Water Fitness Personal Training

Are you unsure of how to get the most out of your aquatic workout? Do you even know where to start? The Cary Street Gym and MCV Aquatic Center now have Water Fitness Personal Trainers for hire (and for cheap)! An aquatic trainer will customize a water workout plan just for you based on your needs, interests, and goals.

Your first session will be  an hour and a half, 30 minutes to do an assessment of your objectives to better design a great workout for you, and 1 hour for exercising.

Here are a few activities you might do with your trainer:

• Water Jogging/running
• Strength training, which will be using various equipment such as barbells, medicine balls, and noodles
• Flexibility and stretching
• Plyometrics

Things to know about Water Fitness Personal Training:

• All sessions will be held in conjunction with informal recreation. Pool space is not reserved solely for your session.
• Due to Children’s Swim Lessons, sessions cannot be held on Saturday mornings.
• We will contact you within 7 business days to arrange your first session. For ongoing patrons, please pay for your session at least 72 hours in advance of your next lesson.
• 24-hour notification is required to cancel a session without losing your payment for the scheduled session. Please contact your trainer to cancel your appointment.

Go to the Recreational Sports website for more info, including prices for individual and buddy prices! (Link)

Rams Swim School is Officially in Session!

The Rams Swim School is offering four different levels of swim lessons for adults, starting with an introduction to water all the way to refining your swim-stroke skills. There are plenty of options so it will be easy to pick the right group class for you! You get to choose whether you want to participate in a 6-week program or a 12-week program, depending on your wants and needs from this course! Also, classes are limited to 6 participants in order to give each person individual attention by the instructor.

Below are the different classes available. Cost is $40 for all adult group swim lessons. Also be sure to head over to the Recreational Sports website (link) for class dates and times before you sign up to make sure you get the class you want.

BEGINNER ADULT SWIM LESSONS: This course is for individuals with little or no experience in the water. Students will learn breath control, floats (front/back), basic water safety skills, treading water and introduction to the basic strokes (freestyle/backstroke).

Beginner 6 Week Sessions:

Fall Session 1: September 10-October 15
Registration: Starts August 23 at noon and closes September 12 at noon or when classes are full

Fall Session 2: October 22- December 3 (skip week of Nov. 19)
Registration: Starts August 23 at noon and closes October 24 at noon or when classes are full

Beginner 12 Week Sessions:

Fall Session 3: September 10-December 9 (skip week of Nov. 19)
Registration: August 23 at noon and closes September 12 at noon or when classes are full

INTERMEDIATE ADULT SWIM LESSONS: This course is for individuals who have completed the Beginner course or have equivalent skills. Students in this class are comfortable in the water, but need stroke and endurance improvements. Students will learn breaststroke and continue stroke development in freestyle and backstroke.

Intermediate 6 Week Sessions:

Fall Session 1: September 10-October 15
Registration: Starts August 23 at noon and closes September 12 at noon or when classes are full

Fall Session 2: October 22- December 3 (skip week of Nov. 19)
Registration: Starts August 23 at noon and closes October 24 at noon or when classes are full

Intermediate 12 Week Sessions:

Fall Session 3: September 10-December 9 (skip week of Nov. 19)
Registration: August 23 at noon and closes September 12 at noon or when classes are full

ADVANCED ADULT SWIM LESSONS:This course is for individuals who have completed the Intermediate course or have equivalent skills. Students in this class are comfortable swimming all strokes, but need technique and endurance improvements. Students will learn butterfly and continue stroke development in freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke.

Advanced 6 Week Sessions:

Fall Session 1: September 10-October 15
Registration: Starts August 23 at noon and closes September 12 at noon or when classes are full

Fall Session 2: October 22- December 3 (skip week of Nov. 19)
Registration: Starts August 23 at noon and closes October 24 at noon or when classes are full

Advanced 12 Week Sessions:

Fall Session 3: September 10-December 9 (skip week of Nov. 19)
Registration: August 23 at noon and closes September 12 at noon or when classes are full

Snacking on the Go!

Whether going out on the road with friends or traveling back home to visit family, having the right snacks and meals can make all the difference.

