Lone Star College-CyFair’s efforts to improve the health and wellness of employees has earned the college an American Heart Association Gold Level Fit-Friendly Worksite Award.
The AHA’s Fit-Friendly Worksites Recognition Program is intended to be a catalyst for positive change in the workplace across America. LSC-CyFair has adopted the spirit of the initiative of making the health and wellness of their employees a priority in a variety of ways.
To earn the Gold Level Award, LSC-CyFair: has an appointed Wellness Program; offers all employees physical activity support; provides general nutrition education and eating information; promotes a wellness culture and embraces at least nine AHA criteria in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
“Promoting a culture of wellness is not new to LSC-CyFair,” said Ronnie Nespeca, kinesiology professor and Wellness Program coordinator. “The college has hosted the annual AHA Heart Walks with employees walking and raising more than $100,000 over the past decade.”
In addition to the heart walk, the college’s wellness program opportunities for employees includes exercise and nutrition tips in weekly Wellness Wednesday emails; half-hour and hour wellness related talks; a variety of free fitness classes such as strength and toning, NIA, cycling, Zumba and yoga as well as 3-mile walk routes around the lakes and Katy Prairie property of the 200-acre campus.
LSC-CyFair also draws an average of 50- participants in the annual Wellness Competition that measures percentage of weight loss, body fat and BMI. In the past eight years of this competition, participants have lost a total of 432 pounds combined.
Nespeca, who is also the Men’s Soccer Coach, along with Lisa Brashier, kinesiology professor and Dance Team Coach, co-wrote and championed the application process for the AHA’s Fit-Friendly Worksites Recognition Program.
LSC-CyFair was one of 197 in Texas and one of five in Northwest Harris County to earn a Gold Level Award. Joining LSC-CyFair as county award recipients are Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center, HealthSouth Cypress, North Cypress Medical Center and LSC-Tomball.
For information on LSC-CyFair, go to LoneStar.edu/cyfair.