IU Recreational Sports will encourage students to focus on what they love about themselves this week through various on-campus events as a part of the annual Celebrate EveryBODY Week, which takes place during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
The purpose of the Celebrate EveryBODY Week campaign is to help change negative mindsets about the reasons for working out. People should work out to feel good and be healthy as opposed to trying to look a certain way, said Katie Landrum, IU alumna and Rec Sports assistant director of fitness and wellness.
“Flipping that mindset gives you a different perspective about working out,” Landrum said.
The events include movies about encouraging individuality and fun workout classes, such as a cycling class done under black lights.
Rec sports teams will collaborate with CAPS counseling services to provide mental health information at tabling events throughout the week in the SRSC lobby and Wells Library to inform students about the on-campus services available to them.
One of the mindsets Celebrate EveryBODY Week tries to combat is the belief that what people see on social media is what they should see in the mirror, said Gabi Nolan, IU senior and Rec Sports program assistant for group exercise. Nolan is also on the committee to prepare for the week.
“We want it to be just a flood of positivity,” Nolan said.
To acknowledge their intention of aligning with national eating disorder awareness week, the SRSC, Intramural Center and IU Tennis Center will be filled with positive messages and purple decorations, the color for national eating disorder awareness, Landrum said.
The campaign is important for college students because this time in their lives is so formative, Landrum said. There can be external pressure to change how you look, so this week is to remember that exercise should be fun and a celebration of what your body can accomplish.
“It makes my heart happy,” Landrum said.
On Tuesday, there will be an event called “Empower Hour” from 4 to 6 p.m. in the SRSC strength gym where Rec Sports staff will teach people how to use various machines and weight systems such as kettlebells. This is to give people more confidence when they are in the strength gym by themselves, which can be intimidating especially for new participants, Landrum said. Staff members won't go through all the equipment in the strength gym, but the selected equipment they will teach about can provide a full-body workout.
Alec Erny, a sophomore who works out at the SRSC at least once a day, said the SRSC is very welcoming and he has never felt self conscious when working out there. Erny said he thinks Celebrate EveryBODY Week is a great idea.
“It makes people feel like they have a place to just workout and not be judged,” he said.
