Tag Archives: exercise

On Zen Frogs and Creating Happiness

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It’s 10 minutes to five o’clock on a sunny, beautiful afternoon in May. Just a couple of moments ago, I was sitting in the chapel at Hart House, immersed in a mindful meditation workshop hosted by Cheryl Champagne from Health and Wellness at U of T. I feel calm, happy and, well, a bit surprised.  Who knew that 20 minutes of breathing could transform me from frazzled to zen? I guess I forgot how amazing meditation really is.

In the spirit of wellness and renewal (part two!), today’s post will be all about workshops, events, and resources on campus that can help you keep positive in this journey called Life.

 

 

Dare to Self-Care?

It took me years to figure out that in order to be at my best, I had to care for myself as much as I cared for other people. So I was pretty delighted to discover that U of T’s very own Health and Wellness Centre offers a workshop called Dare to Self-Care. Hosted by Jill Cressy, the workshop explores a variety of self-care practices, including stress management strategies, mind-body techniques, and 10 keys to happier living. Jill usually asks the following questions in her session:

What do you care about?

What are your values related to health and wellness?

How can you best support Happiness in your daily life?

Try your hand at them! I sat down and attempted to, but as usual, when I try to answer questions, I come up with a bunch of them instead: What does it mean to be mindful?  How can we go about creating Happiness?

My quest led me to Sutha Sathananthan, a Masters candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at U of T. Sutha took a Cognitive and Psychological Foundations of Effective Leadership class last fall, and became hooked on the concept of ‘happiness’. The outcome? Sutha founded Engineering Happiness, U of T’s first on-campus Happiness Initiative.

Sutha, founder of Engineering Happiness at U of T

“I started researching a lot about happiness, and I learned that there is a lot of negativity out there” says Sutha. According to her, people don’t start by thinking ‘well, what really makes me happy?’ Instead, they try to find ‘happiness’ when they are faced with depression, anxiety, and other mental health or emotional challenges. Engineering Happiness is all about providing the space and the tools for others to create awareness about the things that bring them balance, contentment, and joy.

Engineering Happiness draws its ethos from the field of Positive Psychology, which seeks to make normal life more fulfilling. Think fostering joy, creativity, and authentic happiness as ultimate goals.

U of T’s Health and Wellness also offers some amazing workshops that explore similar themes. In fact, there is just so much to be explored in the realm of wellness right on campus. Did you know that U of T actually has a Happiness Webinar Series? It’s true!

Not only that, the Multi-Faith Centre is currently offering a class on Mindful Meditation every Wednesday afternoon. Later this summer, you can even participate in a Happiness Challenge, brought to you by Engineering Happiness. You’ll be able to go out in the world an document whatever makes you happy using any medium, then submit your creation for a prize.

My foray into meditation, happiness and self-care kicked off Mental Health Awareness week. Did I get the answers to my questions? Nah…but I did learn a few meditation techniques, and learn a bit more about Happiness. Am I happy? Yes, I can safely say so.

Check out Jill Cressy’s Dare to Self-Care workshop on May 10 from 10-11 am at Charles St. Residence. Engineering Happiness is also hosting a free Laughter Yoga session on Wednesday, May 8th from 7-8 pm at Hart House, 2nd floor Debate Room.

Come out and flourish!

-Aziza

My words of work-out wisdom

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Wow, I cannot believe it’s down to the final stretch – just one more week of classes left! And as my second year of university wraps up, I’ve been reflecting lately on what a truly amazing eight months it has been. I really made an effort this year to take advantage of opportunities to get active, and it has tremendously paid off. In first year, I think I used the AC once or twice. But ask me what I did this year, and I could tell you that I…

- Golfed with President David Naylor at the Varsity dome
- Learned how to fend for myself through Wendo
- Braved the SCC
- Played outdoor intramural soccer for my college team
- Biked to and around campus
- Attempted to belly dance
- Found drop-in classes that I love
- Learned the basics of tennis

Reflecting back on all this and more, I can tell you that I really have noticed a change. I’ve realized that my legs have gained more muscle and my upper body has become much stronger. I used to do almost nothing but cardio, but now that I’ve started attending drop-in classes and using weights, I’ve activated and toned new muscles all over my body. I can literally feel the difference in my strength and energy level, and it feels amazing. It’s the reason I keep on keepin’ on.

