Healthy Living at OU, Not Impossible!

Before we came to college we all heard talk of the notorious "Freshman 15," and many of us thought that it couldn't happen to us. Freshman Brian Ross says, "I was really athletic in high school, I never imagined that I could gain weight just from coming to college, but it happens."

College is a complete change of lifestyle for most people, and with that change comes new challenges like deciding for ourselves what we are going to eat everyday, whether or not we want to exercise (or if we have time!), and whether or not we want to go out with our friends at night and have a few drinks.

All of these decisions have important effects on our health, so its important that we make smart choices. Many people find it hard to stay healthy while living on a college campus because instead of having parents to grocery shop and cook for us, we have to do it ourselves, and unless you are on a sports team here at Ohio University, no one is forcing you to get exercise. And then you add in the typical college night life and it can be a recipe for health disaster.

But it doesn't have to be! There are so many ways to stay in shape around campus, especially with such a great rec center like Ping. Janna Townsend, a junior Management Information Systems and Finance major, says "I try to go to Ping everyday. I usually run, but I have my days when I just don't feel like running so I hop on another machine like the elliptical or bike, there's tons of things you can do there." And its true, the Ping Center page on Ohio University's website boasts:

"The Ping Student Center is a recreational center that has a climbing wall, five gymnasiums for basketball and volleyball, two multipurpose gymnasiums for floor hockey, soccer, and other activities, eight courts for racquetball and walleyball, a four-lane walking and jogging track, cardiovascular workout equipment, cybex resistance equipment, aerobics, weight training and martial arts rooms, locker rooms and a television lounge."

Like I said in an earlier post, going to the gym isn't the only way to get exercise. OU has a bike path that runs along the river that is great for walking, jogging, biking and rollerblading so grab a friend a few times a week and hit the bike path. Getting your friends involved makes exercising a painless, and even fun, activity.

Intramural sports are offered every quarter and are a great way to get exercise as well. "Playing broomball fall quarter really helped to keep me in shape, and I played with all of my roommates so it was fun," junior Megan Parris says about her experience playing intramural sports. Even throwing around a football or taking a dance class can give you the exercise you need during the week. You can spread your workout throughout the day, as long as each increment of exercise is at least 10 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Along with getting exercise, healthy eating is the key to a healthy lifestyle. You aren't going to be able to eliminate all of your bad eating habits overnight, doing this takes a little effort. As you begin to change the little things, like buying fresh produce instead of bagged or canned produce and drinking tea instead of soda, these changes will start to add up and you will feel healthier and happier in no time. The CDC says that by reflecting, replacing and reinforcing you will be able to permanently improve your eating habits. Reflecting on specific eating habits, replacing unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones, and reinforcing new, healthier habits will help you to eat healthier all the time.

Being healthy is all about feeling good and making the right decisions for yourself. At times, making health-conscious choices can be difficult on O.U. or any other university's campus but it is not at all impossible. There are many students who are living healthier despite the challenges of a college campus, and you can do it too. Making little changes in the way you eat and being active can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle wherever you are.

Exercise at Home

As college students, we have busy lives. Our schedules can get pretty crazy and sometimes we just don't have the time or motivation to get out of the house to exercise. And motivation can be hard to find on those rainy days, or those days when its too hot to be outside, so I'm going to tell you about a few exercises that you can do in the comfort of your own home. In a previous post, I mentioned how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults get a total of 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week and do muscle-strengthening activities twice per week that work all of your major muscle groups (arms, legs, back, abdomen, etc.). I talked before about what you can do to to get your moderate-intensity aerobic activity requirement every week, so now I'm going to tell you about some muscle-strengthening activities that you can do at home.

The CDC website suggests activities such as yoga and lifting weights, but there are many other exercises you can do at home that use your body weight for resistance. So next time you are stuck at home on a rainy day, or have no motivation to go out and exercise, try these muscle-strengthening exercises in the comfort of your home:

To strengthen the muscles in your chest and arms, you can do the modified push-up. It is just like a regular push-up, with a few simple modifications to work the chest muscles better.

To work the major muscle groups in your lower body, such as the thighs, gluteals, and hamstrings, you can try doing squats. Also, lunges can be done to work the other areas in your legs such as the upper thigh, buttocks, hip extensors and quadriceps, and you can do them with or without weights. Heel raises will work your calves for a complete leg workout.

Working your core muscles is really important when trying to strengthen your muscles because your core supports the rest of your muscles. The V-sit will work your core (abdomen and back), and its easy to do. The classic abdominal crunch is also a good way to work your core muscles.

The Gatorade G Series

I don't know how many of you have heard of the new line of products that Gatorade has come out with, but it is called the "G Series." It consists of 3 products that aim to improve your athletic performance: one for before you workout, one to drink during your workout, and one to refuel you after your workout.

The first step of the G Series is the PRIME. This is a 4-oz. pouch you take 15 minutes before your workout/competition and it is designed to prepare you by giving you carbohydrates, B vitamins and electrolytes. These three things give you energy and the power to complete your workout.

The second step is the PERFORM and you take it during your workout/competition. For this step you can use the Original Gatorade drink, the Low-Cal G2 drink, the Original Gatorade powder or the Low-Cal G2 powder (which you just add to water). These will keep you hydrated and and help you maintain a good performance.

The final step is the RECOVER, which is taken after your workout/competition. This drink has protein and carbohydrates to help you replenish and rehydrate after a tough workout.

I recently saw the following commercial and I was curious about it. I just had to try the G Series for myself.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwhatsg&v=nWAjioAfDW0&feature=player_profilepage

So I did. I took the Prime before I went on a jog this morning and I brought along a bottle of Original Gatorade (step 2, Perform) for the duration of my jog. It actually worked pretty well. I felt like I got a stronger start to my jog and I was able to jog a little longer before giving up. Drinking the Gatorade throughout my workout helped me to continue running when I thought I was going to have to stop. After my jog I drank step 3 of the G Series, Recover, and surprisingly I didn't feel exhausted for the rest of my day, I felt refreshed. I thought that the G Series was great, so my advice to you is to try it. I think it would be a great thing to have on those days when you just don't feel like exercising because it gives you a little extra energy and the strength to endure more during your workout.

The different steps of the G Series come in different flavors like berry, fruit punch and orange, and you can get them at almost any grocery store. I really liked it so hopefully you will too!