Jump Into a Spring State of Body, Mind, and Spirit at the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center
Are visions of spring adventures dancing in your head even as the snow flies and winter seems endless? Jump into a spring state of body, mind, and spirit at the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center.
“We strive to provide a space for the CU Denver community to find belonging and a wide range of programs and services that holistically cater to each wellness journey,” says James Sawyer, assistant director of marketing & communication for Wellness & Recreation Services. “We believe in the importance of promoting wellbeing for our university community. Even the name ‘wellness center’ was intentional, to differentiate our facility from just a gym to a space offering dynamic ranges of wellness and recreation services.”
Dedicated to promoting 7 Dimensions of Wellness (emotional, physical, spiritual, social, environmental, financial, and creative), CU Denver’s Wellness Center, located at 1355 12th St., is filled with spaces, programs, services, and classes designed for recreation, respite, and wellbeing. Here we share some insider facts and favorites to help you bridge the seasons with stepped-up fitness and self-care routines.
An eco-friendly oasis. When you visit the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center you might notice the round LEED Gold award displayed in the entry. The building earned its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in 2019. The award recognizes the facility’s environmentally conscious design including advanced energy and lighting systems and eco-friendly products. The building reflects CU Denver’s commitment to promoting environmental wellness while attaining long-term energy savings.
Financial wellness program. Financial worries can wreak havoc with physical and mental health and interfere with academic performance. Our Wellness Center’s financial wellness program helps students manage their money and build healthy financial habits. The program includes financial wellness workshops, virtual financial coaching, and financial resources apps and budgeting calculators including the “Student Budget Calculator,” “Emergency Fund Calculator,” and “First Apartment Budget Calculator.”
Food pantry. CU Denver students have access to free food and hygiene products at the Lynx Food Pantry, located on the third floor. The food pantry is designed to help CU Denver students fight food insecurity and address the lack of nutritious food.
Outdoor adventure program and rentals. Our Wellness Center’s outdoor adventure program offers classes to build your climbing, hiking, and snowshoeing skills, and a variety of adventure trips from day hikes to backpacking and camping. Recent offerings range from a snowshoeing day at Roxborough State Park, a climbing clinic, and snow tubing trip, to an upcoming spring break rock climbing excursion to Wichita Mountain Wildlife Reserve and summer break backpacking trip to California’s Catalina Island. Gear up at the adventure program’s rental desk and learn how to work on your own bike at the bike shop.
Group fitness classes. Suitable for all ability levels, our Wellness Center’s group fitness classes offer something for everyone, conveniently scheduled throughout the day. Strengthen and tone muscles with barbell, HIIT, and Pilates classes, get your Zen on with yoga and meditation offerings, or “party yourself into shape” to Latin-inspired music with Zumba dance classes.
Hidden gems. Those new to the Wellness Center will find some surprises including study rooms on the first floor, a kitchen complete with amenities, and the “Den,” offering gaming stations, table tennis, foosball, and a lounge area adjacent to a comfy study space overlooking the Tivoli Quad. Best of all, after all that working out, playing, and studying, the “Nook” relaxation room offers space to, well—nap!