This program aims to help the whole student.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents who visit the Counseling Center may be referred to this program, at which point they meet with Christie Stewart, who oversees healthy lifestyle programs at the CRC. Together, Stewart and the student talk through his or her current activity level, goals, potential barriers, and interests in various CRC offerings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t want them to be forced into doing something that isn\u2019t a good fit,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cWe just want them to find something that will help them attain a healthy lifestyle. Our goal is to help them find an activity they look forward to doing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents may choose to try personal training, group fitness, or taking a trip with Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech, among other options. Many don\u2019t know about all the CRC offers until they consult with Stewart, or they think only \u201cathletic\u201d people use the facility and its programs, when in reality there are programs available for students of all skill and fitness levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe potential for social interaction is another perk of the program that can help students both academically and emotionally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPhysical activity and social connection with others have direct effects on brain and body chemistry,\u201d Perez said. \u201cThese benefits can allow students who are in counseling to think more clearly about their concerns, to gain a clearer awareness of their circumstances, and to experience relief from their depression, anxiety, or stress.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program is still in its infancy, but so far Stewart, Perez, and participating students have voiced positive feedback about the partnership. The program will continue as a pilot throughout the rest of the year. For the future, Perez plans to evaluate and assess its effectiveness for students and their concerns and, long-term, examine what impact it has on quality of life, retention, and graduation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ll keep the program going as long as it\u2019s helping students,\u201d Stewart said.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESome students who visit the Counseling Center may be referred to the Campus Recreation Center to incorporate physical activity into their schedules.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Some students who visit the Counseling Center may be referred to the Campus Recreation Center to incorporate physical activity into their schedules."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2013-11-05 16:53:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"202601":{"id":"202601","type":"image","title":"Working Out at the Campus Recreation Center","body":null,"created":"1449179952","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:59:12","changed":"1475894856","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:36","alt":"Working Out at the Campus Recreation Center","file":{"fid":"196619","name":"0422518-p32-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0422518-p32-2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0422518-p32-2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1309493,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/0422518-p32-2_0.jpg?itok=55s2M4D4"}},"251411":{"id":"251411","type":"image","title":"Students do yoga at the Campus Recreation Center","body":null,"created":"1449243813","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:33","changed":"1475894931","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:51","alt":"Students do yoga at the Campus Recreation Center","file":{"fid":"198121","name":"10c2320-p1-058.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10c2320-p1-058_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10c2320-p1-058_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1615632,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10c2320-p1-058_0.jpg?itok=6nnhwebu"}},"251401":{"id":"251401","type":"image","title":"Students Play Volleyball at the Campus Recreation Center","body":null,"created":"1449243813","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:33","changed":"1475894931","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:51","alt":"Students Play Volleyball at the Campus Recreation Center","file":{"fid":"198120","name":"10c2320-p1-056.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10c2320-p1-056_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10c2320-p1-056_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2673968,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10c2320-p1-056_0.jpg?itok=3Utrhh6f"}}},"media_ids":["202601","251411","251401"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4523","name":"Campus Recreation Center"},{"id":"1020","name":"counseling center"},{"id":"719","name":"CRC"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"167069","name":"student affairs"},{"id":"167141","name":"Student Life"},{"id":"4076","name":"wellness"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}