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Why the freshman 15 is not inevitable

Gabriella Torres./Photo by Erin O’Halloran

When I moved into my freshman dorm I remember repeatedly hearing “Watch out for the freshman 15!” I was so afraid of this mystical fatty creature and had this totally irrational fear that I would wake up one morning suddenly 15 pounds heavier. Today I stand three pounds lighter than I was my senior year in high school. So what’s the secret?

My blog was created to show not only freshman, but all college students that exercising and eating healthy can be fast, inexpensive and manageable. 

This page is for the person who slammed with classes, drowning with exams and surviving on caffeine. I’m right there with you, friend. College is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle, however together we can foster a better tomorrow by working on ourselves today. 

I will provide four different types of beginner workouts ranging from running to swimming and different ways to eat healthy on a budget. Each post will include different places on the UF campus where students can complete workouts or eat healthy.

This topic is close to my heart because I have danced for eight years, and my teachers instilled in me a desire to build a healthy body image for myself. I want to share this message with a greater audience because nothing is more crippling in college than a having negative image of yourself.

Without further ado let’s get started! The freshman 15 is not inevitable. Do not accept defeat.

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Running for beginners and a quick snack to take on the go

Hello! Here is your Sunny Side Session for today:

Photo taken from https://flic.kr/p/fSwSWw

I have to admit, I have never been an avid runner. We all have our shortcomings, right? However, running is a tried and true method for melting off unwanted weight. If you are in a pinch for time and need to squeeze in a quick workout running is the way to go!

I have a few benefits for running provided by Active.com:

Running boosts confidence & helps ease depression.

Running regularly helps prevent diseases especially for lowering women’s risk of breast cancer.

Running is the second most effective exercise in terms of calories burned per minute, following only after cross country skiing.

If you live on campus, I highly suggest running on campus! Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and running the stadium is a very popular workout for students. 

5 tips for safe outdoor running:

Run on campus.

Run with a friend.

Wear reflective clothing.

Be aware of your surroundings and know where the nearest blue post is.

If you feel unsafe, run inside.

If you prefer to run indoors you can find numerous treadmills at the Southwest Recreational Center and the Student Recreation & Fitness Center! You can find information on both of the gyms and their hours of operation here.

The UF Fitness Center offers free personalized comprehensive assessments twice a semester for students to gain a more meaningful understanding of their health and wellness. For more information on how you can sign up for your assessment today, click here.

Your quick and easy pre-run snack is...*drum roll*...peanut butter and banana toast! This snack is protein-packed and very affordable for a college student. You can find the recipe on Genuiskitchen.com here.

Photo taken from https://flic.kr/p/qA5MFo

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Swimming for beginners and the benefits of drinking water

Hello! Here is your Sunny Side Session for today:

What’s the best part about attending school in Florida? It’s always summer. 

Today’s workout for beating the freshman 15 is swimming. I’m not talking about the typical wading in the water while you cool off from tanning. I’m talking about swimming laps! This is an incredible exercise that I have recently fell in love with.

Photo taken from https://flic.kr/p/aD8HTL

What are the benefits of swimming? Well I am thrilled to inform you. These swimming benefits come from HeathLine.com:

Swimming works your whole body, inside and out, without putting it under stress.

Swimming is appropriate for people with injuries, arthritis and other conditions.

Exercising boosts your mood and helps with stress management.

Swimming regularly improves your blood circulation and quality of sleep.

Swimming torches calories compared to other gym exercises like the elliptical.

Did you know that the University of Florida has four pools? Broward Pool and Graham Pool are the tan-and-wade pools I talked about earlier, Florida Pool and the O’Connell Center Pool are lap swimming pools that are free to use if you are a UF student. For locations and hours of operation for the UF pools, click here.

Don’t know how to swim? No need to fret; UF offers free swimming lessons! You can find the information to sign up for lessons on the UF Rec Sports Website here.

It goes without saying that water is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. To tag along with the swimming theme for today I would like to encourage you to up your water intake! There are so many benefits to drinking water. 

Water lubricates your joints and allows you to flush out toxins. Dehydration can cause you to feel tired and irritable. Drinking water can make you feel fuller which in turn will save you from consuming unnecessary calories!

Photo taken from https://flic.kr/p/MNtyh

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Easy indoor exercises to keep you moving during the winter

Hello! Here is your Sunny Side Session for today:

The sun is more than just our source of light and heat. It is a vital part to our health! There are seldom foods that can supply a sufficient amount of vitamin D so the easiest way to get these nutrients in through bare skin exposure to the sun. 

During the summer 10-15 minutes of sun exposure is plenty, but during winter it is hard to get this exposure especially when you are inside all day snuggled up! Nonetheless, during the winter months it is still important that you step outside for a few minutes to take a walk and smile at the sun.

As we fade out of fall and embark on winter, we must consider working out during these cold days. Even though there are only about three weeks in the Florida calendar where it is below 50 degrees it is very easy to stay in bed and binge watching “Riverdale” and binge eating pizza (even I’m guilty of this).

Avoid the cold and winter weight gain by working out in your room! Nine indoor exercises that take no more than five minutes can be found on Sofia Lopez’s website, SkinnyMs.com. You can find her compilation of core and cardio workouts here.