Keep it simple with some of these suggestions:

Tuna pouch and pita bread: They also come in flavored tuna pouches like Herb & Garlic, Zesty Lemon Pepper and Hickory Smoked (try StarKist Tuna Creations)

Mini carrots (or pretzels) and hummus: Hummus can be bought in small to go containers; and some companies, such as Wild Garden, package hummus in squeezable pouches to make snacking on the go even easier.

Nuts: Packed with fiber and protein, a bag of nuts on the go is probably the most simple healthy snack solution. Pistachios are very low-calorie and if you add a little olive oil to unsalted almonds, you’ve got yourself a tasty treat!

Hard-boiled eggs: Quick and easy, eggs have a lot of protein. Just be sure to keep the eggs in their shells until snack time and stored in a cool place such as a cooler.

Snacking in-between meals is beneficial to your body, and choosing these snacks wisely can do a lot of good things for you. Having a handful of almonds or a cup of yogurt can help reduce your likelihood of overeating that lasagna you’ve prepared for dinner. Lisa Baertlein, a writer for Everyday Health, says, “blood sugar dips three to five hours after you eat. Eating small, frequent snacks keeps your metabolism revved up and helps normalize blood sugar.” This is beneficial to managing your weight and avoiding your cravings for the donuts in the break-room. Having the energy a healthful snack will give you will, in turn, improve your mood. “Many of us naturally reach for carbohydrates when we’re feeling down because they help lift our mood by boosting the brain chemical serotonin,” explains Baertlein,  ”while processed foods like plain bagels and cookies give a quick high, it’s followed by a sharp low. Good-for-you fruit sugars, honey, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and many vegetables lift mood and battle fatigue without the roller-coaster effect.”

Beginner Whitewater Weekend

As temperatures continue to rise, I think it’s safe to assume that most people would appreciate a quick dip to cool off. While lounging at the pool or soaking in the river are awesome summer ideas, why not kick it up a notch and spend a couple days on the James River with RecSports? This two-day American Canoe Association clinic will teach you all you need to know to become a beginner kayaker; techniques, paddle strokes, whitewater safety, and river reading. If you have taken any of the kayaking pool sessions, this is the next step (even if you haven’t, this whitewater clinic will teach you all you need to know).

TRIP INFO:

• All equipment will be provided.
• Cost: Student: $44; Faculty/Staff: $50; +1A/G: $55
• Dates: July 28-29
• Location: James River

Going the Distance

The opportunity to run with others who enjoy the same passion for it is easier than you might think. The Richmond Road Runners Club sponsors races and helps other organizations put on their own. A student membership is only 5 dollars and gives you the chance to run at a discounted rate with others who share the hobby.

The Road Runners extend beyond the races though. There are groups that organize within the club that meet regularly to train together. These groups are tailored to specific needs and abilities of different runners so finding one that fits you should be easy. If you’re looking for a more professional and specific regimen, Road Runner’s can provide you this opportunity through their training teams.

The club allows runners to motivate each other and form bonds with other runners in the area.  It’s the kind of environment that caters to building trust with other runners. The club has members of all ages. For more information on the Richmond Road Runners visit their website or Facebook page.

Running a marathon doesn’t have to be the goal you set out for. Starting small with a 5k is a great place to start. The important thing is having the courage to push yourself physically, and harder still, mentally. Having developed a strong physical and mental foundation, the distance you run is really just the affirmation you have reached your goal.

Keeping it Safe in the Sun

As summer approaches and the beach trips are planned, many people forget (or choose not to care) about the added sun exposure that is inevitable with the extra time spent in the beaming sun. Who doesn’t love a carefree day in the sand, as long as you are using the proper protection of course!

No one is immune to harmful UVA and UVB rays. It’s a common myth that those with darker skin can go without sunscreen. In reality, all skin types are at risk for skin damage. Even when we do put on sunscreen, it’s often times not applied regularly enough. Knowing how to properly buy and apply sun screen can be life saving.

Sun Protection Factor

We hear the term SPF so often and we’re told that the higher the number the better. But what is the Sun Protection Factor and how much do we really need? SPF is the measure of protection that it provides against UVB.

The number represents how many times longer the sunscreen will protect the skin compared to straight exposure. For example an SPF of 15 will prevent the skin from burning 15 times longer than if it was not used. So if someone takes 20 minutes to burn, wearing an SPF 15 sunscreen would allow that same person 5 hours before he/she burned.

