Demonstrations of vegetarian cooking and exercise equipment, and on-site blood-pressure, cholesterol and muscular-strength testing will be among the activities scheduled for the second annual Wellness Awareness Day on Feb. 9 in Alumni Arena.

The free event, sponsored by the Professional Staff Senate, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the dance studio and Triple Gym in the arena.

Shuttle buses will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to Alumni Arena from the Center for Tomorrow parking lot and from the flagpole outside Capen Hall and the Student Union.

H. William Coles III, chair of the PSS and associate director of the Center for Academic Development Services/Educational Opportunity Program, urged faculty and staff members to attend the event.

"We're trying to bring home to everybody the importance of maintaining health and wellness," Coles said. "Especially with all the pressures, the stresses of life, we've got to take responsibility for our own health and wellness."

Among the presentations scheduled are an aerobics sampler, chair exercises to reduce neck and back problems associated with working at a desk or computer, muscle-toning exercises and a spinning indoor cycling class.

The event also will feature presentations on the "mood-mind connection," laser eye surgery, popular diets and naturopathic medicine.

Coles noted there still are spots open for an extensive regimen of blood testing that is being done in advance of wellness day. Analysis will be done for cholesterol (HDL/LDL ratio), triglycerides, glucose, TSH (thyroid testing), PSA (prostate antigen for males over age 40) and iron level. Results will be available on Feb. 9.

Testing will be done today, tomorrow and Monday from 7:30-10 a.m. in 145B Student Union on the North Campus.

While this type of blood work usually costs $300, it will be available free to the first 300 people to sign up and at a cost of $50 for all others. Anyone interested should call 800-234-8888 as soon as possible to schedule an appointment.

Coles called this type of screening "life-saving," pointing out that one person who underwent the testing last year discovered he had leukemia.

He said that a report on the results of last year's testing by Frank P. Carnevale, interim director of the Student Health Center, "doesn't paint a nice picture."

According to the report, 59 percent of the 228 individuals who had the testing done had "abnormal" test results. Thirty-eight percent had elevated cholesterol/triglycerides, 12 percent had an iron deficiency and 6 percent had both elevated cholesterol and iron deficiency.

Carnevale said the test results "point to the need for further employee health-education programs at UB."

With Wellness Awareness Day, "we're trying to put a little light on the subject for folks," Coles said.

For more information about Wellness Awareness Day and a detailed schedule of events, check out the PSS Web site at http://www.pss.buffalo.edu.