By Richard H. Miller, Global Campus
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University’s Global Campus is helping online students step away from their computers. The Cyber Coug Fitness Club offers partial reimbursement for gym fees, fitness classes and other healthy activities.
About 130 online students have signed up, said Erin B. Carroll of WSU Wellbeing, which manages the program.
A survey prompted the Global Campus’ student government to start the program.
“One of the most popular answers was that students would like to see a gym membership reimbursement program,” said ASWSU Global President Brianna Lisenbee. The online student government worked with Wellbeing and University Recreation to create the club, then received funding from student activity fees.
“This program helps me live a healthy lifestyle and be fit,” said Global Campus student Callie Segraves. “Traditional students have the opportunity to use on-campus fitness facilities, but non-traditional students don’t.”
“It makes me feel like WSU cares about my health and fitness,” said social sciences major Becky Jean Fitzgerald of Olympia, Wash. “With the WSU Rec Center six hours away, it is nice to feel included and thought of.”
Segraves, a criminal justice major in Selah, Wash., said she amped up her fitness goals when her boyfriend, a WSU alumnus, introduced her to weight lifting.
“I immediately was hooked,” she said. Her goals now include squatting 200 pounds and bench pressing 135 – which is more than she weighs.
“The reimbursement program makes my fitness goals more attainable,” she said.