What kind to get

With the aisle filled with endless types of sunscreen, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. For everyday use, where most of your time is spent indoors, a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, that is built into your aftershave, lotion or makeup should suffice.

For those days where you are outside for more time, even if it is cloudy, a higher SPF should be used, for most skin types SPF 30 will do the trick, however this can be higher depending on how sensitive the skin, or previous history with skin cancer. If you are going to be in the water or sweating, it is best to get water proof sunscreen. This will keep it from running into your eyes and hold on the skin better.

To ensure the sunscreen will do what it claims, make sure to look for the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation.

When to Apply it, and How Often

Regardless of the SPF, sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, using about 1 oz. each time to get the maximum protection. Most people use less than half this amount according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Photo Cred: michaelkuhnphotos

How to Have Stress Free Finals

It’s that time of year again— people are crying in the streets, developing grey hairs, and gulping down their 5th cup of the coffee for the day. That’s right, finals week is here. There is no reason why you can’t get through this without tearing your hair out though.

Quit Cramming Resist the urge to fit all the material you need to know in a few hours. There is no way to go over an entire semesters information in a one night cram session.  Plan ahead and block out study time for each test. When it comes to the night of the exam it can be a less stressful review.

Make Study Breaks your Friend It may seem counterproductive to take study breaks. While it will take up some time, studying for hours on end makes it harder to retain information. The 15 minute break will give you time to absorb everything you went over.

Go to Sleep Instead of drinking that 5th cup of coffee, consider going to bed instead. While it’s tempting to try and stay up for as long as you can, you are probably not going to take in much by the time 3 a.m. rolls around and you are wired on caffeine. Not to mention during the test your mind won’t be sharp and this could cause you to answer questions wrong.

Put Down the Junk Food With all the rushing around that test time brings, Pop Tarts and Funions start looking like a proper meal. Resist the urge to grab the closest snacks and eat good nutritious foods instead. Keeping up a regular eating schedule will also help your energy levels without all those highs and lows that sugary foods are notorious for.

Colorado High Peaks

Come explore the High Peaks of Southwest Colorado with the OAP. We will be heading to the San Juan mountains to try our hand at summiting some of Colorado’s highest peaks. Using a backcountry hut as our base camp we will explore the wonders surrounding the mountain giants of Handies, Redcloud and Sunshine.

Next, we will throw on our packs and head into the backcountry to explore rugged canyons, camp in aspen groves, and hike across alpine meadows surrounded by 13,000 foot peaks. Participants will learn the basics of backcountry travel, and how to move and work as a group in the wilderness.

The group will travel, cook, camp and share adventures while taking in the unbelievable landscapes of the southern San Juans. No prior experience is necessary, just a willingness to work hard to attain a lofty goal.

Cost: Student: $300, Faculty/Staff: $350, +1/A/G: $400 Includes food, equipment, lodging and the option of transportation (Contact the OAP for more details).

Date: August 4–12

Location: San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Information Meeting: May 1st at 5 pm in the Outing Rental Center

Sleep In: Slim Down

There is always an excuse to not get the full eight hours of shut eye recommended; too much school work, staying out late, or just thinking about the stresses of life are some of the poplar ones. However, carving out time for a good nights sleep should be be made a priority.

Aside from being more productive and thinking clearer the next day, getting enough Z’s can help shed pounds through the power of hormones.

Changes in glucose metabolism from lack of sleep will send the message to your body to save the calories you’ve consumed, causing them to be stored as fat instead of being burned for energy.

In addition, lack of sleep triggers the body to produce excess cortisol, a stress hormone, which increases appetite. Not only will your appetite grow, but the temptation of the late night snack will inevitably be lurking as the clock ticks into the night. 

Try keeping a regular sleep schedule that is realistic to stick to. If you are used to going to bed at 2 a.m. scale that back to 1 a.m. and then 12 p.m. a few nights later, until you have reached your goal. Try to avoid doing other activities in your bed other than sleeping. Associating your bed with sleep, and nothing else, will help you to fall asleep faster.

While sleep is only one part of a healthy life style. It can help contribute to weight loss along with eating well and exercise.

Sweet dreams!