For college students, these cold months are filled with endless projects and finals. Taking the time to move around for five minutes can have incredible effects for your mood, health and academic performance! Working out has proven to release feel-good chemicals called endorphins that combat the winter blues.

Photo taken from https://flic.kr/p/bWDvFR

For this week’s healthy snack I have chosen to share with you an odd and guilty pleasure that I acquired while living in a college dorm. Deep in a craving for a warm snack, I have found that heating up a Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain cereal bar in the microwave for 15 second to be quite delightful!

Photo taken from https://www.halfbakedharvest.com

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Why working in can be more effective than working out

Hello! Here is your Sunny Side post for today:

Gabriella Torres./Photo by Erin O’Halloran

“To do nothing is sometimes a good remedy” -Hippocrates

College can be extremely tasking on the mind and body. It is a time of growing pains, finding yourself and losing your sanity all at the same time. While you are surrounded by so many different people it is very easy to start comparing yourself and your success to others around you.

Working in is something I learned of while listening to a podcast called “Disrupt Yourself” with Karen Walrond. She spoke about how important your mental health is in addition to your physical health. Instead of taking energy out of your body when you workout, working “in” allows you to focus on doing things that bring peace and healing into your body.

Here are some examples of how to work in from Functionalps.com. To view more examples of how to work in, click here.

Take a relaxing walk.

Have a good night’s sleep.

Meditate or pray.

Consume organic whole foods.

Spend time with loved ones.

I encourage you to complete at least one of the points listed above this week. In addition, by working in you not only decrease your own levels of stress and anxiety you also open yourself up to be more sensitive to helping others in need.

If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, anxiety or any mental health issues, GatorWell is equipped with staff that want to help! For more information on GatorWell and their hours of operation, click here.

The Field & Fork Pantry located on 564 Newell Drive is available for any student that has an active University of Florida ID. At the pantry, non-perishable goods are available for all students who experience food insecurity. Stop by the pantry to pick up some free food or donate today to support this great cause!

Photo taken from https://www.instagram.com/fieldandforkuf/

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Breaking News: The Minions took over Ghouls, Goblins and Greeks 2017

The minions from the hit movie “Despicable Me”, were spotted causing mayhem at the Ghouls, Goblins and Greeks event, held on Oct. 27 on East Panhellenic Drive. Wild on a candy-induced sugar craze, their mission was to spread the Halloween spirit to the local children of Gainesville, Fla.

Each year, the Junior Panhellenic Council at the University of Florida organizes this event for the local families living in Gainesville and the surrounding areas. This trick-or-treat event consisted of 17 houses lined up on sorority row. Each participating sorority decorated their house in different movie or cartoon themes like Phi Mu’s “Toy Story” and Delta Delta Delta’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”.

The Epsilon Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma was thrilled to host the minions as their guests for Ghouls, Goblins and Greeks 2017. Although their sorority house is not located on sorority row, they were still able to set up a tent next to the other houses for the event.

Young children and their parents filled their buckets with candy, played games and enjoyed refreshments provided by the minions. Refreshments included a sweet grape juice they called “Evil Minion Blood”. After hearing the laughter and experiencing the joy surrounding tent 13, it was clear to see that the minion invasion successfully started off the Halloween season.

Genaveve Henson, 18, performed the role of minion Kevin from the movie “Despicable Me”. She was careful to not break character when kids ran up to interact with Kevin. When minion Kevin was asked what his favorite part about Halloween was he responded, “Agair candy yee tugmib kapee rex hugs!” which translates to “Eating candy and giving out free hugs!”

Sorority houses such as Phi Mu, located 1152 E. Panhellenic Drive, Gainesville, Fla., opened up their lawns for families to enjoy a night of trick-or-treating. Sounds of laughter and excitement from children were all around, as a large crowd of people showed up to see Phi Mu’s “Toy Story” themed decorations.

Sororities whose houses are not located on sorority row, such as Kappa Kappa Gamma, were able to set up tents along the pavement beside the houses for the event. Spirits were high as 30 chapter members gathered for a group picture after setting up their tent and decorations. Many of the sisters claimed  this was their favorite event of the fall semester. 

Kayla Palmer, 10, shows off her three-tier cake costume while trick-or-treating outside of the sorority, Delta Delta Delta. Kayla picks out her piece of candy while some chapter members of Delta Delta Delta sit on the steps of their sorority house, telling Halloween jokes to one another. Before she left, Kayla twirled around and gave the members of Delta Delta Delta high fives. 

Lead minion, Sammie Green, 18, of Tampa, Fla. arranged her group’s home for the night under tent 13. “The best part about planning the event was seeing so many of my friends come out to support me,” Sammie said. “I have always loved event planning and I could see this being something I pursue later in life.” 

This event was full of Halloween fun for humans, minions and dogs! Teddy, a four-year-old golden retriever, was dressed in a UF football jersey and enjoyed getting his photo taken by his owner, Kelly Hooper, 20, a public relations major at UF. Kelly has brought Teddy to Ghouls, Goblins and Greeks for two years now. 

Amy Weber, 18, a biology major from Jacksonville, Fla. demonstrated how to properly hold the goggles for the “Pin the Goggles on the Minion” game. Each child was given two pieces of candy for participating and three pieces if they pinned the googles on the minion correctly.