Foothill Technology High School’s (Foothill Tech) Wellness Center, run by Foothill Tech counselor Rebecca Wulff and co-run by student Wellness Peers, hosted its regular Wellness Wednesday events by bringing out the blender bikes on April 16, 2025.
Owned by the school, these blender bikes incorporate nutrition and fitness, as the blender cup is attached to the back of the bike and is powered by pedalling. Inside the blenders were a combination of bananas, frozen strawberries, orange juice and other nutritionally sourced produce. This process allows students to get a healthy treat while riding bikes with their friends.
But this treat isn’t just for fun, according to Lauren Happle ‘26, this event is meant to serve as a reminder to all Foothill Tech students to stay physically active and nutritionally balanced. “We’re hoping to unite everyone through this activity, but also let people know about these goals [of health and fitness],” Happle said.
To pass the time as students waited in line for their treat, some of the Wellness Peers passed out informational pamphlets on nutrition, exercise and stress management. These pamphlets were handed out to ”keep people educated on how they can help themselves and their wellbeing,” Happle said. This allowed for students waiting in line to get a good idea of what the purpose of this event was, and why it’s important.
According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise can reduce stress by pumping endorphins, lessening the effects of stress, improving mood and more. Similarly, consuming healthy non-processed foods with essential nutrients can have related effects, such as the regulation of stress hormones (specifically the vagus nerve) and supporting the immune system, as said by The Nutrition Source.
After getting their hard-earned treats, Ariel Montejano ‘25 and Marianne Sagar ‘25 described the experience as rewarding. “You get to work out and then get a little reward. It’s a fun way to promote the idea of the importance of exercise and nutrition,” Montejano said. This experience also helped these students learn the importance of holding events, as Sagar put it. “I think it’s good to have events like this to get people over so they’re not just sitting at tables and being on their phones.” Engagement is a crucial part of any wellness event, and offering a healthy treat while still promoting the idea of nutritional and physical balance is the perfect way to attract students.
The Wellness Center’s monthly themes regarding wellbeing also come into play with this event, as this month’s theme is stress awareness. This makes the event ever the more important as it corresponds to the themes, and helps spread awareness about their importance. “Exercise can really alleviate a lot of stress and get things off your mind. Also, focusing on nutrition will make you feel good and keep you energized throughout the day,” Happle said.
This event serves as a metaphor for working hard to achieve health goals and maintain a balanced lifestyle, while additionally reminding us that staying healthy and active can be fun and rewarding.