I’ve learned a lot through my experiences over the year, and there are a few things I would really like to pass on to you:

It’s not so scary doing things on your own. Don’t always wait until you have someone to go with to events and such. I’ve tried to coordinate work-outs with my friends and drag them out to events, but it often doesn’t work out with our conflicting schedules. So now I’ve learned: if I hear of an event/activity that really interests me, then I’ll go, even if it means going alone. Honestly, I would not have tried half the things I did this year if I sat around waiting for someone to accompany me every time. By putting myself out there, I met SO many cool new people.

Don’t avoid an activity just because you think you “suck” at it. No one is there to judge your skill level. And if you never practice, then it’s kinda hard to improve! So if you really want to try something new, then don’t be intimidated by lack of ability. I suck at dancing, but I went out to a dance workshop anyway and just did my best. No one laughed at me or gave me weird looks – the instructors and other dancers were happy to see I was interested and were really encouraging.

Find something you actually like doing. Exercise shouldn’t feel like this tedious chore that you dread doing every day. There are so many different ways to get active that there is no reason to force yourself to do something you hate. I personally still don’t like the fancy weight machines, so I avoid them and use free weights instead. Running is my favourite form of cardio, so I do a lot of that. The reason I exercise is to feel great after, both physically and mentally. So be creative and find activities that make you feel the same way.

It really does feel like this!

I hope that the experiences I have shared over the last eight months have helped you discover all that the St. George Campus has to offer when it comes to healthy active living. I’ve had an amazing time and have met some wonderful people. Now I’m looking forward to staying active outdoors all spring and summer!

-Lesia

Spinning into cycle mode

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Basically, since the first snow hit in the winter, I have been on a hiatus from biking of any sort. Actually, I pedaled for a bit on one of the stationary bikes in the upper gym at Hart House  once or twice… Honestly I found it pretty boring, so I’ve been keeping myself busy with the drop-in classes and circuit training instead.

However, over the months I have heard a lot of talk about spin-classes, sometimes also referred to as cycle fit. I had never tried one of these classes before, mostly because I was already biking outside a lot while the roads were clear. Well, and also because of my bias against stationary bikes that I mentioned above. But one of the student life dons at my college is a cycle fit instructor, so I decided to hit up one of her classes in the Cycle Fit Room at Hart House a few weeks ago to see what it’s all about.

Hart House Cycle Fit Room

So there I was starting the class thinking it would be a breeze cuz I’ve been going to the gym all winter. Well, I can assure you that the class wasn’t easy, but it was well worth it. How it sort of works is that the instructor describes a kind of imaginary “route” that you will be biking for the session. In our case, we did some sprint intervals on “flat land” and in between those sets we climbed some “hills.” Basically, you adjust the resistance to create different conditions – so on a “hill” we’d crank up the resistance until our revolutions per minute (RPM) slowed as if we were actually going up a hill.

So with music blasting in the background, the instructor guided us on our “journey” and told us when to sprint, pedal out of the saddle, and crank up that resistance. She also motivated us the whole way through, encouraging us to push through the burn and give it our all. Motivation is such a huge factor for me – when someone’s there telling me that I’m strong, that I can push it through to the finish, I’m much more likely to keep going than not. That, as well as the variability in the routine, is what I found makes cycle fit different from just using a stationary bike on your own. It’s much more engaging than just sitting there and pedaling at the same speed and resistance for half an hour.

Although I left the class with my quads on fire, I’m glad I finally tried it out. I’m thinking that I’ll keep cycle fit in mind for next winter to help keep my legs in tip-top cycling shape. Both Hart House and the Athletic Centre offer registered classes throughout the year, so you can even pick whichever place works best for ya!

