On The Road: Seahawk Fitness Travels to the 2013 Southeast Collegiate Fitness Expo!

This year, the Southeast Collegiate Fitness Expo was hosted at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 1995, fitness programs from colleges and universities in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States have annually gathered to network, learn, and build relationships within the regional fitness community.

 

This annual event takes place over three days filled with fun, exercise, and continuing education on the newest trends in fitness and nutrition. Group sessions are led by students and fitness professionals from throughout the region. There is even a social event on the second night so that students could mingle in a space outside of the gym. Some schools form a demo team to perform a routine that exhibits their school’s offered exercise programs, which always provides a unique hybrid of school spirit, exercise, and excitement.

This weekend is an excellent opportunity for those working/interested in fitness to meet peers, learn skills, and have a fun and engaging experience. If you think this whole Southeast Collegiate Fitness Expo thing is the bee’s knees, you may be excited to know that Seahawk Fitness won the bid to host the 2014 event in our brand new expanded Student Recreation Center!

Introducing: The Harris Teeter Functional Training Area

With the SRC flutter-kicking its way to completion, we Seahawks are lucky enough to enjoy a taste of some of the new fitness equipment to come. The Harris Teeter Functional Training Area provides a space for you to utilize various pieces of fitness equipment to get a total body workout. Functional training is meant to develop the body to perform better through activities that occur in daily life.

Some of the new equipment in the Harris Teeter Functional Training Area include:

LifeFitness SynrgyS

The LifeFitness SynrgyS is a station of equipment that allows the user to utilize equipment to create a total body workout. Specific equipment on this station include: a heavy punching bag, battle ropes, bands, a step platform, pullup bars, kettlebells, and a rebounder (trampoline) for medicine balls.

 

TRX

TRX is a total body workout utilizing your body weight. TRX is a suspension training system created by a Navy Seal. Using gravity, the user can change the intensity of his/her workout by adjusting the strap length and moving further/closer to the S Frame Anchor. For specific examples of exercises, visit www.trxtraining.com or ask a Fitness Team member on duty.

 

ViPR

There are 14 ViPRs available on the Harris Teeter Functional Training Area floor. Ranging in sizes, the ViPRs (Vitality, Performance, and Reconditioning) can provide a user with resistance to add to exercises such as squats, cleans, lunges, and sport specific training. For specific examples of exercises, visit www.viprfit.com or ask a Fitness Team member on duty.

In addition to the new functional training equipment, the Harris Teeter Functional Training Area also features some of the following pieces of equipment; these may be more familiar to the average Seahawk gym-goer.

FreeMotion

FreeMotion is a line of cable based selectorized equipment. This allow the user to select a weight/resistance level and then perform your workout. This also requires to user to engage and stabilize muscles while performing the exercise on this strength line.

Free Weights

Dumbbells up to 40lbs are available in the Harris Teeter Functional Training Area. Adjustable benches and utility stools are also available for use.

Cardio

There are 4 Octane LateralX machines and 6 ergs (rowers) on the second floor track level. The LateralX is a modified elliptical that allows the user to train in a lateral pattern. The LateralX can be adjusted to bring the range of motion narrower (lower intensity) or further apart (higher intensity).

Lateral motion on an Octane LateralX

For more information on the Octane LateralX or the Concept2 Erg, visit http://www.octanefitness.com/products/standing-ellipticals/lateralx/ or http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/model-d and/or ask a Fitness Team member on duty.

 

The First Healthy Hump Day of 2013!

The beginning of each new year always has the potential to spark inspiration from within. There is something curious about the symbolic act of turning a page in life - it can improve perspective and transform one’s own well being. It seems almost too obvious that most new years resolutions are centered around health and regaining control of one’s diet and exercise, but many see the changing of the years as a reminder of life’s delicate brevity; perhaps this is the source of our culture’s yearly healthy homecoming.

Whether or not you decide to make a resolution this year is your prerogative, but there is no denying the importance and relevance of health and fitness 365 days of the year. Here at UNCW, we like to celebrate a little thing called Healthy Hump Day.

This Wednesday you could find Seahawk Fitness employees handing out information in the Fisher University Union about upcoming Campus Rec programs and employment opportunities. In addition to distributing these various handouts, Seahawk Fitness also encouraged passersby to write short-term and long-term goals on note cards.

Check us out on twitter (@Seahawk_Fitness) and see some of the awesome goals we set! See you at the next Healthy Hump Day, Seahawks!

A Healthy-ish Holiday Treat!

With the SRC closing for winter break and beyond, final exams finished, and the ever-decreasing temperature giving you chills, don’t you think it’s about time to bake something warm and delicious? Holiday treats are always a great way to warm the soul, and there are some great little treats that can be made with healthy alternatives! Health Promotion Peer Educator Sara Janakas and I decided some holiday treats were long overdue, so check it out!

Maybe we should’ve incorporated those apples somehow… Nawww, melt dat buttah!

This simple (and secret) recipe involves a just a few components and a little bit of love (or a lot, don’t be frugal with love). Sara uses saltine crackers, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, brown sugar, dark chocolate, and almonds! Did you know that dark chocolate has been known to reduce the risk of heart problems?

