New initiatives are being launched by the “ExerCYse is Medicine” program for students to gain leadership experience and promote health within the Ames community.

ExerCYse is Medicine, a program under the direction of kinesiology professor Gregory Welk, allows students to volunteer and promote a more active Ames. With the program being broken into five, different committees — campus, community, senior, youth and social media — students have the chance to sign up to be ambassadors within a committee and then gain experience with each service learning opportunity they register for.

“ExerCYse is Medicine is an organization open to every student at Iowa State,” said Amy Stiehl, youth committee leader and senior in kinesiology and health. “You do not have to be a kinesiology and health major to join. If you are an individual who loves being active and having fun while giving back to the community, ExerCYse is Medicine would love to have you as an ambassador.”

One such initiative launched officially last month by the senior committee intertwines exercises improving function and fitness with the game of Bingo — BingoCYse.

“The seniors [and volunteers] have really enjoyed this program,” said Joey Lee, graduate assistant with the ExerCYse is Medicine program. “The exercises are geared toward the population. Some function better than others. So they range from very simple movements like reaching across the body or stepping up or down with your feet while seated to some seated band exercises. Not only are we improving functional movement through BingoCYse, but we’re also improving social health as well.”

With the growing success of this program, ExerCYse is Medicine ambassadors have visited two different facilities in Ames with the BingoCYse program and have another new facility planned for this month.

“My goal is to have four to five facilities that we have partnerships with and have BingoCYse at regularly,” said Kaylynn Bland, senior in kinesiology and health and senior committee leader.

In addition to BingoCYse as part of a new initiative of the senior committee, the other committees are also stepping up. ExerCYse is Medicine’s campus committee is working on new events for this semester as well, including promoting the World Day of Physical Activity, which will take place Monday.

“They will be setting up several opportunities to play games on Central Campus for people to plan on participating in or sporadically jumping in between classes or as they walk by,” Lee said. “The goal here is in line with the national initiative to promote physical activity.”  

For more information about the new initiatives and ExerCYse is Medicine, students are encouraged to visit the ExerCYse is Medicine website at www.exercyse.org. Once signed up to be an ambassador, students are able to create an account and check out the upcoming volunteer opportunities.