North Carolina State University Wellness and Recreation

Mission

To inspire a culture of wellness by providing premier, innovative and inclusive programs, services and facilities that promote healthy, active lifestyles to enhance student success.

Vision

To inspire a thriving Wolfpack community.

Description of Facility(s)

The Wellness and Recreation Center and Carmichael Gym provides 430,000 square feet of recreation, fitness and wellness spaces. In 2020, the renovated and expanded Wellness and Recreation Center served as the ultimate game-changer with a new, easy-to-locate main entrance, connection to three existing buildings, unified and expanded fitness center spaces, increased visual access to destinations, and an amplified street presence. Glazing fills the space with natural light and provides users with incredible views of campus. The transparency also promotes activity by highlighting the energy inside the facility. This award-winning collegiate recreation facility has been recognized as one of the nation’s finest.

Facility features include more than 50,000 square feet of fitness center space, a fourth floor combination indoor/outdoor functional training turf connected by a 40-yard dash sprint ramp and track, five reservable personal fitness studios, an active study space, a teaching kitchen, Climbing Center, 11 basketball/multipurpose courts, six fitness studios, F45 Training studio, two dance studios, racquetball and squash courts, 25-yard pool with dive well, 50-meter pool, locker rooms, steam room, sauna, social lounges and equipment rental centers.

In 2023, North Carolina State University (NC State) worked with MGA Sculpture Studio, LLC on an award-winning art installation titled “Forging the Path.” The live visitor count supported by Occuspace allows users to see how busy the facilities are in real time to plan their workouts accordingly. On average, 2,000 to 8,000 students and members access the facility daily with more than 900,000 total visits each year.

Wellness and Recreation manages numerous outdoor facilities that promote healthy, active living including Miller Outdoor Recreation Field, Method Road Recreation Complex, 12 tennis/pickleball courts, four basketball courts, FitGround Functional Training Area, Centennial Campus Recreation Fields and Centennial Campus Disc Golf Course.

Programming

Fitness

Wellness and Recreation offers more than 80 free group fitness classes each week, designed for every fitness level. There are a variety of formats to choose from, including cycling, cardio, yoga, dance, HIIT, strength, core, TRX and LesMills BODYPUMP. NC State Wellness and Recreation also hosts virtual in-studio classes provided by LesMills.
For a more structured, progressive experience with individualized attention, Wellness and Recreation offers group training. Led by nationally certified coaches, programs include PackStrong, PackFit, advanced yoga and more. Most classes are hosted in the newly renovated Pack Training Den.
Nationally certified personal trainers work with individuals one-on-one or in partner settings to establish and reach their performance and fitness goals. We also offer fitness assessments for students to understand where they’re at today to reach their future goals.
F45 Training is a global fitness brand designed to keep users motivated, engaged and reaching for that next level.

Outdoor Adventures

Wellness and Recreation offers more than 15 outdoor trip offerings each semester, including hiking, climbing, backpacking, paddling, cycling and more.
For those that prefer to adventure on their own, the Outdoor Adventures Equipment Rental Center offers a variety of gear to rent at a daily, weekend or weekly rate, including backpacking essentials, camping gear, bikes, canoes, kayaks and lawn games.
The Jim Wall High Challenge Course, located in Schenck Memorial Forest, includes both low and high ropes activities for groups or organizations to receive the ultimate team building experience.

Sports

Intramural Sports offers more than 40 different leagues, tournaments and events throughout the year. These range from team sports like flag football, basketball, soccer and volleyball to unique events like pool battleship, video game tournaments and fantasy football.
For students seeking a more competitive experience, check out one of the Club Sports teams on campus. These student-led organizations practice regularly and compete against other colleges and universities at local, state and national levels.

Wellness

All students, regardless of status, are allotted four free individual wellness coaching sessions each semester to work on a variety of personal development topics, including stress management techniques, lifestyle modification tips and more. Nationally-certified coaches also host drop-in and group coaching opportunities.
The ThriveWell team hosts a variety of free wellness challenges each semester to encourage and guide individuals to make healthy lifestyle changes.
The popular Howl and Chill program hosts a variety of special events each semester to encourage students to pause and take a break in order to practice self-care.

Fun Facts

NC State Wellness and Recreation has rapidly evolved since its inception in 1923 when the Department of Physical Education and Athletics was established.
As the fitness and recreational needs of the Wolfpack community grew, so did the department. In 2002, the department of Campus Recreation was established and operated alongside Physical Education and the Carmichael Complex.
By 2010, the department of Campus Recreation and Carmichael Complex department merged. University Recreation was then created to better serve the NC State community.
In 2018, the department was renamed NC State Wellness and Recreation to better align with their mission, value and impact.