Arizona Western College has added an exciting new program to the curriculum. An Associate of Arts in Exercise and Wellness has been developed to meet the growing industry in health and fitness. As health care costs go up there are a growing number of people who realize that a healthy lifestyle is the best prevention to illness. This awareness creates a need for trained professionals such as Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, Athletic trainer, or Corporate Wellness.

The AWC AA program in Exercise and wellness requires the basic core classes along with electives and 10 classes specifically designated in the EXW (Exercise and Wellness) program. This semester the classes offered are EXW 100, Health and Wellness, EXW 101, Introduction to Exercise Science and EXW 265, Exercise for Specific Populations. Each course is three (3) credit hours.

These courses will transfer to four year colleges and universities in a variety of majors such as: Physical Education, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Nutritional Science, Athletic Training, or Physical Therapy. This AA degree prepares you to successfully complete various certification examinations for a Fitness Instructor or a Personal Trainer.

Jane Peabody the Coordinator of Physical and Wellness Education and Jojo Elliott Athletic Trainer and Associated Faculty are working hard to ensure that the new program is a success. They stressed that AWC has designed these courses to ensure that the student will receive the instruction needed to be successful in their field, the courses are specific in their design to deliver excellence in the field and the instructors are vetted to ensure that they are experts in the field of their instruction.

For the student who is interested in helping others stay healthy and active this is an excellent start to a career field with unlimited potential. For further information concerning this program contact Jane Peabody at (928) 344-7540 or email her at jane.peabody@azwestern.edu .