All posts by jen5005

Cut back on spending without cutting back on fitness

Fitness, On Campus, ,

It’s no secret that as college students, we’re often short on cash and need to save whenever possible. However, one area that we should never cut back on is our physical fitness. Regular physical activity benefits both body and mind—it can reduce your risk of many chronic diseases and stimulate areas of the brain associated with memory and learning.

If purchasing a fitness membership is tough on your wallet, there are still plenty of options around campus for getting a great workout. Check out some of the best free resources in the area, including some hidden gems:

1. Running:

Running and walking around campus is a great, easy way to work out. Did you know there is a free indoor track above the volleyball court in Rec Hall? There are also beautiful running trails north of the Arboretum in Hartley Wood to enjoy during the warmer months.

2. Yoga:

In addition to improving your flexibility and fitness, yoga can help you to relax. University Health Services offers free yoga in 205 Student Health Center. Classes are taught by local instructors and are appropriate for all skill levels. Yoga mats, straps and blocks are provided.

3. Sports:

Our campus offers many fields and courts for basketball, volleyball, tennis, football, and soccer. Stop by a commons desk to check out equipment, and get a game started! Bad weather? No problem– basketball, racquetball, squash, and volleyball courts are available in Rec Hall and the IM building. Stop by the equipment office to borrow gear or bring your own.

4. Open Space:

Ever notice how big our recreation facilities are? Turns out not everything requires a fitness membership. As long as the rooms aren’t reserved, you can find a room full of mirrors perfect for dancing in the White Building. In addition to the free indoor track, Rec Hall also offers mats, pull up bars, monkey bars, and stahl bars under the bleachers of the volleyball court. This is a great quiet place to do stretches and core work.

Photo of Emma

About the Blogger: 

Emma is a senior majoring in Nutrition. She is a physical activity team leader for HealthWorks, a peer health education program within University Health Services.

#LoveYourBody Week wraps up!

Fitness, On Campus,

Thanks to everyone who participated in Love Your Body Week’s events and helped to spread the message of self-love around campus.  Here are some photos of the week’s festivities, including submissions from students about what they love best about their bodies.

Healthy Snacks: Apples with Dip Recipe

Healthy Eating, Recipes, , ,

All of the tell-tale signs of Fall are here: the leaves are changing colors, warm hats and scarves have re-entered your wardrobe, and in-season ingredients like apple and pumpkin are popping up on menus everywhere.

Fall is also a great time to incorporate more fruits into your diet.  Adapted from The Mayo Clinic, this apples with dip recipe puts a new spin on a classic fruit.

Apples with Dipapples with dip

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. fat-free cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons peanuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 4 apples, cored and sliced

Preparation:

1. Allow cream cheese to soften at room temperature, about 5 minutes.

2. To make the dip, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Stir in the chopped peanuts.

3. Place the apples in another bowl. Drizzle orange juice over the apples to prevent browning. Serve the sliced apples with the dip.

When you get cooking, upload a picture onto Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #HealthyPSU for a chance to be the featured image on this blog post!

#LoveYourBody Week Kicks Off with Mirrorless Fitness Classes

On Campus,

If you’ve been to a class in the White Building this week, you may have noticed something different – the mirrors have been covered!

In honor of #loveyourbody week, the mirrors will be covered this week so that students can focus less on how their body looks and more on how their body feels.mirrorless fitness class

Students are also encouraged to write on the mirrors what they love about their body.

Have you see the covered mirrors yet?  Feel free to leave your words of inspiration here, or follow us on Instagram (@psu_health), Twitter (@healthpennstate) or Facebook (Healthy Penn State) for more inspiration and other #loveyourbody week events.

#LoveYourBody Week Kicks Off With Lineup of Events

#HealthyPSU

This week, we’re taking a look at body issues among women and ways we can improve how we feel and think about ourselves.

