By BRUCE CHESSELL
Two Conestoga students have started an initiative through the Heart & Stroke Foundation to bring awareness and advocate for heart health and disease prevention.
Second-year recreation and leisure students Fitsum Areguy and Mary Hillis brought the Healthy Heart Club to Conestoga, an initiative that started at other universities and colleges around Ontario.
“The goal is to engage students and faculty on health promotion, heart health, disease prevention, all of those sort of things that are really important,” said Areguy, who is president of the Healthy Heart Club.
“Students find it hard to have the resources, time or knowledge to live in a healthy way.”
The club currently has more than 20 members and is looking into holding events on campus such as CPR workshops and Jump Rope for Heart events. Areguy said they are aiming to hold one of these events in late April.
“Heart health and disease effects everyone, but especially students,” he said. “Statistics show that the majority of students aren’t eating in a healthy way, even for myself it’s tough. You’re always on the go, you’re not thinking about how many calories or the content of the food you’re eating, you’re just trying to survive really.”
Hillis, who is vice-president of the club, chimed in on why this is a big deal for post-secondary students in general. “Activity levels usually drop when students reach the college or university level, because there aren’t as many organized sports through the school. So we are trying to bring in the healthier aspects that can be done.”
The club is free to join and has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/HEARTCLUB.conestoga/. You can also contact Areguy at fitsum.a.areguy@gmail.com.
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