-Lesia

A day of dance

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If you’ve ever flipped through this year’s UTSU handbook, you might have noticed a particular event already jotted down in the agenda for you. I’m talking about the yoga-nia-zumba-thon Food & Clothing Bank fundraiser that usually happens twice a year. Since I missed out in my first year, I was determined to make it out to the fundraiser held a few weeks ago. This time, there was a new name and theme:

Source: harthouse.ca

We started off the super chill day with a lesson in belly dancing. This was something COMPLETELY new to me – but it was really fun to shake, shimmy and twist it up from my hips to my shoulders. Our instructor Joanne – who actually teaches classes
at Hart House – made it look so natural and easy. I, on the other hand, found that I really had to focus on the way I wanted to move my body. By the end of the hour though, I was keeping up with the beat and feeling pretty good!

Next up was one of my all-time favourites when it comes to dance: ZUMBA! We spent almost an hour and a half jamming out to some great tunes. With Zumba, the right instructor can make a world of a difference, and Kristina’s super high-energy was infectious! Seriously, it’s impossible to be anything but glowing when dancing at Zumba, whether you are good at it or not. It generates this positive energy that just melts away the stress. Luckily, Kristina teaches the drop-in classes on Tuesday and Wednesday at Hart House, so you can still get your Zumba on in the next few weeks!

Source: harthouse.ca

We had a short break after Zumba before the next dance session, so I hurried over to snag a spot in line for a FREE Shiatsu massage!! I have been meaning to try out the free Massage Mondays at Hart House during the year, but the timing has never worked out very well with my schedule. But now I can tell you that I definitely think it is worth treating yourself to a massage once in a while! I mean after all, it’s FREE!

Along with free massages, there was a small health fair going on with free samples of different energy bars, information from UTSU about the Good
Food Box, and a button-making station compliments of the MoveU crew. Top all that off with lots of free yogurt, fruit and granola bars, along with fresh salad, soup and bread! A delicious way to refuel before our next activity… Socazize.

Haven’t heard of Socazize? It was new to me too. It kind of reminds me of Zumba, but it’s based on Caribbean-inspired dance moves instead of Latin. That means a lot more focus on shakin’ those hips! We also mixed in a lot of squatting, kicking and upper body moves to work the core while pumping up our heart rate. Check out a video like this to get an idea of what it’s all about. I’d say it was challenging, but hey, that’s what makes it fun!!

And finally, although I couldn’t stay for it, the day ended with yoga. But judging from last year’s photos, it looks like it would have been the perfect way to wind down after a full day.

Source: harthouse.ca

I’m glad I finally got a chance to check out this event, as it was a lot of fun and left me feeling strong and refreshed. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more events like this in the future… in fact I hear exam jam is coming up soon!

-Lesia

So that’s how the pros do it..

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Have you ever watched professional athletes on TV in awe, wondering how on earth their bodies could be so fast and strong? Watching them amazes me, and I’ve often wondered what goes on behind the scenes – what do they eat? How much rest do they need to recover? It’s made me think about my own exercise and health habits… Are there specific foods I should eat after a hard workout? Do I really need to stretch? Am I drinking enough water?
Well, earlier this week I learned about all of this and more, thanks to the Hart
House Recreational Athletics Committee.  They hosted the seminar “Keys to Recovery and Regeneration” featuring Dr. Greg Wells, an established human physiologist and assistant professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (FKPE) here at U of T. I’m glad I got there early enough to snag a front row seat with my friends, as the room was packed!

Source: Hart House Recreational Athletics Committee Facebook Page

The lecture was very interesting and informative – Dr. Well’s didn’t talk just about exercise or training, but about how other key factors can influence our performance as well. One of the first things he mentioned was how crucial it is to constantly hydrate your body throughout the day. He also talked about how food is essentially our fuel and that we need to replenish our bodies with the right stuff – lots of whole foods!

Source: bbc.co.uk

Along with proper nutrition, Dr. Well’s emphasized getting enough sleep and de-stressing our minds as well as our bodies. Unsurprisingly, these are areas where many of us busy students often fall short (myself included!). But as he explains in this video, taking a little bit of time out of our day to meditate, do some yoga, or walk through a park can really benefit our health and well-being in the long run.

This was the first time I went to a Hart House Recreational Athletics Committee event, and I’m looking forward to attending more seminars. If you missed out, you can connect with Dr. Well’s and check out some resources via his website, Facebook or Twitter.

