The Freshman 15. It’s a real thing, and many people don’t realize how much of a struggle it actually can be to avoid it. Being in the Dining Halls and being surrounded by pizza, fries and cookies everyday is a struggle.
Sure, walking miles a day around campus is a form of exercise that we all are kind of forced to do, but eating unhealthy foods twice a day in the dining halls or coming home from class and eating all of the Oreos in your dorm room in five minutes will probably result in you coming back home for Thanksgiving break with a few extra pounds.
A lot of new students at the University of Iowa are probably intimidated by the CWRC (Campus Recreation and Wellness Center) — or at least I was when I first came to campus. It’s huge always filled with cute boys lifting weights, and there are so many floors and treadmills that there’s really no perfect place to start. It looks pretty cool from the outside, but once you get inside, it’s basically a maze filled with weird weight lifting machines and ellipticals. The first floor has many free weight machines, kettle balls and weight lifting platforms. The second floor is similar to the first floor and has a lot of free weight machines, dumbells and the gymnasium. The third floor has a lot of the basic non-free weight lifting machines, like the cabel machines. The third floor also has the indoor track. Both the second and third floors are also filled with treadmills, ellipticals, stairmasters and stationary bikes. Just taking a few minutes and walking through the CWRC really helps with being intimidated by how huge it is.
Working out 2-3 times a week in the CWRC is the best way to avoid the dreaded Freshman 15, and it’s not as scary as what it seems to be! Going with a friend or with your roommate makes it a lot less scary. Also, going with friends means that you have someone to talk with about how cute that boy doing bicep curls is and how fit he looks.
Take advantage of all of the free classes CWRC offers! They are all free for UI students, and they include yoga, Zumba, spinning and even group swim classes. They’re an awesome opportunity to meet people and get exercise in without feeling overwhelmed.
Starting off slow and using workouts from Pinterest is always acceptable. There is no such thing as a “bad workout,” so even going to the CWRC and going on the elliptical for 10 minutes is better than nothing. A lot of people are scared to go to the gym alone or are scared that they’re going to be judged. But everyone is sweaty, listening to music and doing their own thing, so it’s nothing to worry about.
Try the Power Cafe after your workout! They have a wide variety of smoothies, wraps and sandwiches. Food is good, and food after a workout is even better. It’s important to fuel your body after you worked hard…just not on dining hall pizza and fries. The best part of the Power Cafe is the food that they offer there is healthy!
The CWRC is the perfect place on campus to avoid the Freshman 15, and it can be a fun time, even while living a healthier lifestyle. Being in college is one of the only times in our lives where we will have access to such a cool facility like the CWRC!