News

Recognizing that the evidence indicates physical activity can enhance daily function, learning potential and brain health, we - Drs. Brenda Merritt and Diane MacKenzie (Occupational Therapy) - established a weekly Fit Club and an online fitness challenge group to engage colleagues, students and community members in physical fitness.  Not only did we want to create a means for students, faculty and community members to easily engage in fitness activities in a fun and supportive environment, we also wanted to "practice what we preach" and demonstrate that we value and engage in a healthy lifestyle.

For the last year, we have provided free and convenient weekly exercise classes.  Every Wednesday afternoon, our flexible teaching space (Room 219 in the Forrest Building) gets transformed into "Fit Club."  Through the use of diverse DVD fitness programs (e.g. Insanity, Focus T25, P90X) we engage in fitness routines that range from 25 to 60 minutes each and include activities such as high intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga, kenpo karate, core routines and agility workouts.  On one occasion, the occupational therapy students utilized the Fit Club as a fund raising mechanism to support "For the Health of It."

We believe that Fit Club is one small way that we can enhance not only the health of our community, but also the learning environment within the School of Occupational Therapy.  When asked about the benefits of Fit Club, our first year MSc(OT) students had many positive things to say.  For example, Heather Spencer stated "I come to Fit Club to relieve stress" and Lisa Chisholm said "It is fun to do an activity with your peers and professors that is not academically related."

If you are interested in joining us for Fit Club, please contact Brenda Merritt (b.merritt@dal.ca)