Wellness expo

Annual fair promotes healthy living

Liberty University hosted its third annual Health Fair in the LaHaye Student Union Sept. 29 to promote healthy living throughout campus and the health initiative Live Healthy Liberty.

Jamie Swyers, associate director of the LaHaye Student Union, said the event connects students, faculty, staff and their families with available health resources and opportunities.

“The Expo provides a fun and exciting point of contact that builds awareness regarding health issues,” Swyers said.

There was a wide variety of different booths and vendors at the event. More than 40 booths participated in the event, which included campus partners, health and wellness related organizations as well as local vendors. More than 1,000 individuals visited the fair this year.

Weight lifting demonstrations, health screenings and a photo booth were also available for students, faculty and their families.

“Having an annual wellness-promoting event is important to help the campus community connect with the available programs and resources that promote holistic health,” Swyers said. “The Live Healthy Liberty Expo fits the bill and does it in a fun and engaging way.”

The event featured many different giveaways spanning from Fit Bits, gift cards, apparel, personal training packages and free food.

“My favorite part … was the free samples,” exercise science student Jessica Heidebrink said. “They had a lot of cool new things to try like vitamins.”

Every year the health fair continually grows. According to Swyers, this year the fair doubled in size from last year.

“I just really liked how personable everyone was and how they answered all of my questions,” sophomore Emily Dozier said. “They also gave me a really cool shirt after signing up for one of their healthy living programs.”

The Live Healthy Liberty table gave out free T-shirts as people signed up to join a fitness team. Each time a participant works out or attends a wellness event, they log that information in their LU Portal. Being on teams encourages accountability to reach personal fitness goals, Swyers said.

In addition to helping people achieve their goals, the event also featured vendors that provided healthy eating resources. At one table there were charts that showed the healthy amount of fats needed each day. Students could take home pamphlets and brochures to keep them on the right track as they pursue healthy living.

Dietitians, doctors, trainers and public health professionals were all present at the event to assist students and faculty in achieving their healthy living goals.

Even though the Live Healthy Fair was a single event, Live Healthy Liberty is a long-term initiative for the entire university.

“Live Healthy Liberty is a campus wide initiative that seeks to educate, motivate and empower Liberty students, faculty and staff to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors,” Swyers said.

For more information go to www.liberty.edu/livehealthy.

Sherrill is a news reporter.