I know, I know – but if I told you how to make it, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore!

Okay, I’ll tell show you just a few things…

I don’t want to show too much…

…But this is the key, right here, the smearing…

…Or is it the precise number of almonds per square inch…

…Oh wait, you’re right Sara – it’s all about the ones you share it with!

In the mood for food?

Living in Wilmington the past few years has taught me a lot about taking pride in local and healthy food. People get really excited about food and all the ways we can increase our sustainability. If you were hanging around outside Wag last Wednesday, you might know what I’m talking about.

That’s right, good ol’ Campus Recreation and Health Promotion, along with several other organizations, were handing out literature and preaching the gospel of good food. It was a hot day for the tail-end of October, but the life in the smiles of those around me reflected the remarkable beauty of the day. If you stopped by, we hope you got some helpful information on food and fitness! And the next time you Seahawks see these smiling faces, you better say hi and stop by!

A State Fair… For NC Employees

Campus Recreation is at it again, this time at the Wellness/PERKS Fair in the Burney Center! If you were visiting Burney last week to get your flu shot, you may have noticed some commotion coming from all the awesome benefits being showcased for North Carolina State employees. Among the many tables set up there was a Campus Recreation display festooned with some of the finest Fitness fellows around. It was truly magical.

In addition to providing fair attendees with information regarding services rendered by Campus Recreation, we were also raffling off four free PT sessions and handing out Irish Spring body wash! And how!

That’s Josh Sorrell, ladies and gentleman. He truly knows what it means to be a team player, and he secretly dreams of becoming Campus Recreation’s very own Vanna White. Also present at the event were new faces Rachael Sofie and Steven Trotter (see previous posts); the campus community sure got a good look at Campus Rec, and if you made it out to the Wellness/PERKS Fair, you did too!

New Faces in Fitness, Vol. 2

As I mentioned in my last post, there are lots of new faces within Campus Recreation these days. New faces bring with them new sources of inspiration, new goals, and new methods. One new face brings a particularly sassy and spirited disposition to the Campus Rec team, and this face belongs to Steven Trotter.

What is your favorite part about UNCW/Wilmington so far?

My favorite part of UNCW so far is the excitement that is revolved around the SRC Expansion. Although we still have a lot of work to do, it has been an extreme pleasure preparing for tripling the size of the facility. We will be able to offer state of the art programming, equipment, and technology in the expansion. My favorite part of Wilmington is the location and the people. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. It seems to be a laid back atmosphere where everyone enjoys life to the fullest; after all the location and weather does that to you.  

Where did you work before you came here?

Prior to coming to UNCW I was the Fitness Coordinator at Virginia Tech from 2008 to March 2012.

What do you do now at UNCW?

I am currently the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation/Fitness here at UNCW.  My role here is to oversee all aspects of the Seahawk Fitness program that includes Fitness Assessments, Personal Training, Group Exercise, educational workshops and outreach programs, instructional programs, and other wellness related programs. I also supervise the operation of the Harris Teeter Fitness Center to include equipment and maintenance and I am responsible for the supervision and training of all Seahawk Fitness Staff.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my free time I enjoy traveling, home improvement projects, spending time on the water and at the beach, getting my fitness on, and spending quality time with my bulloxer (American Bulldog Boxer mix) Roxy. I am also a avid fan of the Virginia Tech Hokies!

If you could be any sandwich, what would you be?

If I could be any sandwich, I would be mahi sandwich. It’s so fresh and delicious and reminds me of a summer day on the water.

Tell me about a particularly nostalgic childhood/college experience that partially shapes who you are today.

I spent most of my childhood overweight and obese. At the age of 16 I bought a gym membership directly after getting my drivers license. I decided I was going to make a change in my life for myself. I became active and took a new turn on life. By the time I was a senior in high school I had lost over 120 pounds and had already begun teaching group exercise classes. I started working for Recreational Services as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer beginning my freshman year at UNC Charlotte. I had a great mentor that helped prepare me for the position I am in today and the goals that I have set for myself.

What is something you hope to get out of this new position at UNCW?

No matter our age and experience we are constantly learning. I plan on getting great experience in developing a growing program that has a lot of new possibilities because of the growth that has been set forth. I want to learn from each of our team members and I hope that I can positively affect those that I interact with to continue to make myself a better citizen.

What do you think students can do to help make UNCW a better and brighter community?

Get involved. Believe it or not, the decisions and actions that you make and take today are going to greatly affect you in the future. Try out new things, make new friends, and most importantly give back. Find an organization that means something to you and donate some of your time to help out. Commit to making someone smile each day!

What are you most looking forward to with regards to Campus Recreation?

I am most looking forward to getting to know the team members and interacting with the various parts of campus. In addition I am excited about the expansion and the new cycling studio!

Any words of wisdom for the next generation?

Be the change you want to see in the world. I have a personal fitness motto that I will change the world one class at a time. It doesn’t matter the size of the impact that you may feel you make; just make one. You will often catch me wearing an armband when I teach group exercise classes that states “you lead the change.” Also it is important to not lose sight of your future or the present. Enjoy your time and stay in touch with family and friends no matter how far away you live.