DID you know that taking the stairs to the fourth floor of a building rather than the lift could burn off an extra 50 calories a day?

This and many more facts were among those promoted to students at Exeter College during this year’s Being Healthy and Sexual Health and Guidance Week, which took place last week to promote the importance of health and wellbeing to students across the College.

At the same time, the 2011 programme of activities – organised by Health and Wellbeing Manager Nick Bridge and Student Welfare Officer Sammy Davies, together with the College’s nurses and members of Exeter College Students’ Union (ECSU) – were designed to encourage student involvement as part of the College’s Every Child Matters agenda. This is the second year that Exeter College has run this particular awareness week.

Nick says: “Activities took place across all our campuses throughout the week, involving everyone from staff to students of all ages. We even had specialist dance and fitness classes for our children who attend the College Nursery.

“To encourage healthy eating, we offered everything from free morning porridge to free yoghurts in our refectories and free fruit at the Marsh Barton Automotive centre.

“Meanwhile, to promote physical wellbeing, we arranged a mass body combat class open to all students, health screenings for students aged 16 to 19, adult learners and staff, and a dance workshop.”
A number of tutor group-based activities were also planned, he added, including a healthy picnic lunch, for which members of staff and their students brought in one item of healthy food or drink each to share with the rest of their class.

In addition to staff and student involvement, external partners such as the NHS Devon Chlamydia screening team were brought in to give out flyers and other useful information.

Asked why it is so vital that students understand the importance of being healthy and of sexual health issues, Nick says: “The health and sexual wellbeing decisions which our students make now have the potential to have an impact on the rest of their lives. The idea of the week is to ensure that they have the information to make informed and positive choices about both.

“The message we want to put across most of all is that even small changes can make a huge difference to how you can live your life now and in the future.”