Oksana Carlier/Winonan

What started out as a Winona State University student practicum has evolved into a full-fledged program of its own this semester.
The program is called Fit Stop Tuesdays, a weekly addition to the programs already offered at Winona State’s Integrated Wellness Complex.
Chelsea Gabrielson, a student at Winona State, said she developed the program with other students in a health and exercise science class.
“My job was to take the program and make it happen,” she said.
The first Fit Stop Tuesday included a short wellness assessment followed by some handouts regarding how a person’s health could be improved based on assessment results.
Connie Kamara, the head of health services, created the assessment.
One of the students who took the wellness assessment, Grace Carr, said that she would come to another wellness event in the future because she found the Fit Stop helpful.
Carr said, “You know where you need to improve.”
Gabrielson took the assessment herself and said it is a great way for students to see where they can improve their wellness since it “covers the seven dimensions of wellness.”
Kevin Pace, a health promotion intern, said it is important to improve in each area of wellness. “You are automatically being successful,” he said. “Your overall wellness is kind of just working on it.”
Pace also said the Fit Stop program is supposed to be quick. Pace said the name sounds like “pit stop,” which is what the program aims to be.
Gabrielson said students could stop by between classes and not feel like they will have to stay for a long time.
She said if students know an area they need to improve on, they can stop in and learn a bit about it in a short amount of time.
When it comes to running the program, Gabrielson said her position is temporary. “I am in charge of it right now. We are in the process of getting an exercise science practicum who will take on running the program.”
Gabrielson said Fit Stop Tuesdays will offer topics ranging from college nutrition tips, to sleeping and relaxation tips, to resume help.
Pace said, “There are always different topics every week, we try and jazz it up.”

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