Campus Connection

La Crosse Exercise and Health Program helps students grow and relationships thrive

Sometimes the smallest gesture can change the trajectory of a person’s day: a warm smile, a handshake or a genuine connection. 

For 55 years, the La Crosse Exercise and Health Program (LEHP) has provided the opportunity for those day-altering interactions to happen.  

Comprising several exercise and health programs, including adult fitness, cardiac rehabilitation and continuing education, LEHP provides medically supervised programming on the UW-La Crosse campus. Clinical exercise physiology graduate students staff the programs, gaining hands-on experience while building meaningful relationships with participants.

Though the program has changed over the years — from schedules and campus locations to class offerings — its mission has remained the same. 

“The heart of the program has always been the intergenerational relationships that form between the graduate students and participants,” says Susan Bramwell, UWL exercise and sport science professor and director of the program. “At the core of these relationships is improving the health of our LEHP participants.” 

For many LEHP participants, the program offers much more than a place to exercise. It provides a sense of community and a source of encouragement, as well as meaningful relationships that extend beyond the weekly sessions.

“I would call many of the students my friends,” says participant Ken Fudge. “I tell them what brought me to the program and my struggles. The students push me to continue on the right path and seem to care when I’m down or just not feeling it on any given day.” 

Barbara Manthei, who observes her husband, Dennis, in the program, has seen those connections firsthand. 

Manthei recalls seeing one participant’s downcast demeanor instantly change after a graduate student greeted them with a simple smile and handshake before their session. 

It’s one of countless examples of how LEHP fosters a sense of connection, in addition to physical wellness. 

The programs provide a supportive and inclusive environment where participants can continue their journeys toward optimal health through personalized exercise plans, ongoing monitoring of vital signs and guidance from graduate students.

For the students, those interactions are an essential part of their education. 

“The clinical exercise physiology program curriculum gives students the knowledge base to be successful in the field of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise physiology,” Bramwell says. “The LEHP program is a venue for students to apply what they learn. The students learn empathy and understanding of obstacles that older adults face in their quest for improved health.” 

The intergenerational nature of LEHP benefits students and participants alike.

“The older generation has a chance to know and learn from the younger generation, and the younger learn life lessons from people who have lived it. We all have different areas of expertise to share,” says Dorian Lukins, a LEHP participant.  

For Lukins, that exchange is especially meaningful. 

“I get to meet smart, hardworking young people, and they get to see that we are older, yet we still have vital lives and value,” she says. 

Manthei has also taken notice of the extraordinary students in the program. 

“UWL chooses the cream of the crop for this program,” Manthei says. “They’re bright, welcoming, patient and kind. You can tell they’re genuinely enjoying themselves and the connections made with their clients.” 

Several participants expressed the deep bond among clients and cohorts.

“When my doctor recommended a Mediterranean diet, a graduate student, Kristy, met me at Woodman’s to help me make better choices,” says participant Ed Houser.

Participants have even hired students to help with yardwork, home projects and pet-sitting needs. 

Those acts of kindness and commitment have left a lasting impression on many participants, including the Manthei family. 

Inspired by the program and the relationships it helps forge, the couple established scholarships through the UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation to support current and future generations of clinical exercise physiology students. 

It’s their way of giving back to a program they say has given them so much. 

“Graduate school is a major investment for the students, so helping even a little bit is fulfilling,” Manthei says. “These young people will make a difference in the world. I’m very proud of this program.”