On any given morning at the University of Miami, wellness is easy to spot. Every treadmill at the Herbert Wellness Center is full, students pour out of the Metrorail on their way to a Pilates class and iced matcha accompany 9 a.m. lectures.
However, being “healthy” at UM looks different than it used to.
Wellness has been part of UM culture for decades. As early as the 1960s, the University promoted physical activity through organized intramural leagues and competitions from badminton and volleyball to wrestling and swimming. The University continued that commitment by opening the Patti and Allan Herbert Wellness Center in 1996.
In August 2000, the University’s rowing team invited students who had never rowed before to try the sport as walk-ons, drawing more than 70 students to Lake Osceola.
“Most were simply students eager to try something new, enjoy the Florida sun on the water, and get fit,” said Melanie Borger, an assistant crew rowing coach at UM in 2000. “There seemed to be something about the beauty of Coral Gables and its year-round summer weather that encouraged a fitness culture you didn’t always find on other campuses.”
Aug. 17, 2026, marked the busiest day in Wellness Center history, with 4,946 entries, according to Student Affairs Wellness & Recreation. While the gym still remains a major part of campus wellness, the way students define a healthy lifestyle has expanded far beyond working out.
The old pillars of a healthy lifestyle were simple: Working out, eating healthy, drinking water and getting sleep were enough to check the boxes.
The current wellness regimen has expanded to include pilates, run clubs, matcha, step goals, fitness trackers and workout-sharing apps.
Miami ranks as the third-best city in the U.S. for supporting healthy living, according to Coworking Cafe. The warm weather and UM’s fitness facilities, group classes and recreational sports make wellness easy to build into everyday life.
Freshman Minal Qadeem said UM’s resources have encouraged her to incorporate more cardio into her routine since moving from Memphis, Tennessee.
But perhaps the biggest shift is that wellness has become social.
Instead of simply asking a friend to grab lunch, students are increasingly spending time together through wellness and movement. They take Zumba classes outside Richter, practice nighttime yoga by the pond, compete in pull-up challenges hosted by fitness influencers, take Pilates classes across the city, join intramural 3v3 basketball leagues and more.
“My friends and I enjoy trying out new workout classes because it’s a fun way to spend time together while also staying active. Recently, I went to a CorePower class for the first time with friends because they recommended it,” said freshman Maya Mitchell.
Technology has added another layer by making wellness measurable and competitive and, at times, a marker of status. Expensive boutique fitness memberships, health-tracking devices and activewear can turn wellness into something students display as much as practice.
Freshman Luke Sinatra recently competed in a StepBet challenge. This app lets users bet money on meeting step goals. After a busy day caused him to lose the challenge, Sinatra said, “Missing my step goal was frustrating because getting steps on campus is usually so easy.”
Those numbers influence some student’s daily routines. Summer Cowen said her step count has increased since coming to college, motivating her to aim for 10,000 to 15,000 steps daily.
“I’ve started walking around campus between classes or during my free time specifically to get more steps in,” Cowen said.
Wellness has also developed its own aesthetic. Workout sets worn in class, trendy water bottles and matcha have become staples of everyday campus life.
“The prevalence of athletic wear and fitness trackers makes wellness feel less like a separate activity and more like part of everyday life at UM,” said freshman Eric Hurt.
Hurt pointed to the popularity of Alo clothing and Whoop bands as examples of how wellness has become increasingly visible in students’ everyday routines.
The trend goes beyond what students wear. Wellness has become something students talk about, post about and build into their daily routines.
UM students have valued wellness for decades, but wellness is no longer simply something students do to stay healthy. It is something they do together, wear, track, talk about and increasingly build into their identities.