Name: Zac Ohs
Hometown: Monroe, MI
Year: Sophomore
Major: Movement Science – Kinesiology (pre-med)
Her Campus: What made you interested in health and fitness in the first place?
Zac Ohs: Sports got me started in that direction. I’ve played soccer since I was about four years old – lacrosse and football too with friends. But what really sparked my interest more recently was when I tore my ACL junior and senior year of high school. I realized how much I missed sports and wanted to figure out other ways to stay fit. So I started lifting to stay fit until I could play sports again.
HC: How did you get involved with the Men’s Rowing team?
ZO: I was planning on trying out for the soccer and lacrosse teams, but my injuries wouldn’t let me do so. But, my sister’s ex boyfriend was on the rowing team here and he said it was a good way to stay in shape. So I joined the team since rowing was very safe for my knee after my injury. It was a good way to stay fit and strengthen my knee, plus I wanted the camaraderie of a team.
HC: Why did you decide to go the pre-med route, specifically with Kinesiology?
ZO: I know a lot of people go pre-med through biology and chemistry, but I decided to go through a different route. First I went to a meeting a while back where they said med schools weren’t looking for “typical” students anymore. So I went towards what I thought was interesting. I thought knowing the ins and outs of how the body works was really interesting, which is why I chose Movement Science in Kinesiology, instead of a typical route. Plus, Kinesiology has smaller class sizes and you get to know your professors better.
HC: What would you want to do with your degree?
ZO: I want to be a Doctor Osteopathy, which has more of a holistic approach towards the body than a typical Medical Doctor. Once I go to DO school, I want to be a family practitioner and have my own clinic. I’m not a big “blood and guts” kind of a guy, so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do a lot of surgeries. I also want to get to know my patients on a one-on-one level, which being family practitioner would allow me to do. During my junior year of high school, I shadowed a family practitioner and he knew every single patient on a deeper level. I want to have that kind of close, personal relationship with my patients.
HC: What health and fitness-related activities do you do with your Kinesiology Fraternity, Phi Epsilon Kappa?
ZO: I’m the Professional Outreach Chair, so I’m in charge of setting up events. We usually push to have one professional and one social event each month. Typically, we have a speaker every month that talks about things that pertain to the major and kinesiology overall. We’ve had a neuro-ophthalmologist come in, took a tour of Comerica Park, had a physical therapist come in, and a lot more. Right now [we’re] planning on having someone talk about mental health wellness. But we also do a lot of fun stuff too, like workout boot camps run by ex-U of M football players, bowling, and parties.
HC: In what ways do you think you can still improve your own health and fitness?
ZO: I can definitely eat better. I think that’s the hardest part in college – it’s so easy to just pop some ramen into the microwave. I should have healthier food in my house, and can always work out more.
HC: What advice would you give to people who want to become healthier?
ZO: Find a person to work out with. I always had a friend who I would work out with and we would keep each other accountable. Also, track your progress along the way. Even if you don’t notice anything visibly changing on your body, you can still see progress that isn’t super obvious. Also, find a way to stay healthy that you enjoy. I hate treadmills, but I like lifting; it’s less of a burden to go lift at the gym than run on the treadmill.