Trying to lose weight because of a medical condition? Consider visiting a dietitian in the Nutrition Clinic at University Health Services (UHS). UHS has a Weight Management Program that is specifically designed to help students who need to lose weight due to health needs. So far, students who have enrolled in the program find it rewarding.
Losing weight takes time, so it’s normal to question your ability to continue to make positive change. The following strategies will help increase your chances of successful weight loss.
Find your inner motivation: find the “thing” that will give you the burning drive to stick to your weight-loss plan
Set realistic goals: make small changes every day that will lead to big results in the long run.
Remember your priorities: set priorities that support a healthy lifestyle and that promote lasting change.
Focus on progress, not perfection: see every snack and every meal as a new opportunity to make a healthy choice.
Celebrate achievement: recognize and be proud of your progress by using mini rewards. For example, buy yourself fitness gear; go to a sporting event, concert or movie with friends when you consistently eat 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily for a month.
Patience: remember, evidence shows that people who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off(1).
(1) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html
Walking has many health benefits that we often don’t even think about. Whether you are walking for exercise or walking to class, this activity gives you a physical and mental health boost. You may not think of walking as exercise, but it is! Long ago Hippocrates said, “Walking is a man’s best medicine.” In our common day, Exercise is Medicine is a well-known campaign[i] at Penn State University.
American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine guidelines call for able-bodied adults to engage in moderate-intensity exercise (brisk walking) for at least 30-minutes per day. Do you meet these recommendations? Walking has numerous benefits including protection against depression, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol[ii]. Walking can even boost your mental alertness, making it a great study break.
If walking isn’t already part of your routine, consider making it a part of your daily life. The best thing about walking is that it’s free and doesn’t require equipment. Walking is simple and natural. It does not require skill and the risk for injury is low. Next time you have the choice to ride the bus to class, choose to step toward better health.
Do the holidays create stress for you? Do you feel pressure to overeat at meals and parties? Here are ways you can incorporate a variety of nutritious foods and activity during this busy time of year:
Keep healthy snacks with you, for example, fruit and cheese, peanut butter and crackers, yogurt
Eat consistently to avoid getting over-hungry
Drink sparkling water instead of eggnog, beer and mixed drinks
Bring a healthy dish to share at parties
Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full
Make time to exercise. It’s a great way to relieve stress
Go for a walk before or after a holiday party or get together
Fill up on nutrient dense foods including fruit, vegetables, whole grain breads and crackers, lean meats and cheeses
Swimming is a great way to improve your mental and physical health. It increases muscle strength and flexibility and allows you to work out vigorously with little chance of injury to your joints. Swimming also trains the body to use oxygen more efficiently. Focusing on breathing and body movements adds a meditative aspect to swimming which can reduce stress.[i]
Think swimming is a summer thing? Think again. The Penn State Natatorium is available year round to Penn State students. Indoor pool admission is included with a PSU fitness pass; single day admission for students who do not have a pass is $3. Be sure to check the calendar for public swim times.
It’s never too late to start swimming. Penn State Aquatics offer adult courses for beginners as well as advanced swimmers. Aquacise is a great option for those who aren’t into swimming but still want to benefit from water-based exercise.[ii]
On Saturday, October 15, 2016, 25 student teams (100 racers) competed in the 4th annual Extreme Stater. This event was held at Stone Valley Recreation Area and included a variety of physical and mental challenges. This year, students received a passport & map of the obstacles and were given 10-minutes to develop a race plan. Each obstacle had a point value determined by the difficulty level of the obstacle. Eighteen obstacles stood between all teams and 1st place. K.I.M.S. test, group traverse, spider web, and tarp flip, just to name a few, were some of the team-based challenges this year. And never to disappoint, two favorites, the zip line, and the 50-foot climbing wall, were included in the race again. The trail run allowed teams to navigate their way from one side of Lake Perez to the other to participate in canoeing, shape puzzle, hill run, mud crawl and more! This year, teams categorized themselves into one of two classes –competitive or non-competitive. Both categories were timed and scored based on how many obstacles each team completed. Six teams emerged as the top finishers (3 from competitive class and 3 from non-competitive class).
Congratulations to the winners! Thank you to all participants and volunteers. We hope you had as much fun as we did and will join us again next year.
Racers take off!