Also, March just so happens to be Nutrition Month, and to celebrate the FKPE is hosting some FREE talks on nutrition and exercise in the upcoming weeks! The one on Friday, March 15th will be all about healthy eating habits, and Monday March 18th will focus on proper nutrition for exercise/sports. Check out the Facebook event for more details!

-Lesia

PS: Once you hit up the links and events I mentioned above, there’ll be no more excuses to skip exercise – and that’s exactly what the MoveU Crew wants to hear this month! Every Tuesday they will tweet an excuse NOT to work out. And they want students to tweet back (#Excuse Eraser) their excuse-busters for a chance to win some cool prizes! If you aren’t on Twitter, no problem – you can find out more details on Facebook too.

Take advantage of FREE rentals!

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I’ve been pretty good this year with trying out new things and exploring more of the athletic facilities on campus, especially the AC. I thought I had seen it all – I’ve explored every corner of the field house, mustered up the courage to check out the SCC,
and have even been in the dance studio. But, I’ve realized that there are still places that I have yet to discover in that big sporty building.

I think this realization hit when I heard Sarah raving about how much fun she had distressing with squash. She and Chris hit up the courts at the AC a few weeks ago to give squash a go. Aside from the tennis lessons I have been taking since the start of the semester (which have been really fun… my serve is getting there!), I have had zero experience with racquet sports. So I was like, “squash?! What is this all about? And more importantly, um, where exactly are these squash courts??

I still gotta try out squash in the AC!

I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, but Sarah’s gonna give me a lesson in squash 101 before the end of the semester. In the meantime, I’ve done some investigating of my own on the AC website. And what I’ve found is that there are also lots of other cool sport facilities available for student use, FREE of charge. I think the only reason I haven’t really checked it out before is that you usually have to book the space ahead of time, which takes some planning; and well, you kind of need to coordinate with someone so that you have a buddy to play with!

But no more excuses – I’ve sorted through all the details to make things super easy for ya:

Badminton, squash, table tennis, and tennis courts
Using your T-card, you can book the space one day in advance in person at the main office, or by calling 416.978.3436. If the only thing stopping you is that your friends all bailed, no worries! You can actually add your name to a list in the main office if you’d like to be contacted by other badminton or table tennis players looking for a partner. And as for squash, you can join the U of T group on SquashOrbit to get
connected and get your game on!

Field house, dance studio, and Varsity Centre dome
Did you know that you can get access to FREE time slots in the AC if you are a U of T student? Well you can, if you are involved with a recognized student club! No matter what kind of club it is, a good workout together can be a great way to burn off end-of-term stress. There are just a few things you’ve gotta do: fill out the rental application form at least ten days in advance, and have at least ten club/group members on board. Each club can claim one free rental per term each for the AC and the varsity dome, so make it count!

One last thing – if the AC timing/availability doesn’t work out for you, don’t forget that Hart House also let’s students reserve certain facilities for free!! There’s lots to choose from – the Activities Room, the Exercise Room, and even the Lower Gym, which can be used for indoor soccer, basket-ball, volley-ball, dodgeball… hmm, I think I might just have to round up some friends and get a game going myself!

-Lesia

 

The Hart House Circuit

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Well this week flew by… and since I was away for part of it, I’ve been kinda slacking with studying and gym visits. So I’ve told myself that come Monday it’s time to get out of lazy mode and back into my routine. And my Monday routine always includes a visit to the Hart House Fitness Centre, where I usually do the Hart House Circuit.

If you’ve been to the gym at Hart House, then you might have noticed the big sign hanging on the wall between the two stairwells leading to the track. It outlines the eight different stations and the number of reps to complete for each level. There are signs up at each station around the track as well. Since the day that I discovered that these plaques and tried out the circuit, it’s been my go-to workout. It’s perfect for days when I can’t make a drop-in class and don’t really have a workout plan in mind.

There are lots of things I really, really like about circuit training. First of all, the whole concept of the circuit – doing a bunch of different exercises for short intervals – keeps me from getting bored. It’s a lot more interesting for me than just doing laps or sitting on a bike for a while. The variation is also good because it means that my whole body is getting a workout: a little bit of stair-running here, some push-ups there, sit-ups for the core… all the bases are covered!

