STA
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JULY 2015
14
For employees
of the St Augustine Campus,
maintaining (and improving) your level of fitness
is incredibly convenient through The UWI’s Sport
and Physical Education Centre (SPEC). SPEC
offers students and staff some of the most
comprehensive sports, exercise and training
facilities in Trinidad and Tobago. Not only do
you have access to outstanding equipment
and facilities, you also enjoy the expertise of
highly qualified physical training professionals,
including SPEC Director Major David Benjamin,
who previously held the position of Physical
Training Officer of the T&T Defence Force.
SPEC provides a wide range of sport and
fitness training for staff at a very low annual
cost. The list is long but here are some of the
fitness-focused activities available to staffers.
Aerobics
Around since the late 1960s, aerobics are a well-
established fitness discipline for those seeking
to burn fat, gain flexibility and build endurance
in a lively and dynamic atmosphere. Although
there are many different degrees of difficulty in
aerobics, they make a great starting point for
those new to fitness and are especially good
for those wanting a good cardio workout to lose
weight.
Zumba
Zumba is aerobics’ saucy younger sister. Created
in the 1990s by Colombian dancer Alberto Perez,
this activity combines aerobics with dance
styles like salsa, meringue, hip hop and even
soca. A Zumba class is a high-intensity, hip-
shaking good time that not only provides cardio,
strengthening and flexibility training, it also
greatly improves coordination.
Aqua Aerobics
The name says it all. Aqua aerobics (also called
water aerobics) are aerobic exercises carried out
in the swimming pool, normally at about waist
deep water. Like aerobics it offers cardio training
but with the additional advantage of resistance
training. This makes aqua aerobics excellent for
combining fat burning with body strengthening.
Aqua aerobics are also great for those with
or prone to injuries – making it excellent for
beginners and mature exercisers.
HEALTH ANDWELLNESS
UWI COMMUNITY NEWS
FROM THE ST. AUGUSTINE CAMPUS
What HSU
has for you
While the Health Services Unit
(HSU)
is geared mainly towards student
health and wellness that doesn’t
mean they do not offer services and
programmes for UWI employees.
HSU offers the following services for
staff:
• Dietetic and Nutrition Services
Employees receive nutrition counselling
for weight loss and other conditions.
Staff pay only $100. Message hsu.
for more details.
• Free HPV
(Human papillomavirus) vaccines
Email
for more
information. Staff must walk with their
immunisation cards.
• Pharmacy Discounts
The HSU pharmacy is a member of the
Guardian Life Provisor Programme (pay
only 20% of the cost of prescription
medication). HSU also takes part in
CDAP. Send any questions to hsu.
• Yoga and Meditation Classes
Classes are held on Wednesdays from
5-6:30 pm at the Critical Thinking
Institute (2nd Floor) and Thursdays from
2-3.30 pm at the JFK Auditorium.
HSU also wishes to remind staff about
their
Counselling and Psychological
Services (CAPS)
for students. Any
employees who know students in
distress should feel free to encourage
them to seek free and confidential
support at CAPS. Email counsellor@sta.
uwi.edu for more information.
Get fit, stay fit
Boot Camp
Rough and rugged, boot camp is all about
achieving fitness while unleashing your inner
warrior. Based on military boot camps (but not
as difficult), boot camp combines activities like
calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, etc.)
with runs, obstacle courses, lifting objects and
even yoga-style stretching. Filled with dynamic
routines that build strength, burn fat, boost
confidence and foster teamwork, boot camp is
an outstanding way to strengthen your character
along with your body.
Hitting the Gym
For those who prefer a more personalised
and somewhat solitary workout, there’s no
meditation like the gym. SPEC’s fitness centre
has all the equipment you need – treadmills,
bikes (spin and stationary), and a host of
machines. If you are not sure what to do or how
to do it, SPEC’s trainers are on hand to provide
assistance through the development of your own
fitness plan after an assessment of your needs.
For more information on these or any other sporting or health facilities offered by SPEC
you can visit them on the Web at
, email them at
or call them at (868) 645-9239. Contact them today.
SPEC provides a wide range of
sport and fitness training for staff
at a very low annual cost.
Come check out
the Health
Services Unit
