Students have been quick to seek out Raychel Adler in the new Activities and Recreation Center at UC Davis. They bring with them dozens of questions and concerns about their workout routine, their diet, the stress of a new school year and a range of other health matters.

In the newly created position of wellness manager, Adler is helping students pursue a healthy lifestyle. The position, funded through the ARC and the Cowell Student Health Center, represents a growing movement on the campus and a trend among colleges and universities to take a more holistic view of student health and marshal resources into a comprehensive program promoting well-being.

UC Davis has recently established a Mind, Body, Wellness task force including representatives of the ARC, the student health center, the counseling center, dining services and Student Housing.

Adler has organized health-related demonstrations and testing as part of the grand opening of the ARC Thursday, Oct. 14, and Friday, Oct. 15. The $46.5 million facility, opened for use in April, houses state-of-the-art recreation and fitness areas, conference facilities, work space for student organizations, a computer lounge, a gallery, a pro shop and a juice bar.

On the job since August, Adler holds a master's degree in public health and is certified as both a health education specialist and personal trainer. Administrator of the Wellness Center, she is available for personal consultations regarding a range of health matters and can make referrals to a variety of resources on the campus and in the community.

The services of the Wellness Center, located just off the ARC's lobby, are designed to serve students dealing with the stresses of university life, Adler says, and to help them establish a healthy lifestyle for the years ahead.

"Creating healthy habits is something they're looking to do," she says. "If we can help them create healthy habits, it will take them into a life of wellness."

New programs and services

Adler says she'll be working with other units on campus to address all aspects of students' lives including the physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social and environmental areas. She says the approach is in keeping with the 2004 Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education, recently released by the American College Health Association.

Through the Wellness Center, students will be able to consult for free with a registered dietitian and to book appointments for massage for a fee.

Beginning Oct. 20, a series called Wellness Wednesdays will have speakers addressing health-related topics. The first, facilitated by Counseling and Psychological Services, will address subjects ranging from mindfulness meditation to test anxiety.

Next month, the Wellness Center will start hosting a weekly noon-hour group, called Healthy Habits, as a forum for discussing food and exercise. The center also will team up with the Yolo County Health Department to offer a smoking cessation program in November.

Adler also is looking to organize lunchtime walking programs and to develop written materials on common health issues from sleep to fitness for people with chronic pain.

Grand opening activities

Among the Wellness Center's free activities offered during the ARC grand opening celebrations Oct. 14 and 15 will be:

• body composition testing through hydrostatic weighing (bring your swimsuit) and skin fold methods, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days;
• games of nutritional Jeopardy, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days;
• workshops for preventing and reducing stress, noon to 12:30 p.m. both days; and
• chair massages, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days

The ARC grand opening also will feature tours, demonstrations, live music, and contests from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the two days. A special display in the center's gallery will trace the development and construction of the ARC. The celebration will also include a by-invitation-only dinner on Saturday, Oct. 16.

The Facilities and Campus Enhancements Fee, approved by students in 1999, supports the center's construction and maintenance. Students, who pay a quarterly fee of $68, may use most of the center's programs and services for free. Also contributing to the facility's support are employee user fees, rental fees, and income from food and pro shop sales.