About 75 college students sat on yoga mats, taking deep breaths as they contoured their bodies in different positions.
Last week's yoga class taught Emory University freshmen how to make their bodies stronger and more flexible. Students also learned how yoga could reduce their stress -- a crucial lesson as they embarked on their first college midterms all while adjusting to living on their own.
This balance of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being is a cornerstone of Emory University’s new Health 100 course, a requirement for all freshmen. Several colleges across the country have added programs and requirements in recent years to address students’ physical health and combat the obesity epidemic. But Emory officials have taken a more holistic approach and created a course based on the research they've conducted on predictive health, which stresses maintaining good health and preventing disease as opposed to just curing illnesses people already have.
The course abandoned the "do this, don’t do that" mentality found in most health lectures, said Michelle Lampl, director of the Emory Center for the Study of Human Health.
"We are not here to admonish or preach to the students," she said. "We are teaching them a healthier approach to life. They didn't come here to fill their heads while destroying their bodies."
Rather than professors lecturing to students, upperclassmen teach the class through small-group discussions. They help the freshmen come up with health goals and give advice on different aspects of college life.
Junior Michelle Cholko, a peer counselor for about 25 freshmen, has talked with them about handling stress, managing their time and getting enough sleep. When students share their problems, Cholko explains how she handled similar situations, and they discuss solutions as a group.
"It's so different from my health class when it was 200 of us sitting in a lecture hall listening to someone talk about STDs and how to drink responsibly," Cholko said. "We know what’s bad and good for us. This is more thinking about what will make me happy and give me peace so I don’t get sick because I’m stressed and worn-out."
The course requires freshmen to come up with three wellness goals. The goal isn’t so much wanting to lose 10 pounds as it is taking a walk every day to feel more relaxed and less stressed.
When Jasmine Hope arrived at Emory this semester, she spent her first few weeks focused on studying and not much else. Her goals include being more social and spiritual, and she has since joined a young Christian group and a salsa class.
Freshman Adam Harris' goals call on him to exercise five days a week, practice the piano, clarinet and saxophone five days a week and get at least seven hours of sleep a night. The last one has been the most difficult, and Harris, who is a double major in music and business, said he's learning, with Cholko's help, to manage his time better.
"Sometimes I feel very stressed and overwhelmed, and I've been able to sit down with Michelle and she shares her perspective and helps me figure out ways to deal with everything," Harris said.
The college hopes it is providing students with a health message they haven't already received, said Robin Forman, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Students arrive on campus used to stress, and more are taking antidepressants and mood-stabilizing medications, he said.
"We have students who are so used to being completely stressed out that it has become their comfort zone," Forman said. "We need to convince them that being stressed out is not good for them and show them the consequences of this down the line."
Forman said they are experimenting with what additional classes and support they can provide students during their time at Emory.
The course is pass-fail, so students won't be getting a grade. The point is to set students on a path toward a healthy lifestyle during an important transition time in their lives, Lampl said.
"It is our responsibility to translate our research so students can learn about their health," Lampl said. "This isn't some type of granola course. This is pulled from the cutting-edge research we’re doing here on the science of health."
Health and P.E. in college
Several Georgia colleges still require students to take at least one health and/or one physical education class as a graduation requirement. Here's what some colleges require students to take:
Emory University: Health 100 class and two one-hour physical education classes.
Georgia Tech: HPS 1040 provides students with research and strategies for enhancing their own health.
Kennesaw State University: In Fitness for Living, students develop and use a personalized physical activity program.
University of Georgia: Physical education class, such as golf, bowling or running.
Source: Individual colleges
