Program promotes life-long health

FitLife is an exercise program that features exercise classes throughout the year to keep Aggies and community members active while providing a complete cardiovascular health assessment and consultation. The program was created by the Applied Exercise Science Laboratory and the Department of Health and Kinesiology to help students, faculty and staff of Texas A&M, and residents the Bryan-College Station community stay fit for life.

“I came  to A&M in 1984, and FitLife was created in 1985,” said Stephen Crouse, FitLife program director. “It was designed to meet the teaching, service and research missions of the University.  Academically, FitLife provides undergraduate and graduate students in our kinesiology program with experience in practical skills development related to clinical and sport physiology, while also providing a quality physical fitness testing and exercise experience for our clients.”

Crouse said the goal of the program is to provide the University and the community with exercise classes and health assessments that will enable and encourage them to be physically fit.

FitLife offers classes Monday through Friday in the Read and G. Rollie White buildings and conducts exercise and cardiovascular testing at the Applied Exercise Science Laboratory in the Steed Physiology Research and Conditioning Laboratory near Kyle Field.

“The students teach the exercise classes,” said Steven Martin, FitLife program coordinator. “We offer cardio and circuit training classes. Zumba® is really popular now, and we even offer yoga.” 

FitLife is based on two key concepts that not only provide participants with quality physical fitness assessments and supervised exercise opportunities but also helps undergraduate and graduate students gain experience in applied exercise physiology, Martin said.

“Another invaluable component of this program is that senior applied exercise physiology students have the opportunity through their curriculum to gain experience in a clinical setting,” Crouse said. “Senior applied exercise physiology majors will work in our clinical testing program alongside Dr. Martin assisting in such clinical skills as exercise electrocardiography, measuring blood pressure at rest and exercise, performing body fat assessments and conducting exercise stress tests to evaluate the health of the cardiovascular system.” 

Crouse said working in a clinical setting is beneficial to students because they translate what they learn in class into practice, gaining invaluable practical experience. FitLife works closely with physicians to make sure all testing is medically safe and performs screenings with community groups like the College Station Police and Fire Departments. 

“The fire departments in the Bryan-College Station area require their firemen to have annual cardiovascular screenings, and they send them through our program,” Crouse said.

“The students use a special software program to generate customized health reports for each individual who takes part in the cardiovascular screenings.” 

Clinical exercise science students are given the opportunity to teach the exercise classes and work with professors and medical experts in a clinical setting prior to completing an internship and graduation. 

“We get hands on experience,” said Katie McCammon, graduate nutrition major. “We have an opportunity to work with people that do not have an affiliation with the University, and they can see that we’re professional and it is a great setting for us to learn.”