GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Living Well Faculty and Staff Fitness Center at the University of Florida has donated a complete line of Nautilus exercise equipment to the Sidney Lanier School in Gainesville, a special needs school that serves children and young adults ages 5-22. 

Living Well Director Cassandra Howard said after the recent renovation of the fitness center, there was an abundance of equipment that served the same functions.

“The equipment could serve a greater need for someone else,” Howard said.

Living Well’s donation of 14 pieces of petite Nautilus equipment is valued at $3,500, but those at Sidney Lanier feel that the donation is worth much more. Because of children’s small stature, petite equipment is the perfect size for teaching children the proper technique for weight training, Howard said.

The concept of Sidney Lanier is to incorporate two schools into one. Here, mentally disabled students are taught not only academic skills, but physical, social and vocational skills as well. The Anchor program serves the other half of students who are members of highly mobile families and would otherwise transfer schools with every relocation.

Dr. Christine Stopka, a professor in the College of Health and Human Performance, informed Howard that the Sidney Lanier School was in need of some equipment.

“Although we have a program at UF that some of the Sidney students attend, the donation of the equipment ensures that everyone at Sidney including those who are non-ambulatory, enrolled in the Anchor program and even teachers will have access to fitness equipment,” Stopka said. “This is one more step towards installing health values and memories that will last a lifetime.”

Under the direction of the College of Health and Human Performance, Living Well serves UF faculty and staff in a variety of ways, including individualized fitness instruction, fitness assessments, medical screenings and informational presentations that focus on various health-related issues. Work-site wellness programs like Living Well have been shown to reduce employee health care costs, boost morale among employees, lower absenteeism, and establish health behaviors associated with increased productivity.