Time to HIIT the rec center

Are you trying to keep your heart rate up and burn fat in less time? Well head on over to the Rec center, and start your High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout! HIIT involves switching between intense exercise and low intensity workouts. One example of HIIT is sprinting 100% for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds. This type of training can be a great way to burn more fat in much less time then other workouts. Illinois State University's Rec center just opened up a "HIIT ZONE". There are specialty classes you can sign up for to take full advantage of what the rec center has to offer for high intensity workouts.  

How to Prepare Yourself?

It is hard to get motivated to be active every day.  Everyone has so many excuses, especially in college.  Students always give the response of "I'm to busy, I have to much homework, and to much to do".  Another response that students give is that they always say that they just don't have the materials to go running, work out, or just be active.  There are so many places that can help students in this department.  Starting off for just sports clothes in general or overall materials, Dick's Sporting Goods(address click here) is a great place to start off.  They have anything that you can think of, and have many people there to assist those in need.  However, if students are looking for more of just stuff towards running and biking, Vitesse Cycle Shop in Normal(address click here), is a local sport that specializes in biking and running products.  Then, students looking to use supplements/vitamins for the gym, GNC(address click here) can help students with that, and usually offers deals for consumers.

Making excuses to not workout?

Is your schedule so packed this semester with class work, and student organizations that you have no time to workout? If you answered yes to this question, then ask yourself how much time do you spend browsing Netflix a day? It seems like suddenly when you manage your time, you have an open schedule to workout without an excuse to why you can not. The second most common excuse I hear from college students is that they are always too tired from all their other obligations to go and workout. The thing that those students don't realize, is that working out actually gives you more energy then you would get from watching TV or sitting around. Working out gives your body energy by getting the blood flowing, and producing endorphin's to make you feel your best. So if you want your body to feel it's best, then plan ahead of time when you can go and workout at the rec center. The most busy times at the rec center are typically are mid-mornings (between 8 and 11 a.m.) and early evenings (4 to 7 p.m.). If you can avoid going at these times, then you can get your workout done in an even shorter amount of time to fit into your busy college schedule. Now put those excuses aside redbirds, and go start up your workout! 

College Is Your Time

College is our time.  This is the time to branch out, and find out who, as an individual, you really are.  There are no more parents forming schedules, what students can/cant do, and also their health.  College is time for students to take their health in their own hands.  There are so many students that tend to fall into the trap of eating unhealthy just because that is the way that they were raised.  This is the time that students can shape what their eating habits will look like for the rest of their lives.  Coming up with a plan to eat healthy is an active way to changing bad habits (click here for a website to help). Also, this is the same for getting in shape.  College offers so many different types of ways to get active, and go out and do something.  Illinois State University offers many types of ways to get active through their campus recreation website( click here for the website).  This is our time as students to shape a healthy life for ourselves.  Get out and do something active, and create a healthy eating plan.

 

Bored of lifting weights, or running around the track..?

Have you been going to the rec center too frequently? Are you bored of doing repetitive exercises alone? It's time to add variety to your workout! It's not too late to join one of over 30 sports clubs here on campus! Illinois State University offers a wide range of sports clubs such as Soccer, Wake boarding, Paintball, Quidditch, and many more. Sports clubs are run primarily by the students, and are welcoming to all skill levels. Clubs typically practice on or near campus twice or more per week, so you can add variety to your weekly workout. Sports clubs are a great way to meet new people, sharpen your skills and most importantly get active!

The Wonders of Sleep

Sleep is something that all college students are in need of.  Many students stay up late every night just to study!  College students barely get any sleep.  They are trying to cram for tests and doing homework, live the college experience, and extra RSO activities.  College students need an average amount of 6-7 hours of sleep.  Many students would be appalled at this number, but sleep is something that our bodies need.  Students think that being healthy would never have to do with sleep, but it really does.  Sleep allows our bodies to function.  Click here to learn more about sleep and college life.  Students think that staying up will give them more time to get all of their class work done.  The way to solve this is to understand the way people retain information( click here for this website that says more about retaining information).  Being healthy is understanding that resting is also important.  

 

Hold up... Until you warm up

Are you warming up with a couple stationary toe touches and a lap around the track? If so, then you may not know the full benefits of a proper warm up. Warming up before any exercise, stimulates all of your body by allowing fluids to flow through your muscles and joints. A proper warm up will help maximize your workout and reduce the likelihood of any future injuries. Dynamic stretching can be utilized in all sports, and is used to propel your muscles in a extended range of motion greater then achieved from traditional static stretching. According to Runners world, "Avoid static stretching i.e. holding stretches for a period of time. Although it may seem counter intuitive, the goal of a running warm up is to warm the muscle, increase circulation and prepare the muscles to be on point to fire. Static stretching targets the muscle to relax, and impairs their ability to store energy." When weight lifting, make sure you do a warm up set with very light weights. Adding in a proper warm up set will allow your body to get used to the movement and form of the exercise. Next time you are headed to the gym, make sure you take some extra time to properly warm up your muscles.

Lets Get Back to our Roots!

Over the past one-hundred years the way people eat has changed immensely.  Most foods today are processed in some way, and have everlasting effects to peoples eating habits and health.  College students are affected by this the most.  During, college its easy to eat unhealthy because it is cheap.  However, it does not mean that it shouldn't or couldn't be done.  The dinning centers have plenty of ways to create meals and snacks that feed the needs of healthy living college students.  Getting back to our roots is also important.  So many foods are processed, so there are unique ways to try new ways of breaking against the norm, and starting off their adult lives by doing it right(eating and working out).  Easy and fun ways to learn how to do this can be done by doing Whole 30, or trying out a Paleo Diet. Both of these lifestyle changes give a natural way of eating food.  It will revive everyone, and give more energy through out the day! Come check out both of these websites, and try something different.  Make college the time to break from the norm.