Take steps to improve your physical and mental health this winter at the Welland Campus.
Weekly Mood Walks will continue through the Winter 2020 term, led by the Niagara College Therapeutic Recreation Centre (NC TRAC). Open to all college students and employees, the outdoor 50-minute walks are being held each Wednesday departing from the Info Centre (Applied Health Institute) at 1:30 p.m. Participants are advised to meet at the Info Centre about 15 minutes prior to the outdoor walks.
“NC TRAC strives to incorporate programs and services that promote healthy bodies and healthy minds, which is why we’ve brought back Mood Walks, a province-wide initiative, this term,” said NC TRAC coordinator Carolina Nassar who leads the weekly Mood Walks. Nassar is also a graduate of NC’s Recreation Therapy program (2016).
Carolina Nassar recruits participants to join a Mood Walk.
“Mood Walks offer students an opportunity to take a break from academics while improving their physical and mental health, connecting with other members of the NC community and reconnecting with nature through an outdoor walk,” she said.
Nassar noted that Recreation Therapy students are also involved with the Mood Walks. As volunteers, they assist with recruiting and conversing with participants about health, recreation, the importance of social connectedness and resources available for students to maintain their overall health.
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- Participants are invited to fill out a form before and after the Mood Walk, to determine if the activity helped to improve their mood.
Mood Walks for Campus Mental Health are part of a province-wide initiative led by the Canadian Mental Health Association, designed to promote physical activity in nature, and to improve physical and mental health. Visit moodwalks.ca/
What: Mood Walks
When: Wednesdays, departing at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Departing from Info Centre (Applied Health Institute), varying outdoor routes
Duration: Approximately 50 minutes
Niagara College Therapeutic Recreation Activity Centre is an on-campus experiential hub created and implemented by the Recreation Therapy program and offered to the college community at the Welland Campus in room M102 and started in fall 2018. Its aim is to offer Niagara College students meaningful activities and resources in an effort to promote optimal wellbeing. NC-TRAC offers evidence-based, therapeutic recreation activities and services to promote the physical, social, cognitive, spiritual, and emotional health of its participants. It has also created opportunities for first-year RT students who are selected to assist the staff working in the centre.