So what do some college women think of their bodies?  According to the American College Health Association, 58% of college women reported trying to lose weight, despite only 36% describing themselves as slightly or very overweight.  Another 43% of college women reported that in the last 30 days, they dieted to lose weight.  Also, 27% of college women reported that in the last 12 months, their personal appearance was traumatic or very difficult for them to handle.

quote about modelsHow can we improve on this?  University Health Services and Penn State Strength and Fitness are sponsoring a Love Your Body Week from 10/21-10/25 to encourage Penn State women to appreciate, nurture, respect, thank, and love their bodies.  We’re encouraging female students to join us at these events, which are all sponsored by the Laura R. Whitaker Fund.

Check out the schedule:

Mirrorless Fitness @ White Building

  • Monday 10/21 – Friday 10/25- all fitness classes in room 117 White Building
  • Celebrate your body by joining us for group fitness classes at the White Building. The mirrors in room 117 will be covered all week to help you focus on how your body feels and what it can achieve rather than how it looks.

Love Your Body Tabling with HealthWorks

  • Monday 10/21 from 11-3 p.m. at HUB ground floor information tables
  • Tuesday 10/22 from 11-3 p.m. at Rec Hall fitness center
  • Thursday 10/24 from 11-3 p.m. at White Building fitness center
  • Friday 10/25 from 11-3 p.m. at HUB ground floor information tables
  • Join HealthWorks as they raise awareness about positive body image and eating disorders prevention. Stop by the table to share what you love about your body and to pick up free stuff, including Love Your Body mirror clings!

Healthy Eating Workshop with Stacy Jones, Registered Dietitian

  • Thursday 10/24 from 4-5 p.m. in 132 White Building
  • Become a champion of your health. Hear from Stacy Jones, Registered Dietitian, as she addresses nutrition that maximizes your workout. Bring your best nutrition questions for a Q&A session at the end.

According to research, body dissatisfaction is a primary risk factor for the development of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.1 It’s estimated that over 20 million American women struggle with a clinically significant eating disorder.2 Still others suffer from negative body image and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors.

Follow us on social media with the hashtag #loveyourbody and feel free to share your feelings and motivational quotes for the rest of Penn State women with the hashtag.

‘We Represent All of Us’: Take the Lead 2013 Video Encourages Peers to Be Responsible

On Campus,

Student leaders across University Park are once again encouraging their fellow students to “take the lead” and make responsible decisions about drinking and involvement at Penn State.  This time, they have a video to spread the message.Take The Lead logo

(Watch the video here >)

The “Take the Lead” campaign, now in its fourth year, features six student leaders from various groups, teams and organizations on campus.  In the campaign, the leaders share their advice on how to be responsible and make the most of one’s time at Penn State.

This is the first year the Take the Lead campaign has included a video, which the participating organizations felt could help raise awareness among students.  In the video, the student leaders share their thoughts on how to stand firm in a decision not to drink, how to make friends without partying, and how to be safe downtown, among other insights.

Watch the video here >

Recap: Students push themselves at Extreme Stater adventure race

Fitness, On Campus, ,

What did YOU do this past Sunday?  These brave and adventurous students made a day out of pushing themselves to the limit.  From scaling hay walls, to running close to 4 miles, to flipping a giant tire with their teammates, they helped to make Extreme Stater’s inaugural race a huge success.

Let’s hear it for all the teams and this year’s winners:

1st place-Crossfrat with a winning time of 1 hour, 1 minute

Members: Tom Nichols, Shannon Greenbaum, Kayla Susko and Niall Hannagen 2nd place-

Pick Up with a time of 1 hour, 9 minutes

Members: Anthony Shank, Chaniece Tarpley, Travis Ritter and Elisabth Polanco

3rd place-Midnight Slayers with a time of 1 hour, 12 minutes Members: Dan Warnaka, Nathan Brockett, Rachel Denny and Allison Powers.

 

Last week of #psuplate is upon us!

Healthy Eating, On Campus, ,

It’s the last week to enter our #psuplate contest for this semester! Learn how to enter here.

We’ve been thrilled to see the entries being posted to social media.  It’s been wonderful to see Penn State students making healthy choices in the dining commons, at on campus eateries, or in your own kitchens.  Check out the entries for yourself by searching Twitter or Instagram for #psuplate.

Or, take a look at some entries here below…