I’ve gotten to know Alexandra Turner, aka Alex, as a teaching assistant for two of my Sociology classes. Not only is she a hardworking and intelligent student, she is also a certified American Fitness Professionals Associate Group Fitness Instructor who teaches group fitness classes on campus! Despite her busy senior schedule of Liquid Latex practice and visiting graduate schools (among many other things), she has made time for Her Campus Brandeis to share some of her knowledge about working out. She also provides a couple of core moves for popular “trouble areas” for females. This high-performing student and fitness guru is not only a motivation to help us improve our cardiovascular health; she exemplifies the balance in life many of us strive for due to diligent organization and planning ahead.
HC: When did you first become interested in physical fitness?
AT: Physical fitness has always been a part of my life because of my family. My dad exercises every morning, and my mom stays very active and works out with her neighborhood friends. I hated exercise as a kid, but a neighbor introduced me to volleyball, and I played for 7 years. I also started fencing when I was a sophomore in high school. Through my high school sports, I got involved in weight training and cross training to keep myself in shape. So I guess I really started becoming involved in junior year in high school. I was pretty serious about fencing and volleyball, so that required me to stay in shape all year round.
HC: Do you plan on pursuing physical fitness instruction beyond college?
AT: I’m honestly not sure. As fitness instructors, we’re required to get recertified every 2 years, and mine is due soon. I’ve been so busy planning for graduate school and what’s next that I don’t know. I enjoy teaching, so I probably will keep it up, or I’ll do something with my group of friends.
HC: What do you plan on doing after college?
AT: I’m pursing my MPH [Master’s in Public Health]. I’m not sure where yet. I’ve narrowed it down to Columbia [University] and University of Michigan. Right now I do a lot of work in women’s health and sex communication, and I am interested in pursuing these interests in graduate school. I hope to either work in a hospital or for a non-profit in the future.
HC: Why is it crucial for college students to engage in physical fitness crucial?
AT: I believe that physical fitness is important for people of all ages, especially in today’s society. We are living in an age with rampant childhood obesity and terrible food choices. So exercise is a key way to combat this and boosts your health. In college, this is especially important. For me exercise is a mood regulator; I feel good during and after exercise. College students tend to be very busy, and we don’t take the time to take care of ourselves. Exercise is a way to do that. If you’re stressed about a test or a paper, sometimes taking a break can decrease your stress and give you the energy you need to get everything done. Also, working out in college can help foster good exercise habits in the future. If you work out in college, usually you’ll continue.
HC: When do you work out?
AT: Haha, when don’t I work out? I’m on the Varsity Fencing team at Brandeis, so a lot of my exercise comes from that. So that’s usually about 2 hours a day in the afternoon. I teach two fitness classes a week, and that’s in the evenings. On the weekends, I usually work out midday or sometimes twice a day. I also play on a few intramural teams to mix up my workouts. Generally I find that it’s beneficial to work out before dinnertime because you burn more calories at this time.
HC: What advice would you give to students who say they don’t have time to work out?
AT: Everyone has time to work out. Period. It’s all a matter of finding what works for you. A simple way to get started is increasing your daily physical activity. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Walk to class if it’s a nice day instead of taking the bus. Little things make a difference. Also, you don’t have to work out every day. Even doing a half hour three times a week is beneficial. If you are having trouble getting motivated to go work out, go with a friend. Or do an activity that’s outside like kayaking or throwing a Frisbee. You can always go to a group fitness class too!
HC: Is there such thing as the “best time” to work out?
AT: As I said earlier, research suggests the best time to work out is before dinner time. You burn more calories, and your body is still working and able burn off the calories you consume during dinner. This usually works out pretty well because it tends to be the largest meal. But finding time to work out is usually a bigger obstacle.
HC: Are there certain foods to avoid if you want to see “results” from your workouts (e.g. lines and definition)?
AT: I don’t think there are “bad” foods. I believe in eating things in moderation. I’m a huge dessert fan; chocolate and frozen yogurt are my favorites. Denying yourself these things doesn’t work. You have to treat yourself occasionally. If you want to see lines and definition, as a woman especially, it is difficult. I am not a licensed dietitian, but I suggest eating a balanced diet: fruits, vegetables, good carbs and moderate amounts of sugars. Another important part to seeing “results” is protein. I drink a protein shake daily for breakfast, but this is mainly because I eat limited meat. You can get protein from a variety of sources, from meat to nuts. It all depends on what you like.
HC: What foods should you eat before and after a workout?
AT: Water! Make sure you hydrate before, during and after a workout. I’m not a fan of eating a big protein bar before I work out, but some people do. I don’t eat much before I work out because I have a sensitive stomach, but eating a, like, snack, like some grapes or carrots, is a good idea. Your body needs something to burn while working out. After a workout, I recommend having some form of protein. There are mixes you can put into your water to do this or just having it with your dinner.
HC: Many women complain about “trouble” areas such as under-arm jiggle, inner and outer thigh bulge, a tummy pouch, et cetera. What kind of moves can help tone up these areas?
AT: Triceps: Skull crushers. Lying supine with your back flat on the mat, take both weights in your hands and place them above your chest so the weights make two parallel lines. Then, bend at your elbows and bring the weights down towards the side of your face. Do this slowly to make sure you don’t hit yourself.
Glutes: Bent leg lift. Start off in a tabletop position. Take one leg up and bend it so that the heel of your shoe is flat and facing the sky. Lift up your foot slowly like you are balancing a tray and slowly bringit down.
Lower abs: Single leg dips. Lying supine on your back, lift your legs up and bend them so they form a right angle. Take one leg at a time and slowly lower the foot to the floor and bring it back up to 90 degrees. Alternate.
Obliques: Side plank crunch. Lie on your side with your hips stacked and support yourself on your bottom elbow. Make sure your feet are stacked on top of each other. Using your obliques, lift yourself up and off the mat. Switch sides and repeat.
Core abs: Killer total body crunch. Sitting on your tailbone, bend your knees in towards your chest and place your hands behind you to ground you. Extend your legs out and your back backwards to look like a straight line and bring it back in.
Inner thigh: Plie (singles and three-counts). Standing up with your feet wider than your hips and your toes pointed outward, sink down and up. Keep your abdominals pulled in and your chest lifted. For variation, the count of this exercise can be changed and you can go down for three counts and up for one instead of singles.
Outer thigh: Squat with side leg lift. Stand up straight with your feet hip width apart and toes facing forward. Sink down into your heels as if you were sitting back in a chair. When you come up, take one leg and lift it out to the side. Squat again and repeat on the other side.
HC: What kind of cardio do you recommend doing with these toning moves?
AT: Cardio is great with weight training. I recommend doing some short cardio intervals like jump rope, jumping jacks, speed skaters or burpees for about 30 second bursts in between. That will really maximize calorie burn.
Alex recommends doing all exercises on a mat or padded area. Additionally, proper footwear and workout clothes are necessary.