Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ed Potkanowicz and his group of student-trainers couldn’t offer the members of the ONU campus community the same in-person and one-on-one fitness training experience that they’ve had in the past in his “Practical Applications in Exercise Physiology” class. That doesn’t mean, however, that they can’t continue to help the campus community with its fitness and wellness goals. The student-trainers just have to adapt. They have to think of a different way to help the campus community. So Dr. Potkanowicz and his exercise physiology student-trainers offered something new. Rather than meeting you in person, the student-trainers are going to meet you in the online world with their new program called Next Step-You.

Over the course of the 2020 fall semester the exercise physiology student-trainers created, filmed and posted e-fitness content online for you to view at your leisure. The 5- to 10-minute videos cover topics like basic fitness guidelines, different kinds and types of exercise, nutritional suggestions, and even how to manage the stress of the pandemic by introducing regular physical activity into your daily routine. Their hope is that this e-fitness content will help you to take your own next step, whether that next step is becoming physically active for the first time or deciding to change your diet for the better. The exercise physiology student-trainers believe that no matter where you are in your journey, there’s always a next step. But remember, in the end, the next step is up to you.