Lauren is a senior at the University of South Carolina. She manages to find time to stay super fit and healthy while triple majoring and being an involved member of Zeta Tau Alpha. We sat down with Lauren to learn more about her involvement with the Group X classes at Strom and get her take on health and wellness as a college student.
Name: Lauren Oleszko
Year: Senior, Class of 2017
Major: Insurance/Risk Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
HCSC: What classes do you currently teach at Strom? What have you taught before? Which is your favorite?
LO: I teach Extreme Fit. It’s a high intensity interval training class where we target a full body workout and it uses weights and body weight resistance and we do cardio. There are probably about 25-30 participants per class. I have also taught Zumba. I like both of them, but Zumba is more fun and laid back and a lot of the participants come with their friends. It’s more of a “party” atmosphere. With Extreme Fit, it’s a lot more intense and everyone who is there wants to be there. They have a purpose for being there and they take it more seriously so it’s more rewarding as an instructor. Also, I can see their progress a lot more.
HCSC: When and how did you get involved with teaching at Strom? What made you want to?
LO: Well, actually I grew up dancing my entire life and I knew I wanted to do something with fitness in college, but I didn’t want to be a student athlete. So, my personal trainer in high school recommended that I should be a fitness instructor. I started with Zumba when I was a second semester freshman. Due to positive feedback and high attendance, my boss suggested that I get trained in Extreme Fit as well. So, that’s why I do both. It’s actually funny though because all the instructors are undergraduate students and a lot of times my students are like “how old are you?” and then are shocked when they find out I’m just a senior.
HCSC: Have you always been into fitness?
LO: I’ve always been active, growing up dancing. My fitness passion started when I was a senior in high school. My brother went to a personal trainer for sports. And my family told me that I could never do it because it was too hard. I decided to challenge that and broaden my horizons and push myself with a personal trainer. He really focused on getting your mind right before getting your body right. I found that really inspirational because you need to love what you do and if you don’t love it, you shouldn’t do it.
HCSC: Besides working out, what do you do to stay healthy at school?
LO: I walk to class and I also ride my pink bike. My roommates and I make healthy dinners together every night so it’s nice to have friends who are also health conscious. I think physical health is important, but mental health is even more important, so I like to live a very balanced life style. I am not super strict on myself, but I am definitely health conscious.
HCSC: It’s hard to find time to work out as a college student; how do you make it happen?
LO: Its actually really easy. You just need to give yourself a schedule that you commit to at least Monday through Friday and treat it as another class or a job. Schedule things around it. It’s only an hour out of your day and it gives you a study break to get up and get some endorphins.
HCSC: What is the best advice you can give about staying healthy in college?
LO: First of all, it’s really important to surround yourself with positive people because they will rub off on you and make you positive. I feel like in society today most people want to work out because they hate their body. You should work out because you love your body and want to do what you can to serve your body and to live a long and healthy life. Go grocery shopping and plan your meals for the week. It’s actually so much cheaper and easier and keeps you accountable for healthy eating.