Students once again have the opportunity to have their hearts checked on campus next week as part of the Year of Wellness activities.

Students are encouraged to stop by the Heart Health event located in Fountain Hall on Feb. 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. to learn about potential health risks, how to prevent them, and how often to get checked.

“The earlier you start preventing any risk for health problems, the better the outcomes are later in life,” said Allison Barton, health educator for the Health Center.

The table will consist of personal training interns and student nurses offering fitness measurements including body fat percentages, waist-to-hip ratio and blood pressure and pulse as part of a heart health exam.

This heart health exam is offered a week or two before the cholesterol screening event in order to aid students by making them self-aware of the threats to their health.

According to Barton, many students practice unhealthy habits, which is why many can benefit from this free exam. In some cases people think that they have no risk when it comes to being healthy.

“But what most people don’t know is that an overwhelming majority of young students have high blood pressures and most likely a high cholesterol,” said Barton.

The purpose of the Heart Health event is to encourage and inform students on benefits of cholesterol screening and teach them how to make good decisions that prevent heart disease according to Barton.

The cholesterol screening will be on Mar. 5 from 8- 9:30 a.m. For more information visit the Health Center in the Administration building.