This week Her Campus chatted with the fabulous Julie Manuszak, a sophomore studying Public Affairs at Ohio State. Outside of class, you can find Julie getting her sweat on as a Group Fitness Instructor at the recreational facilities. This workout warrior is also a Co-Captain for the Ohio State organization, GRIND, which meets on Mondays at 6 a.m. (yes, that is 6 a.m.) for a full body workout using the campus as their fitness playground. Keep reading to get the scoop on Julie’s passion for fitness, her involvement in GRIND, and a little extra inspiration for your own health goals!
Name: Julie Manuszak Major: Public Affairs Hometown: Shaker Heights, OhioYear: Sophomore
Her Campus: What is GRIND?
Julie Manuszak: GRIND is a student fitness organization that started this past fall. We meet Monday mornings at 6 a.m. on the Oval for an hour workout using the campus as our gym. Following every workout we head over to Hang Over Easy for a well deserved breakfast. We are also partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project and hold fundraisers to raise money to support our veterans.
HC: What does your position as a Co-Captain entail?
JM: I am the partnerships co-captain with Shannon Dunn. Our job is to reach out to other student organizations and businesses to do events such as yoga events with Breathe Hope and fundraisers for the Wounded Warrior Project at Buffalo Wild Wings.
HC: What do you like about the community aspect of GRIND?
JM: I love working out with motivated people who value physical fitness and are dedicated to building community. I also like how the GRIND community is not limited to our Monday morning workouts. We are constantly communicating through our Facebook page, meeting up for runs, group fitness classes at the RPAC, and rock climbing at the ARC.
HC: Why is fitness important to you?
JM: I think physical fitness is so important. As college students, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by our studies, but I believe exercise acts as an excellent stress reliever. Whenever I have a big test or interview, I make sure to start my day with a workout. I always feel confident, strong and ready to take on the day after a workout.
HC: What thoughts do you have for readers who may feel a little intimidated by GRIND, but are interested in joining?
JM: GRIND is a very welcoming community. We are constantly cheering each other on and providing encouragement during the workout. We make each workout challenging, but achievable by providing modifications for the exercises. We end every Monday workout with a goal circle, where we share our individual goals for the week, whether that’s getting an A on an exam, running three times this week, or getting eight hours of sleep. The awesome thing about GRIND is that we are all at different fitness levels, but each member feels a sense of accomplishment at the end of every Monday workout.
HC: How can students become involved with GRIND?
JM: Come to a Monday morning workout! Come alone or bring a friend! We always have at least one new person show up every Monday morning. We also do a lot of other events besides our Monday morning workouts such as fundraiser events at Buffalo Wild Wings. Check us out on Facebook @ GRIND OSU and instagram @ grind_osu. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at grindosu@gmail.com.
HC: What is your favorite way to get moving and work out?
JM: I love working out with other people, which is what makes GRIND so much fun. As a group fitness instructor, I also love the group fitness classes at the RPAC. Also, I love to run, so you can usually find me running on the Olentangy Trail.