PNW’s Exercise is Medicine® On Campus program earns highest honor from ACSM
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) has been awarded gold-level status by Exercise is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC), a community impact initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus.
The designation reflects several years of collaboration, innovation and commitment to promoting physical activity as a form of wellbeing for students, faculty and staff, as well as the broader community. PNW is one of only 94 universities worldwide to achieve this distinction.
“We are thrilled to receive this gold-tier recognition,” says Matthew Ladwig, assistant professor of Integrative Human Health at PNW. “Sharing Exercise is Medicine® programming with our PNW and Northwest Indiana communities helps us empower participants with valuable knowledge that can lead to life-changing outcomes for their health and wellness. We are grateful to our partners who are helping us make a positive difference and we look forward to sharing future programming opportunities.”
Establishing the program
Originally launched at PNW in 2021 by John J. Durocher, the Nils K. Nelson Endowed Professor of Integrative Human Health, the Exercise is Medicine program has steadily expanded its impact across campus. The initiative, built around the principle that physical activity should be viewed as a vital component of health care and daily wellness, is currently led by Ladwig.
“Physical inactivity is an epidemic in the U.S.,” says Ladwig. “That’s why programs like this are so important. It’s never too late to become active and reaching students early can help build healthy habits that last a lifetime.” Ladwig also notes that establishing lifelong healthy habits empowers participants to share that knowledge with their families, workplaces and communities, creating a broader culture of health and wellness.
Sharing Exercise is Medicine® programming with our PNW and Northwest Indiana communities helps us empower participants with valuable knowledge that can lead to life-changing outcomes for their health and wellness.
Matthew Ladwig, assistant professor of Integrative Human Health at PNW
A unique approach
What sets PNW’s program apart from other wellness programs is its faculty-led, in-person approach. Drawing on expertise in various areas of human health including physiology, behavior change, nutrition, public health and mental health, faculty members provide free seminars and hands-on wellness initiatives designed to not only educate participants, but help them develop practical strategies to create lasting healthy habits.
Far more than a traditional lecture series, PNW’s Exercise is Medicine program brings together resources from across the university, including the Center for Healthy Living at Purdue University Northwest and PNW’s Fitness and Recreation Center, to create a multidisciplinary partnership and comprehensive approach to health and wellness.
Free health clinics offering services that can cost hundreds of dollars elsewhere are a core part of the program. These clinics provide blood lipid testing, hemoglobin A1c screenings, physical activity screenings and full body composition analysis using research-grade equipment. Participants identified as having low levels of physical activity can be referred directly to personal trainers at PNW’s Fitness and Recreation Center.
In addition to educational seminars and health screenings, participants can take part in coordinated, hands-on activities, for example, “Play Like a Kid” Thursdays, where tag-based games encourage physical movement in a fun and social environment.
While PNW’s Exercise is Medicine program is not directly grant funded, some of the equipment used for the free health screenings was supported through a Health Issues and Challenges grant received from the Indiana Department of Health in 2022.
Achieving gold status
The key factor in achieving gold-level status was the implementation of an active referral program. While PNW had previously met the requirements of screening for physical activity levels and establishing The Center for Healthy Living at Purdue University Northwest, the addition of a system that directly connects participants with personal trainers provided the final component needed to advance from silver to gold-level designation.
While the program is active year-round, during the month of October, designated National Exercise is Medicine Month, PNW’s program hosts a wide range of events – integrating education and physical activity into health and wellness efforts.
Exercise is Medicine® on Campus, managed by the American College of Sports Medicine, launched its recognition program in 2014 to honor campuses for their efforts to create a culture of wellness. PNW was recognized as an EIM Silver Campus in 2023 before being named an EIM Gold Campus in 2026.