Alternative Exercise
Story by Liz Canton | Photos by Katie Jo Stewart, Kassandra Eller & Lexi Wicks | Design by Sarah Stewart
The “freshman fifteen.” Heard of it? I’m sure you have. Although most people would argue that it is unacceptable to comment on the bodies and health of others, this statement is repeated countless times every year.
When students come to college, they often struggle finding ways to stay active. The typical atmosphere at the gym – loud noises, confusing machines and sweaty strangers – is enough to deter almost anyone from actually wanting to work out. Luckily, finding your perfect way to work out can extend beyond the gym doors.
Yoga
A low impact but high reward exercise for anyone to enjoy is the practice of yoga. Kaikea Schlenker, a yoga instructor at the SURC, says that when she was first introduced to yoga, it changed her life.
“I just loved how I felt afterwards, I didn’t really get that in any other form of exercise,” Schleker says.
Each class creates a safe space for you to be comfortable to get in touch with yourself and to be able to focus on your own body and breath. The ability to connect your mind and body and learn things about yourself is a unique experience that is to be gained from yoga.
Yoga benefits the body in many different ways, and you can tailor your practice to meet your own needs or goals. Whether your goal is building muscle, increasing flexibility or preventing injury, yoga can help you achieve those things.
It can also help with struggles within your body, and can act as a natural medicine of sorts, with different poses that can help work through things like digestive issues. By getting in touch with your body and your mind, yoga can teach you how to take care of yourself.
But the benefits of yoga do not stop at the body. Schlenker says that her favorite part of yoga is not the physical benefits, but the mental health ones.
Yoga was the only thing that provided her with the ability to escape from the physical world, and bring complete stress relief, “bliss.” Yoga is her way to escape reality and really focus on being at peace, forgetting about any external stresses or struggles she is dealing with.
The most important thing Schlenker says is that yoga “just has to be for everyone.”
If yoga is not really your style, however, there are so many other options for staying active in college. Get outdoors and do some hiking or join an intramural team, like frisbee, to keep your lifestyle active.
Hiking
The Pacific Northwest has an abundance of hiking trails and stunning scenery. With all of this beauty in our own backyards, we have the ability to explore the sights around us and get exercise at the same time.
We live in a valley in Ellensburg, so finding hills to climb shouldn’t be a hard feat. Trails like Umtanum Creek and Manastash Ridge are excellent hikes to do on a nice day in the Burg.
Hiking is an enjoyable way to breathe in the fresh air, see some beautiful sights of nature, explore the area you live and of course, get in those steps.
Intramural Frisbee
Playing intramural frisbee is a great way to stay active and have fun while doing it. With practices and pick-ups a few days a week, you will without a doubt get in your cardio. Captains Tyler Bunnell and Collin Ueltschi, say they get in around five miles a practice when you accumulate all the running for scrimmages.
Although you are getting your miles in during frisbee, Bunnell says that he is “thinking less about how tired I’m getting” because he is working towards a goal and playing a sport rather than just running by himself.
Using sports and competition as a way of exercise can almost make you forget you are exercising altogether. You are just having fun instead.
Friendly and fun competition is a component that is missing from most exercise routines but finding what works best for you can be easy if you are willing to try new things.
Kickboxing
Alicia Boyd, a student at Pierce College, shared her experience trying a new way to workout.
Who doesn’t want to punch and kick to let off a little steam sometimes? Boyd gets to do it a few times a week thanks to her kickboxing class. Even if you are someone who loves working out, it can get a little boring if you are doing the same thing every day.
Boyd found not only her new favorite way to work out but also her new favorite hobby in her kickboxing class. It is her strength builder, confidence booster and stress reliever all wrapped into one.
Kickboxing is hard to get bored of, too. After doing it for four months now, Boyd says she has only scratched the surface of things she is learning from her class. She says “I am going to be in it as long as I can,” because she is having so much fun in these classes.
A somewhat hidden benefit of these classes that Boyd points out is the ability to defend yourself. Boyd shares her perspective that as a woman, having the skill and ability to be strong and defend yourself is an important thing to have.
Taking these kickboxing classes not only introduced Boyd to a new hobby, but also opened the door to more possibilities of exercise. Classes or forms of exercise like taekwondo or CrossFit didn’t seem of interest to her before, but after realizing how much her body can do and how her muscles can feel, she is excited to try new things.
Exercise is not all about being a gym rat or a bodybuilder. It is about finding things that make you and your body feel good. Every person is unique, and therefore can find their own personal form of exercise that works best for them.
