The importance of health and wellness fairs for college students
Health and wellness fairs are an important part of promoting positive well-being among college students. By offering education, providing access to resources and promoting healthy behaviors, these fairs can help students stay healthy and happy during their college years and beyond.
On Wednesday, March 22, the UVU Health and Wellness Fair was held in the Science Building atrium. The fair, organized by UVU Wellness Programs, provided a unique opportunity for students and educators to learn about various health and wellness topics, such as mental health, nutrition, exercise, stress management and sexual health.
The goal of the fair was to empower attendees with the knowledge and resources needed to take control of their health and well-being.
During the fair, students and teachers could attend workshops, listen to presentations and ask questions to a diverse range of healthcare professionals and organizational representatives. This included local health clinics, UVU gym trainers, mental health service professionals, nutritionists and health counselors from UVU Wellness Programs.
Workshop topics featured nutrition, fitness, mental health, disease prevention and more, while booth topics featured preventative healthcare, fueling your body for workouts, 7 types of boundaries and how to set them, fertility recommendations, thinking from the gut, and many others. Additionally, students could create meal and workout plans with experts at interactive booths.
Although there were many topics to choose from, each booth provided important information about understanding a holistic approach to health by recognizing physical, mental and emotional health.
Interviewed students all agreed on the importance of the fair for the student community. Vanessa Ayala, a UVU student majoring in biology, said, “Students can use this opportunity to explore the available resources and connect with the services that best meet their needs.” Additionally, Cassandra Coon, another UVU student majoring in biology, shared, “The importance is that this kind of fair makes you think of the different aspects of health and reflect on them.”
Regarding the accessibility of resources at the fair, Gaew Khaomuangnoi, a UVU student majoring in psychology, mentioned, “Having it all in the same place” and being able to learn about every aspect of individual health was a valuable insight.
Health and wellness fairs are a great way to encourage others and ourselves to adopt healthy behaviors and make positive lifestyle changes. Attendees can learn about the benefits of regular exercise, healthy eating and stress reduction techniques; take part in educational discussions on various topics; and receive answers to personal questions from attending medical professionals. As UVU student Emma Jensen, majoring in public health, said, “This is how the Health and Wellness Program is committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle and providing access to healthcare resources for everyone in the community.”