The Wellness Corner: The Wellness Center

The Wellness Corner: The Wellness Center

Lindsay Parker, Lincoln campus reporter

The Wellness Center on SCC’s Lincoln campus is “the cheapest gym membership students and faculty will ever encounter,” said Brett Ducker, the fitness and wellness coordinator for the center since January of 2013.

The problem is that many are unaware that such a place exists until after they’ve left SCC, and those who do know about it aren’t aware of all the Wellness Center has to offer.

The students learn about the Wellness Center during their required orientation at SCC because it’s included in their tuition, but they aren’t required to complete this orientation until they graduate, so getting the name out there about the center can be difficult, said Ducker.

The Wellness Center offers everything a traditional gym offers, weights, treadmills, stationary bikes, a stair stepper, a total body circuit machine, a Smith Machine designed for doing bench presses and squats, showers and locker rooms.

The gym is also open for activities, such as basketball, volleyball and soccer, which are offered as intramural sports every quarter.

To help students stay motivated and reach their exercise goals, the center offers fitness consultations that include body compositions and basic health tests to help develop an exercise regimen specifically tailored to individual needs, and there are various fitness challenges organized across Nebraska throughout the school year.

“It’s a pretty simple space (the wellness center and gym), but we can be creative and try to figure out a way to help meet the needs of students,” said Ducker.

There’s also an incentive program designed to reward students for exercising at the wellness center and gym.  Students receive five points for 30 minutes of exercise and can use these points for free workout gear (water bottles, ear buds, exercise towels, resistance bands, t-shirts, shorts, sport bags, and sweatpants).

To help spread the word about the Wellness Center, the SCC student senate developed a wellness committee made up of students, which Ducker is co-advisor of, that organizes wellness activities, such as blood drives, campus spa and relaxation days and free breakfasts.

“We are always looking for anyone interested in taking part to help promote the center,” said Ducker.

Currently, the Wellness Center averages about 30 people a day, Ducker said, but it depends on the time of day.

According to Ducker, the busiest times are in the middle of the day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and in the evenings from 5 – 7 p.m.

Pick-up basketball games are available in the gym every Wednesday and Thursday at 5:30pm.

“A lot of students will request pick-up games because they don’t know anyone,” said Ducker, “so it’s a great place for students to get to know each other.”

The Wellness Center and gym are open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Students and faculty members interested in working out at the center must bring their student and staff IDs, and should also wear workout attire (tennis shoes, shorts and so forth).