UVU Wellness Programs offers Health Risk Appraisals

Gant Stokes | Staff Writer

UVU Wellness Programs are now offering Health Risk Appraisals (HRA) for students interested in taking control of their overall health.

The Health Risk Appraisal is designed to give participants a measurement of their current health status.  It is a comprehensive test that allows students to document and track, over time, their overall fitness level.

“There are so many benefits to knowing what your overall fitness is. We give you a sheet of all the test results to show you where you are at currently, and how you can improve, and what influences each test,” said Tiffany Clough, a wellness coach at UVU.

The HRA is a total body assessment that consists of seven fitness tests including: body composition, blood pressure, total cholesterol (finger prick), glucose (finger prick), push-up and abdominal curl-up, grip strength, and flexibility (sit and reach box test). Each category can be tested over time to gauge how well a fitness program is working.

“Usually we like to follow up every four to six weeks to see how they [participants] are progressing,” said Clough.

UVU students are excited for the opportunity to have their fitness tested.

“Having a place to start will be nice. I like the idea of knowing where I stand and what things I need to work on, and then being able to track my progress,” said Quinton Jorgensen, a UVU Emergency Services student.

The HRA is only one part of UVU’s Wellness Programs. The Wellness Program has a wide range of other programs to help students maximize their health goals, both physically and mentally. One program that students are encouraged to try, after completing the HRA, is the Wellness Coaching program. Once participants see what area of their overall fitness can be improved they can then meet with a coach to start addressing that fitness concern.

Coaches are available for all of the categories covered in the HRA, plus many more, including, sleeping, stress management, nutrition and diet, and financial management. Students can register for a Health Risk Appraisal, and check out all the programs online at www.uvu.edu/wellnessed