Tune In and Tone

They don't call them lazy summer days for nothing. It's hard to get off the couch when you get in the habit of it, and you don't always have to. You can work out while you watch crappy reruns- all you need is a carpet. Try any combination of these 10 exercises, and take as long as you like to do them... the faster you do them, the harder it is, the longer breaks you take, the easier. But you get a double benefit of getting in a little toning and your favorite episodes of whatever.

Legs:
1. Wall Sits- aim for 60 seconds, maybe less, maybe more depending on your fitness level
2. Lunges- do 20 (that would be 10 for each leg). Try alternating stepping forward and back if you don't have much room to move.

Arms/Back:
3. Pushups- aim for 10- 15 pushups, go for more if you can. If you need to modify them, feel free.
4. Superman- Lie on your stomach and raise your arms and legs at the same time, contracting your back. Hold for 2 or 3 seconds, lower. Repeat 10-15 times.

Core:
5. Segmented abs- this is my favorite ab workout: Begin on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Pull your knees into your chest and then raise your shoulders to meet your knees. Contract as tightly as you can, then return to start and repeat. Aim for 15- 20 of these.
6. Plank- On your elbows and toes, form a straight line with your body (think about pulling your stomach against your spine) Try for 30- 60 seconds
7. Side Plank- from the plank position, shift onto your right or left elbow and the side of that same foot. place your other foot on top of the bottom foot or in front of it to balance. You can raise your left arm straight above your head to make it harder. Try to hold for 20- 30 seconds.
8. Bicycle Crunches- Aim for a few sets of 20 to each side (that would be 40 total)
9. Bridge/Butt Raises- I tend to call the plank exercise a bridge, and I don't really know how else to describe this exercise. Begin on your back with your knees bent. Relax your abs and lift your hips as high as you can. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10-20 times.
10. Side Crunches- Lay on your back with knees bent, then lower them to one side. Crunch up as you normally would (you won't be able to go as high). Try a few sets of 15- 20 on each side.

These exercises can be done back to back or over the course of an hour or so. You'll be surprised at how fast they go by, too. It's the perfect workout for a day when you don't feel like moving- you end up with a little more tone and you don't even have to leave your living room.

Smarter Snacking

One of the benefits of working at a gym is getting to read all of the health and fitness magazines that we stock for patrons. A recent issue of SHAPE had 2 great ideas for how to snack without feeling you're depriving yourself.

1) Eat half and half- if you're craving something that's bad for you, eat half of a serving, and have half a serving of something healthy. Example: cocoa puffs and cornflakes or high-fiber cereal, alfredo sauce and red sauce, M&Ms and almonds.

2) The 10-calorie trick: take 20 10-calorie servings of multiple types of food to make a 200 calorie snack that satisfies all of your various cravings. Some good suggestions from SHAPE:

Candy:
2 skittles
3 plain M&Ms
1 gummi bear
1.5 black licorice bites
1 Whopper
2.5 Jelly beans
3 Altoids
4 Nestle Toll House chocolate chips

Sweet:
2 teddy grahams
40 cheerios
1 container tropical berry or strawberry kiwi sugar-free Jello
1 Animal Cracker

Salty:
1.5 Almonds
1 Pecan Half
1 Cashew Half
20 roasted salted soy nuts
1 shoestring french fry
1 Wheatables cracker
2.5 Pistachios
18 salted sunflower seeds
2 fritos
7 pieces pirate's booty
1/3 cup air-popped popcorn (not butter!)
1 French Onion Sunchip
4 Goldfish
2.5 baked Cheetos

Fruit:
1 apple slice
3 red or green grapes
1 orange wedge
2 large strawberries
12.5 blueberries
1 dried pineapple piece
3 watermelon balls


Combine any of the above to have your own customized low-calorie snack.
It doesn't count if you go over the given amount.

Happy eating :)

Bad Mood?

Run.
Take a kickboxing class.
Rockclimb.
Bike.


Absolutely nothing will make you feel better than working out, no matter what kind of funk you're in.
Transfer the anger or frustration you feel at the world into a harder workout. The more upset you are, the harder you can dig into your workout. When you finish, you've gotten a double bonus: you've worked out AND you feel better.

Here's some suggestions for bad-mood workouts:

Intervals on the Treadmill:
Start by warming up at your own easy pace for 5-10 minutes, then alternate 1 minute of sprinting with 2 minutes of jogging or walking. When you sprint, concentrate on using your negative emotions. Repeat for as long as you want, ending with an easy 5-10 minute cooldown.

