fitness

Don’t Be a Lazy Bear

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by Ryan Munns on April 3, 2012

I’m sure we have all had those days. The days where you sleep late, take a nap and sit around playing Xbox. Now don’t get me wrong- sometimes those days are completely necessary, and once and a while you should have one, but the trick is to not get caught up in a funk. You don’t want to be the student that wastes his or her days away lazily, so here are some quick tips to help you avoid that!

Gym-Bear

One of the great things BSU has to offer on campus is a nice modern gym with anything you could ask for in order to get your perfect workout done. No, it’s not free, but $100 will get you a year pass to use it whenever it’s open- even if the school isn’t (over the summer). $100 is not much to ask for considering the prices at gyms back home are at least $200 a year and they are not within walking distance like the Tinsley Center. It’s not often that a state-of-the-art facility like the one we have here is 4 minutes away from your room. Don’t let that opportunity go to waste.

A Walk to Remember

Some students may not know this but behind the Tinsley Center there is a bit of an outdoorsmen’s treasure. They are called the Great Hill Walking Trails and they are beautiful. Students can walk, run, jog or take their bikes to the trails and enjoy the environmental scenery in the spring when the leaves start to bloom, or in the summer when the trees are full and green.  Six different loops (labeled A-F) stretching all the way from the beginning of Great Hill Dr. to the MBTA parking lot make up more than 3 miles of trails to enjoy.

So..

Just remember that while it is nice to have one of those lazy days now and again you shouldn’t get caught up in them. There are plenty of ways to be active and entertained on this campus, whether is be just going to the gym, playing a sport with friends, or getting close to nature with the walking trails, there is never a dull moment.

How do you feel about the Tinsley Center? Have you ever been to the Great Hill walking trails?

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Relay for Life 2012

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by Ryan Munns on March 21, 2012

Usually, my weekly column covers the latest in sports, but I decided to something a little different this week. Bear with me!

Next Friday, (March 30th) Relay for Life makes its annual trip to BSU. For those of you who don’t know, Relay For Life is the main cancer fundraising event put on my the American Cancer Society. People who sign up go to the Tinsley Center at 6pm on Friday, and then walk the track to raise awareness for cancer research. Don’t worry if you’re not big on doing laps, it is all at your own pace! This event is almost completely volunteer driven so it’s up to all of us to make it work.

What it’s about

Relay’s purpose is to raise as much money for cancer research as we can, in order to further the chances of finding a cure. Even if you don’t have a lot of money to donate, it only takes $15 dollars to sign up. I went to Relay for Life last year and it was truly a great experience. It’s a place where you can go to learn about cancer research or just to find people who have gone through similar hardships to relate to. It’s incredibly how many people come out for this event and it only gets bigger each year.

Events

Relay for Life is loaded with tons of events to keep you busy all night. The entire thing goes from 6pm Friday until 6am Saturday, but guests are not required to stay the whole time. The night starts off with the opening ceremony laps around the track. Different laps have different naps that you can find on the schedule of events. Some examples of laps are Accepted Lap where you wear BSU clothes. Sleeping Beauty lap is a lap in your pjs, and Fever Pitch lap is a lap representing your favorite sports team. There will also be various forms of entertainment such as a magician (the one last year was AWESOME) several DJs playing, an acoustic singer/songwriter, ms. relay pageant and much more. At the end of the night there are raffles for various gift boxes as well. Relay For Life is truly a great event to take part in and is for a truly wonderful cause. So if you’re not doing anything, or really think this sounds neat you should go ahead and register to come here!

Have you ever been a part of Relay for Life? Will you go this year?


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The TRUTH About College Eating Disorders

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by johncondry on February 27, 2012

Eating disorders are a fairly common, but often misunderstood issue. Are college students at risk for these horrible conditions? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. According to a study by the Walden Behavioral Care Center, 15% of female college students have eating disorders. While they most often affect women, the National Eating Disorder Association places the number of men suffering from them at 1 million.

So what are eating disorders exactly? Their origin is not yet fully understood and the answer isn’t very simple. What we do know is that they are products of a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

DIAGNOSIS

Eating disorders can be very difficult to diagnose, however, they are usually categorized into three main sub-conditions. These categories are Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating.

But how can you tell if someone you know has an eating disorder? The signs and symptoms can change or may not be present in all cases. It is also very possible for someone’s condition to change or cross over the classifications. Here are some of the known signs for the most common ED’s:

Anorexia:  eating as little as possible in order to avoid weight gain

  • distorted body image
  • developed eating rituals
  • skin discoloration (purple fingers, pale skin, etc…)
  • intense, rapid weight loss

Bulimia: consuming large amounts of food in a short period, but then purging shortly after

  • purging after eating (using the restroom after every meal)
  • erosion of bottom teeth
  • marks on the back of the hand
  • dehydration

Binge Eating: consuming large amounts of food (often at night, or in secret) with absolutely no control

  • hiding their binging (rarely eating in public)
  • “grazing” (eating constantly)
  • depression
  • rapid, unexplainable weight gain

Many of these symptoms apply for ALL these diseases, so if you suspect someone has an eating disorder, you can’t really know until they have been examined by a professional.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

So, what should you do if you think someone you know may have an eating disorder? This can become dangerous territory because people with eating disorders are very protective of them. Do your research, learn the facts, and then try and talk to your friend about your concerns…GENTLY. Telling them what to do is not a good idea and may drive them away. Hopefully, they will appreciate your concern and seek treatment, but this can be a VERY difficult conversation. Be well prepared.

If you are looking for information for yourself, a friend, a family member, or anyone else, there are plenty of resources out there for eating disorder victims. The school’s health center is definite;y a good place to start, but there are some great online resources like MEDA and the NEDA.

Do you know anyone affected by eating disorders? How easy is it to convince someone or yourself you have an eating disorder? Do you have a treatment experience?

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