Healthy Options Peer Educators (HOPE) is offering MU students a new program on campus this semester – Fitness 101.
HOPE, a student group whose mission is to address “Body, Mind and Spirit Wellness,” wants to bring fitness awareness to the student body. A follow-up to HOPE’s kickoff project, “Mirrorless Mondays,” Fitness 101 is an opportunity for anyone interested to gain personal knowledge about getting in shape.
Two MU students are offering their time and energy to provide fitness education. Alex Freaky is a senior who has been an ACE Certified Personal Trainer since he was in high school, and Lottie Johnson is a senior sports management major and HOPE member. The duo teamed up to create Fitness 101, and they tailor the program to everyone’s personal needs.
According to Johnson and Freaky, all students should take advantage of the program. Students who are unsure about how to use the gym, for example, can receive a lesson on the basics, while more experienced exercisers can learn about proper technique or new equipment.
“It’s not super serious, more just education,” said Freaky. He said this should help qualm the fears of those intimidated by hitting the gym. Both Freaky and Johnson seem to agree that small steps are better than none. Students who have already begun working with Fitness 101 have simple goals – to learn.
The duo said Fitness 101 hopes to encourage more students to include exercise in their routine, and add to the numbers of regulars who populate the gym. “If you go early in the morning, the same faces are always there, or if you go at lunchtime. People develop a routine around their schedule,” said Freaky.
Johnson said even though fitness is “really important, it often gets lost in the shuffle. If you establish good habits in college, they are more likely to carry through the rest of your life.”
While establishing good habits may lead to visible positive results, she said many are unaware of the greater benefits of regular exercise.
The intention of “Mirrorless Mondays” was to bring awareness to the value of inner beauty, and Fitness 101 has a similar goal. While a fit body certainly looks different on everyone, the internal result is the one that really matters. Good physical fitness positively affects mental health.
The focus of the program is not necessarily weight loss or muscle-building, but “feeling good in our bodies and knowing how best to do that,” said Dr. Cindy March, the head of the Counseling Center and acting faculty advisor for HOPE. Exercise “affects our overall sense of self, besides the endorphins being released,” she said.
Good physical fitness is like a one-two-punch to low self-esteem. It increases the release of endorphins, a chemical naturally produced in the brain during exercise. Endorphins reduce the body’s perception of pain as well as trigger a positive morphine-like feeling in the body, commonly referred to as “runner’s high.” Physical exercise is also a fantastic outlet for stress relief.
March points out that exercise improves the overall quality of life. “Our self image improves when we feel our bodies are in shape, confidence rises,” she said. Exercise can be an extra boost to anyone, even those who already feel on top of his or her game.
Gym memberships and personal training can be costly, and most college students are likely to spend extra cash elsewhere, but personal training sessions offered by Fitness 101 are free.
Many students already have busy schedules, which is why Johnson and Freaky point out the scheduling flexibility of Fitness 101. The duo has a standing open appointment at 12:30 PM every Monday. They meet in the lobby of the Anderson Sports and Health Center before heading down to the fitness center. Freaky is also available to schedule personal training appointments at other times, for those who may prefer an individual session or whose schedule does not fit with Monday afternoon.
Freaky is also willing to work with students on personal nutritional plans, which are not to be confused with diets, he said. “When you think of a diet it’s usually three months and you’re off of it, but a nutritional plan is a life-long change,” said Johnson.
The duo seems genuinely excited about the chance to show students how to improve their lives. The goal really is to “feel good about yourself and be healthy,” said Freaky. While some students may only want a single training session to learn how to work out on their own, Fitness 101 has a bigger plan for the future.
Johnson and Freaky hope that with the completion of the new weight room in Anderson, Fitness 101 can flourish into a bevy of student-run programs. Freaky would like to see a fitness club, weight training group and fitness classes, and Johnson wants a student-focused, student-organized fitness program. Students can look for the recently popular Zumba class, a type of dance-exercise, to be on the schedule. While classes and programs are offered by outside facilitators and faculty, this fit duo hopes students will take the ball and run with it.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Alex Freaky at afreaky@yahoo.com or (570) 909-8626, and Lottie Johnson at johnsol2@misericordia.edu.
HOPE encourages health, offers help
Published: Sunday, February 28, 2010
Updated: Monday, March 1, 2010 17:03
Be the first to comment on this article!