Competitive Top Finishers
1st place: PSU Peacocks (1 hour, 15 min)
Racers: Colin Fisher, Jason Cornell, Emily Peacock, Elizabeth Morgan
2nd place: Case of the Runs (1 hour, 17 min)
Racers: Olivia Dickerson, Justin Nowosielsni, Tom Kawchak, Audrey Ferraro
3rd place: Team Barb (1 hour, 18 min)
Racers: Craig Miller, Justin Roarty, Christina Cheruka, Jeannette Bender
Non-Competitive Top Finishers
1st place: On The Fly (1 hour, 42 min)
2nd place: PS (We’ll Defeat) U (1 hour, 52 min)
3rd place: The Schreyards (1 hour, 54 min)
All Results (hour : min)
PSU Peacocks, 1:15
A Case of the Runs, 1:17
Barbara, 1:18
Scrambled Legs & Achin’, 1:26
Team America, 1:29
R.O.D.E Runners, 1:32
Plant Powered, 1:38
The Killer Wales, 1:39
No Experience Required, 1:40
On The Fly, 1:42
Gorilla Warfare, 1:44
My Name isn’t Forrest, 1:50
We Run for Harambe, 1:50
PS (We’ll Defeat) U, 1:52
The Schreyards, 1:54
Harambe’s Angels, 1:56
The Lion, 1:56
The Suhhh Dudes, 1:59
Oreo, 2:01
Orion, 2:05
Gymmeros, 2:07
The Wolf Pack, 2:09
BABAM, 2:11
Aureus, 2:15
The Patty Cakes, 2:16
Snapshots of the day
Early morning on Lake Perez, at Stone Valley.Extreme Stater staff, volunteers, and racers.Sizing up the Odyssey Course.The Plant Powered Team checks their passport, in which they mapped their race plan and recorded their progress.The Killer Wales show off their strength at Canoe Portage. (Pictured left to right: Laith Yousif, Lauren Rader, Jen Wales, Nathan Graham).Racers scale the Climbing Wall.Hanging loose on the Odyssey Course zip line.Team No Experience Required shows off their speed.The Schreyards demonstrate their flawless teamwork on Team Traverse. Pictured (Alex Chan, Nancy Le, Sally Li, Kyle Trabocoo).Race prep!Thanks to all of our awesome volunteers! We couldn’t have done it without you.Big thanks to our MC, Assistant Director of Residence Life, John Hurst.
A new yoga studio is opening in State College. On August 22nd, Yoga Lab will open its doors. It is located on 124 McAllister Alley. Visit the website for the class schedule at www.statecollegeyogalab.com
State College has a wide range of yoga options. Below is a list of a few studios in town. All of them feature a different style of yoga, so explore and find the style that works best for you. You may want to look into the Penn State Yoga Club, to connect with those who share a similar interest.
Do PSU students get enough sleep? How about enough exercise? Are students eating enough fruits and veggies?
The answers to these questions and more can be found in the 2016 Student Health Assessment Report. Data in the report are based on the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) that was conducted at Penn State. The report provides information about PSU students’ health habits, behavior, and perceptions.
The survey was conducted in March 2016 with a random sample of 10,500 students. Students were contacted by email and invited to participate in the online survey. The report highlights the responses of 1,776 Penn State students who completed the survey (a 17% response rate). When compared to the overall University Park student population, females, White students, and Asian Students were over-represented among survey respondents. As a result, caution should be taken when interpreting these data as the data may not accurately reflect the health behaviors of the University Park student population as a whole.
Take one glance around campus and you’ll see that Penn State students look quite healthy. Recently, that ‘look’ has been confirmed; Penn State students have been recognized for their active lifestyle efforts. According to the National Collegiate Fitness Index ranking (NCFI), Penn State comes in at number 1!
With the numerous resources at University Park, it may not be any surprise that we are ranked so high. There seems to be something active and fun for almost everyone, from ballroom dance to table tennis and so much more. Check out all there is to do at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/campusrec/
If you haven’t done so already, now might be a good time to make the commitment to be an Active Lion and become part of a Healthy PSU community. Penn State’s Department of Kinesiology advocates for Exercise is Medicine each fall semester, encouraging students to make the pledge to move more and sit less #activelions (e.g. walk instead of taking the bus). Show us how you are leading an active lifestyle on campus by using the #healthypsu.
It’s that time of year. The sun is hot, the smell of kettle corn is in the air, and more than 100,000 visitors are in town for the local arts festivals. In addition to the 300 artists lining the streets of Penn State and Downtown State College, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts includes a variety of musical performances, various food venders, and the 41st annual arts festival races.
The first arts festival race took place in in 1976 as a ten mile event. Now named after local running legend and coach Sue Crowe, who died in 2006, the event includes a 5K, 10K, and 10 mile race. Races begin between 8:15am and 8:45am on Sunday, July 17th. Registration costs $25 and can be completed online or in person on the day of the event.
The Sue Crowe memorial Arts Festival Races are sponsored by Penn State Health; proceeds benefit youth running activities in Centre County and the continuing operations of the Nittany Valley Running Club.
Keeping a consistent workout routine in the summer months isn’t always easy. Between the vacations, BBQs and weekend get-a-ways, exercise can sometimes take a back seat. Don’t let your busy travel plans get in the way of your workouts.
Body weight exercises are one of the latest trends[i] and you only need yourself! No equipment and minimal time, means no excuses. No extra packing, other than your sneakers, allows for a worry free exercise routine. For examples of body weight exercises, visit the American Council on Exercise website.
[i] Thompson WR. Worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2016. ACSM’s Health Fitness Journal. 19(6):9-18. November/December 2015
