{"id":161789,"date":"2026-02-19T22:21:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/161789\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T22:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:21:26","slug":"the-famu-recreation-center-helps-combat-stress-the-famuan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/161789\/","title":{"rendered":"The FAMU Recreation Center helps combat stress \u2013 The FAMUAN"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TheHansel E. Tookes Student Recreation Center at Florida A&M University. (Yerimiah Evans\/FAMUAN)<\/p>\n

The impact of stress can be debilitating, especially for college students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Students say juggling academic demands,\u00a0work\u00a0and personal responsibilities can make\u00a0them\u00a0feel as though the weight of the world is on their shoulders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At a historically Black university like Florida A&M University, where students often navigate unique social and cultural pressures,\u00a0they say\u00a0focusing on wellness is essential to reducing stress and promoting success.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Hansel E. Tookes Student\u00a0Recreation Center provides students with resources to maintain a healthy work-life balance.\u00a0Carl Starling, assistant director of FAMU Campus Recreation, said wellness plays a larger role than many realize.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA strong wellness culture also supports retention and graduation rates by helping students maintain balance amid academic and personal responsibilities,\u201d Starling said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Increased energy,\u00a0focus\u00a0and mental clarity can improve academic performance and help set students up for long-term success. For many students, physical activity serves as an outlet for both internal and external stress.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0rec\u00a0center also creates a sense of community and offers multiple ways to get involved. In addition to gym access, students can\u00a0participate\u00a0in yoga classes, rock climbing, basketball, game nights, financial\u00a0workshops\u00a0and intramural sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Students play recreational basketball. (Yerimiah Evans\/FAMUAN)<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe FAMU students go through so much weekly, whether it is with class or our personal lives, and sometimes we need a safe place for refuge,\u201d said Cameron White of the\u00a0campus\u00a0rec marketing team. \u201cWhen overwhelmed, students can break down and crash. We want more students to view the\u00a0rec\u00a0center as a safe place to help with stress management.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Emori Long, a senior\u00a0at FAMU,\u00a0the gym has become a key part of her routine and personal growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gym helps me balance various parts of my life because I have to hold myself accountable enough to go throughout the week,\u201d Long said. \u201cIt\u2019s a time where I get to pour back into myself and reap positive benefits over time through consistency.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Long said working out in the morning helps her manage stress and start her day with a clear mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf my brain is foggy and I have a lot of stress, I tell myself that after my workout it will be gone, and it always is,\u201d she said. \u201cWorking out definitely changes your mindset.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0She added that consistency in the gym improves her mood, productivity, and overall habits, showing that movement is more than exercise, but\u00a0rather a\u00a0form of self-care.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hansel E. Tookes Student Recreation Center at Florida A&M University. (Yerimiah Evans\/FAMUAN) The impact of stress can be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":161790,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[232,234,233],"class_list":{"0":"post-161789","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tallahassee","8":"tag-tallahassee","9":"tag-tallahassee-headlines","10":"tag-tallahassee-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}