Wellbeing Center Turns 5

Something for everybody, every body and every mind

By Wake Forest University

March 28^th, 2023

Wellspring of Wellbeing

Five years ago, the Wake Forest community gathered to celebrate the transformation of Reynolds Gym into the Wake Forest Wellbeing Center. Since then, the Wellbeing Center has become one of the most active and frequented places on campus. It is this building that welcomes the early-morning master swimmers, hosts a robust Campus Recreation operation and serves as home base for the Outdoor Pursuits program. Within this space, intramural champions are crowned, climbing walls are conquered, personal bests are challenged, and friendships are cultivated. Here is a glimpse of how the facilities, equipment, programs and people that make up the Wellbeing Center have created a place where many have found health and a home.

Education in Motion

Sue Evans teaches two sections of Transformative Yoga, a for-credit class in Health and Exercise Science, in the Tanya and James Dixon Mind/Body Room in Spring 2023. The class is an example of how the Wellbeing Center helps Wake Forest meet its obligations to students in several areas.

Knowledge is Power

The Mat Room is home to a class in Rape Aggression Defense (RAD), a comprehensive self-defense course designed for women that combines physical techniques and common-sense crime-prevention methods. It is a joint venture of the Police Department and the Department of Health and Exercise Science. More than 140 students are enrolled in the class, divided into nine sections, in the Spring 2023 semester.

Pump it Up

The process of finding weights for every purpose is not a heavy lift -- even if the iron itself is. The Lissette Fitness Area offers the full spectrum of challenges and benefits.

Strength in Numbers

Body Pump, pictured here, is one of more than 20 unique fitness programs taught in group settings in the Wellbeing Center. In the Fall 2022 semester, the average week featured 39 class meetings. Nearly 750 unique students, faculty and staff participated over the course of the semester. The Melvin S. Cohen Group Exercise Studio, the Kalikow Multi-Purpose Room, the Mary and Gary Pinkus Family Cycle Room, the Ronzetti Exercise Studio, the Garner Family Specialty Studio and the Tanya and James Dixon Mind/Body Room are sites of constant action and innovation. On one recent day, participants were really glowing.

Personalized Attention

Another hallmark of the Center's services is the detailed care of personal trainers, who collaborate in developing action plans, setting goals and helping clients reach those objectives.

Club Everything

The Intramural and Club Sports division of Campus Recreation helps oversee 36 club sports out of the Helen and David Feinberg Office Suite. Among teams taking their shots in one recent week: boxing; ballroom dancing; men's and women's basketball; fencing; women's volleyball; and badminton. Wahrhaftig Court, Kloap Court, Lowden Family Court, Carroll Family Court and the Prothro Fitness Area, among others, got a workout. Club and intramural sports are major players in student life. In additional to providing competitive opportunities for nearly every conceivable interest, Campus Recreation is the leading student employer on campus.

Repurposeful

The Pickleball craze has migrated to Wake Forest, where retirees recently took to the Carroll Family Court, normally used for basketball, in the Sutton Center.

Productive Screen Time

The Bartee Fitness Area is home to dozens of stationary exercise bikes, treadmills and rowing machines. Before the Wellbeing Center's re-creation, many Wake Foresters reported they intended to work out but were dissuaded by long wait times for machines. No longer. Alexchandra Labady ('23) and Gail Bestman ('25) enjoyed the benefits of stationary bikes recently. Those benefits include a video screen on virtually every machine.

Masters of the Morning

One recent Wednesday, more than 30 swimmers dove into the Jurgens-Dupree Pool for a meeting of their Masters Swim program. Dave Amato was there with them, organizing and vigorously leading individual and group work.

Friendly Faces for Busy Places

Retired Wake Forest staff members Harold Holmes and Peter Nachand work the early shift on the front desk, saying, "Good morning" to all who enter. In fall and spring semesters, a student, faculty or staff member passes through the entry point once every 68 seconds.

Common Goals

Working under the direction of Fitness Center Coordinator Michael Spieldiener, Ava Johnson ('26), Malachi Woodard ('24), Gialin Tran ('26), and Nicholas Cain ('24) went to work with TRZ straps and on cardio machines on recent Wednesday morning.

Meeting of the Minds

The Wellbeing Center was intentionally designed to address wellbeing holistically. Libby Connolly ('25), Emy Yamamoto ('24), and Izel Guo ('25) recently took advantage of dedicated space to work together in the living room, highlighting the facility's commitment to elements including intellectual development. The backdrop of their group meeting pictured below is a waterfall made possible by a gift from Dave (MBA '82) and Sue Wahrhaftig (P '18, P '21, P '21) in memory of their godson, Jack Mann. Sue Wahrhaftig designed the feature, which is especially compelling in the space.

Same Venue, New Vibe

They dimmed the lights but not the RPMs in the Mary and Gary Pinkus Family Cycle Room on one recent Wednesday evening.

Rolling

An instructional event simulating the topsy-turvy nature of kayaking came to the Jurgens-Dupree Pool one recent Wednesday night.

Hanging Out

That really is Stephanie Wen ('23), who climbs the rock wall under the instruction of trainer Sung Ku Kang ('23), and with help on belay from Jessica Zhang ('23).

Dancing to Cure Cancer

Wake 'N Shake, the springtime 12-hour dance marathon raising funds for cancer research, again called the Wellbeing Center home in 2023. And By George, which happens to be the name of the band pictured below, by the way, they made their mark. Attracting nearly 1,400 participants and raising nearly $250,000, the event continued Wake Forest's tradition of fighting cancer with enthusiasm in the spirit of Pro Humanitate.