FIT for Life

The Academy rolls out a new wellness initiative and research study.

Thanks to the ever-generous Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, the Academy is launching a groundbreaking one-year wellness study in partnership with University of South Florida. The new initiative, called FIT (Fully in Transformation), will promote and track the eight dimensions of wellness as conceived by Dr. Peggy Swarbrick and endorsed by SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration). The areas of wellness measured include physical, occupational, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, environmental and financial. These eight factors are inherently interconnected and are the tenets of balanced and comprehensive wellness.

We begin our study with an in-depth survey that seeks to measure our baseline in all eight dimensions. The information is all self-reported, and anonymous. All members and staff, regardless of their interest in participating in the voluntary study, are encouraged to complete the survey. From this data, aggregate scores will illustrate our starting point as a community.

Expect to see wellness activities significantly expand. We now have a gym membership with Esporta, and will be transporting members to work out weekly. Truist Bank is delivering a curriculum of financial workshops, covering  budgeting, credit, investing and more. Everything from recycling and clutter ( environmental) to career inventories (occupational), to Wim Hof breathing with our neighbors at Kenshō Studio (emotional) will be available to members. Participation in the study is voluntary and members and staff may choose the activities that are of interest to them.

With guidance from Research Assistant Professor, Dr. Roxann Taormina of USF, we are excited to begin this journey toward more broad-based wellness goals. Along the way, measurable outcomes will allow us to identify the efficacy of specific activities in our pursuit of living well. Stay tuned and watch us thrive!