Expo Teaches New Health Tips

This Thursday, the inaugural Health, Wellness & Fitness Expo had 400 students checking out over 15 interactive programs and activities to maintain a balanced lifestyle, one of which had students producing fresh squeezed orange juice the natural way - by bicycle.

Organized by the Student Health Center, the Expo featured everything from traditional Chinese medicine to sexual health.

One of the most popular booths was “Traditional Chinese Medicine” presented by a senior doctor from Weifang Community Hospital, who offered on-site fire-cupping and acupuncture therapy services for students to try.

“I’m familiar with fire-cupping therapy because my mother went to a Traditional Chinese Medicine school in Poland,” said senior student Ewa Oberska. “In recent years, more Polish people have begun to accept Chinese medical treatments as they look for a healthier, organic way of living.”

Students also frequented the “Stress Management” booth, hosted by NYU Shanghai’s professional wellness counselors who invited them to fill out a “Stressful Checklist” that indicated latent stress symptoms and measured their stress levels on a 1 to 10 scale.

“Coming to a new school and taking classes fully delivered in English stresses me out sometimes,” said Bi Yanran ‘21, who showed her stress evaluation at level 6. “Participation in these group activities helps me find appropriate ways to deal with stress, and is a great way to make new friends.”

Students were also encouraged to build awareness of better nutrition habits, treating sports injuries, alcohol consumption and safe sex practices, through information brochures and hands-on activities.

According to Adam Ebnit, Assistant Dean of Student Life, the Expo was initiated to empower students with the education and resources to achieve their best possible health. “Like our slogan -- ‘But First Me’, students should always make their health and wellness the top priority.”