Welcome back to campus, Muhlenberg ladies! I’m Sabs and I’m super psyched to be writing this semester’s Women’s Health series! Who doesn’t love to feel healthy? Am I right?!
We are powerful beings who take charge of our own lives and make our own decisions (#duh because we are human and humans need exercise). As a college student, exercise is key to our daily regimen, not only because of the endorphins—#LEGALLYBLONDE —that are produced while exercising, but the body and mind need time to release and rebound from daily stress. It also just feels good and helps us thrive, right? Hell, yeah!
So, let’s get down to business. Sweet home ‘Berg is awesome because it gives us so many exercise facilities and classes to choose from when we want to kick our butts into gear and keep our bodies healthy. The Life Sports Center on campus is home to a wonderful gym that not only has basic equipment, like treadmills and ellipticals, but also has things like kettle bell free weights. As a side note, kettle bells are amazing because they are not just a weight-training workout, but benefit your full-body. Lunges and swing movements with the kettle bell in hand are a sure-fire way to get your heart rate moving and calories burning from the interval training and high-level intensity of the movements.
In case you’re really feeling that kettle bell bug, a really good way to start using these particular free weights is to:
1. Stand in a wide position with your toes pointing outwards
2. Keep your back straight with the kettle bell on the floor right underneath your hips
3. Bend down in a flat-back with one hand wrapped around the kettle bell handle, other hand behind you, with a flat-back— butts sticking out!
4. Grab the handle with both hands and swing the kettle bell out while you thrust your hips forward
5. Keep on moving and breathing!
*Don’t forget to keep your back flat and butts out. Google is your best friend if you need more info! Remember that this is interval training so use this repetitive movement for 30 seconds on and 15 seconds off. You can increase (or decrease) the time to 1 minute on, 30 seconds off as well.
The Life Sports Center also has an amazing swimming pool that is open to the campus community during the week AND on weekends. Swimming is not only fun, but also so good for our bodies (especially for muscle movement). The pool is NEVER crowded, so take advantage (oops, hope I didn’t speak too soon!).
Finally, the gym or pool may not be for you and that’s totally cool because we also have space in the gym and other spots on campus where zumba, yoga and spin classes are available—and completely free! These classes are amazing. It’s also pretty cool that there are locker rooms available to clothe and de-clothe all of that gross winter gear coming from outside. #notfun
Go have fun exercising! Seriously, it’s awesome and everyone benefits from it, mentally and physically! And don’t forget, “happy people don’t kill their husbands; they just don’t” – Elle Woods from #legallyblonde
Let’s health together next week and talk about the facts of good ol’ H2O #yasss