Living a healthy life during spring season

STORY BY GIULIANA LAMANTIA

As winter thaws and spring heats up, exercise regimes have the tendency to go down in frequency with the excitement of Relays and the end of the school year.

Assistant Director of Wellness at the Bell Center Johanna Determann strongly suggests changing up workout routines and getting fresh air as the weather gets warm again.

“If you’re someone that likes to bike or run, and you’ve been at the Bell Center or Underground Fitness Center all semester, now is the time to do that outdoors,” Determann said.

The Bell Center offers numerous fitness classes through Group X, from yoga to kickboxing to abs and more during the fall, spring and summer.

Sophomore Lauren Saindon, a yoga instructor at the Bell Center can’t take her classes outside.

However, she understands the importance of changing things up.

“I try to make my classes different every week just because it’s a little more fun and people don’t always like concrete routines,” Saindon said. “I think it keeps people coming back, which is really important.”

Determann understands that as the weather gets nice, students will want to begin working out outside, however, she thinks utilizing classes is a good way to keep up with routine.

Some classes keep up with the weather by holding them outside.

“I still really want people to come to our group exercise classes because they’re a great way to stay in a routine and get your exercise,” Determann said.

“We actually take some of our classes outside,” Determann said. “It does depend on the class format and the instructor, but we have been known to take our Cross Training class or our Muscle Mix class outside on nice days.”

While Bell Center numbers tend to drop after spring break, Determann believes it is a crucial time with finals coming up to keep up with a workout routine and encourages students to keep moving.

“There have been many scientific studies that show exercise increases blood flow to your brain, and you’re going to perform better academically if you’re physically active,” Determann said.

“Making sure you’re eating healthy and getting some kind of exercise in each day, even if its just taking a walk with your friends at night instead of sitting down at the library or at a picnic table between classes,” Determann said. “Just keep yourself moving, because the more you stay active and engaged the healthier you are ultimately.”

Some of the most popular classes at the Bell Center this year include Yoga, Express Abs and Extreme Abs.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has grown in popularity and is a great method to utilize outdoors.

A HIIT exercise program consists of intense aerobic exercises in intervals alternating with intervals of relax time.

Intense intervals should work 80 percent or more of estimated maximal hear rate, while recovery should be 40-50 percent. HIIT exercises are typically done in a 1:1 ratio of intensity to recovery. For example, three minutes of intense biking followed by three minutes of slower biking.

ACSM recommends HIIT as it burns more calories than traditional workouts and can be modified for people of all fitness levels.

Some typical exercises used with HIIT include running, walking, running up and down bleachers, swimming and biking, however it can be done with any form of aerobic exercise.

Sophomore Jeremy Price has participated in HIIT exercises and enjoys its effectiveness.

“HIIT is really important to do because it’s a more effective way of exercising,” Price said. “It’s great for people who want to maintain muscle mass but still burn fat in a fun way outside.”