Spinning:
If your gym has a spin room, it's the perfect place to work out stress. If there's no classes available, grab your iPod and try making up your own routine. After a 2-or-3 song warmup (low resistance, moderate speed), alternate the following with easy song breaks:
-"climb"- choose a 4 or 5 minute song, increase resistance at a constant speed
-"jumps"- at a medium resistance, bike in your seat for an 8-count, then come out of the seat, keeping your butt above the seat, leaning on your elbows for another 8-count, then bike standing up as straight as you can for another 8. Repeat for the whole song.
-"sprints"- at a low resistance, sprint out the chorus of a fast-paced song.

Do a 1-2 song cooldown when you finish, and stretch!

Devilishly Good Dishes That Won't Blow Your Diet

Even as a health nut, I still have a great appreciation for the greasiest, heaviest, most calorie and fat laden dishes around. I originally planned on writing down a list of the best splurge-worthy dishes. I couldn't make myself do it. I remembered how easy it is to eat not-half-bad and still feel like you're spoiling yourself, even when eating out. With a lot of restaurants, especially big chains, putting their nutritional info online and highlighting lighter items on their menuts, it's getting easier to pick out the least unhealthy item available.

 

Taste-Tested, Delicious, & Not-Half-Bad-For-You

1. The Brownie Bowl from Uno Chicago Grill and Pizzeria

Healthy tip: share with a friend and skip the whipped cream. This'll keep the calories down to 400 per person. Don't ask about the fat.

2. T.G.I.Friday's Dragonfire Chicken

It's new, it's hot, and it's actually good for you. T.G.I.Friday's Right Portion meals are a great choice because they are, well, the right portion. Remember, a normal restaurant meal is usually at least 2 or 3 servings.

3. Au Bon Pain's Vegetarian Chili (Medium)

Au Bon Pain, available in big cities, offers a great selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, and baked goods. The soups are good because they're almost all low in fat and calories and fill you up. Add a small roll and you've got a complete meal. Bonus: Many stores have nutritional information kiosks.

4. A Burrito Bol from Chipotle

Getting a Burrito Bol instead of a burrito saves you a crazy 330 calories. If you share it or save half for later, then you make it half as bad for you. (I was always good at algebra...)

5. Lettuce Wraps from Chili's

Chili's is one of my all-time favorite places to eat, because its not hard to eat great and healthy. Just stay away from the drinks, they can be wicked.

6. Blackbean Burger also from Chili's

The Guiltless Grill at Chili's is just as good at the rest of it's menu- this burger is especially good. Try it with or without the bun, without is healthier, but it's more burgerish with.

 

Just because you're eating out doesn't mean you have to eat badly. Check out the lighter fare on menus, and make simple changes like a baked potato rather than fries, hold the mayo, and dressing on the side. Salads and sandwiches are usually cheaper than the rest of the menu, which is just another reason to pick them over high-calorie pastas and steaks.

 

Bottom line: enjoy yourself.

Let's start out by going around the circle and saying our names.

Hi, everyone, I'm Jordan.
I realized a little while ago that college students tend to be, on the whole, uninformed or apathetic about their health and how to improve it.
I thought, hey, maybe if I make a site just for students with such information, kids will use it, love it, and get in shape. We'll see if that actually happens.


Before you listen to my advice, you should know some more about me. I'm a freshman at New York University, hailing from the great state of South Carolina. I've been through many stages in my life, including the sedentary, Milky Way-engulfing period. I'm living proof that anyone with the slightest amount of motivation can get going on a healthier lifestyle, and it's really not that painful. I began exercising only 3 years ago, and since then, I've run 3 half-marathons and will do my first full marathon next weekend (woohoo!). I also love eating fresh, healthy meals, especially cooking them myself.


This blog will have all the essentials for you to get started on your own healthier life: Easy recipes, tested in a dorm kitchen with a college budget and college cookware; Tips on fitting exercise into a busy schedule; good workouts to do both indoors and out, geared towards all levels of fitness, and much much more. I'll also periodically feature a different sport, giving you advice on getting started, gear, and all the essentials you need to know, even regional events such as races.


The bottom line is, anyone can get healthy, all it takes is a little willpower. If you can make yourself study for an exam, you can make yourself get in shape.