Stepping onto Lawton Plaza, you could instantly sense the electric energy that lit up Loyola Marymount University during the annual FitWell Fest hosted by LMU FitWell. More than just an event, this inspiring celebration of wellness, where passion meets purpose and students are empowered to put their well-being first. FitWell Fest, on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, transformed Lawton Plaza into a vibrant hub of movement, joy, and connection — inviting everyone to step out of their comfort zone, try something new, and embrace a journey to becoming their best selves. From discovering new ways to recharge to finding community and inspiration, FitWell Fest encouraged more than 200 LMU students to realize that wellness is not just a goal, but a way of life.
The theme of the FitWell Fest was West Coast Reset, and upon arrival, students received a wellness passport to walk around and complete activities to receive a special gift at the end. Activities included a cold plunge, a mobile sauna, B-12 shots, a rock wall, chair massages, cupping, an LMU personal trainer hosting InBody assessments with the InBody machine, The Loft hosted a mocktail bar, Intramural and Club Sports hosting a reflex challenge, Student Health Services worked with a local skincare brand to help students do a skin analysis, and the Wellness Educators also brought out art therapy projects for students to partake in. Charlotte Hargrave, registered dietitian with LMU Dining, hosted a table where students could build their own trail mix with various fruits, nuts, and oats. One of the special end-of-program giveaways in their gift bag was a FitWell Iggy bobblehead, a collaboration between Campus Recreation and Student Media.
One of the signature experiences of the day was a 30-minute yoga sculpt class on the Drollinger Family Stage, hosted by alumna Isabel Minaglia ’23, who works on the digital content team for Saatchi and Saatchi. As a former fitness instructor for LMU FitWell, she made a conscious effort to tailor the workout to what students would need, taking into account the available space and whether students were participating in other activities or events directly afterward. “This was the biggest class I’ve ever taught in my life. I am certified through Core Power Yoga, and the only place I’ve taught fitness classes through is LMU FitWell,” said Minaglia. “I taught classes in my senior year here at LMU and two years total post-graduation. I’ve attended FitWell Fest previously, so I came in with an understanding of how awesome and important this event is to the LMU FitWell team. I hope students take this event as an opportunity to start exploring fitness and wellness resources at LMU. I took advantage of so many when I was a student here at LMU, and there were even more that I didn’t know about, like athletic training in the Burns Recreation Center.”
FitWell Fest was led by FitWell Marketing and Events student manager, Delaney Rendon ’26, an English and public relations major from Los Angeles. As part of her work in FitWell, this was the biggest event of the year that the student team plans throughout the year. “I wanted to make FitWell Fest very interactive for students and touch on different aspects of wellness for students,” said Rendon. “Paradise Bowls offered a nutritional component, and the yoga offered a physical aspect that could all lead back to FitWell’s mission of helping students learn about all aspects of wellness. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Burns Recreation Center, so we made a concerted effort to involve as many programs as possible to celebrate that milestone and demonstrate their contributions to our mission. We really wanted a community aspect to the program, and our inspiration was Los Angeles pop-up vibes to allow people to engage with each of the activities they wanted to learn more about and make their wellness journey their own.”
“FitWell Fest has evolved over the years, and this year our team really took the reins by making this a wellness festival featuring LMU’s ultimate student wellness experience on campus,” said Michelle Kiser, assistant director of fitness and wellness, in Campus Recreation and Student Facilities. “One of the ideas behind this wellness event was for LMU students to walk out of the experience feeling restored. When we talked to campus partners and community vendors about participating in FitWell Fest, we told them they have to have an activity, it has to be something that students can do and that enhances their wellness experience.”
Special thanks to all of the on-campus departments and programs and community partners who provided wellness experiences for LMU students:
- Bloom Nutrition
- Drip Hydration
- SOCAL Mobile Sauna
- Psychic by Borka
- Paradise Bowls
- Athletic Training at LMU
- FitWell Massages
- Intramural and Club Sports
- Wellness Educators at LMU
- LMU Student Health Services
- LMU Outdoor and Adventure Recreation
- The Loft at LMU
Want to learn more about LMU FitWell? Visit lmu.edu/FitWell to learn more about the programs and offerings, including the most recent fitness class schedule.