The other thing is that circuits are extremely flexible – you don’t have to follow it exactly. If there’s an exercise you want to swap for one you don’t like, or you want to switch up the order, go for it! No one is watching to make sure you followed it perfectly; you can just use it as a guide to build your own personal workout. Like for me, I cut out the chin ups because I simply don’t like those, and I do triceps dips on the wooden block instead of dips on the bar. I’ve sort of made it my own thing based on the kinds of exercises I am comfortable with and like to do.

If you haven’t given the Hart House Circuit a shot, it’s a really great workout to try. You can even pick up a Circuit Training Handbook from the athletics desk near the changerooms, which explains the different stations and alternate exercises for each one. You can also use it to track your progress.

After getting through it several times, you’ll find that you’ll start to remember all of the stations and how many reps to do for each one. This is a bonus – since the circuit doesn’t require any fancy machines, if you know it then you’ll have a workout that you can always fall back on no matter where you are!

-Lesia

 

 

Read all the things… or not

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Ah, that precious time off that I (and no doubt many of you!) have been looking forward to all term is finally here: Reading week!!

Now I know that for most of us, the fate of our reading week depends on our midterm schedule and assignment deadlines. Last year I had three tests in a row right after the break, so I was all like:

Needless to say, between studying and volunteering for Alternative Reading Week, I had very little time to get out to any events happening on campus or check out the city surrounding it. A real shame! But I’m happy to report that I lucked out this year and will definitely be taking advantage of some free days to get active and have fun. Yep, this year my attitude towards Reading Week is more like…

Ha-ha. So if you feel the same way, or you need some study break ideas to get you through the inevitable reading that awaits you, then check out some of the ideas and events I’ve listed below!

Explore the gym in res
With many students gone for the break, if you are sticking around then now’s a great time to scope out the gym at your residence, if it’s got one! I know for sure that Trinity, Chestnut, and Innis have exercise rooms that their students may use. You can sneak in a workout during a long day of studying, since you won’t even have to leave the building!

Skate at Nathan Phillips Square
This is a popular spot not far from campus, at Queen and Bay. It’s been on my to-do list since last year and I STILL have not made it out…but maybe I’ll finally have a chance to check it out with a friend.

Recharge at Harvest Noon or Hart House
The cute little café will be closed during the week, but they will be hosting some special
food workshops in the evenings! I’m talking about chocolate and coffee, bread-baking, and an interesting sensory awareness dinner. There’s also a Community Kitchen
dinner at Hart House that sounds like it will be delicious!

Hike around High Park
One of my favourite places off campus…it’s close for me and I have been walking/running through the trails here many times.  It’s super easy to get to from downtown – literally right across the street from High Park Subway Station.

Of course, don’t forget that the Athletic Centre will still be open every day except Family Day. Hart House will be open all week too! And if you’re free tonight, come watch the Blues Basketball team take on Ryerson as both Varsity an intramural athletes highlight the Athlete Ally initiative that has been taking place all week!

Hope you all have a fun week!!

-Lesia

 

Teeing off with the President

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One of my goals for this semester is to keep up with events going down on campus an try to make it out to as many as I can. Especially if they are free! So even though I didn’t know the first thing about golfing or how to hit a ball, I set out to test my aim at the Tee Off With the President event in the Varsity Dome last week.

Driving range in the Varisty dome.

So, did I really get to meet David Naylor, the President of U of T? Yes, I did! We chatted for a few minutes as he watched my (not-so-great) swing and offered some helpful tips. He made it look effortless, but I found it to be really challenging! I had to think about positioning my hands and my feet properly, and twisting the right way, and then actually hitting the ball… but I’m happy to report that I did manage to get it in the air a few times. Hitting it straight… well, that might take a while. If there’s one thing I learned about golf during this experience, it’s that it must take a lot of practice to get good at it!

Working on my form..

Even though my arm was a little sore by the time my half an hour was up, I’m glad I went out to this despite having almost zero golf experience. Members of the Varsity golf team happily offered me some much-need pointers, and I could tell that the other students, regardless of skill level, were enjoying themselves too. U of T hosts a lot of events, but this was one of the coolest opportunities I have encountered yet. I mean, how many university students can say they went golfing with their President?

Students getting ready to golf!

If you missed the chance to try out your own golf skills last week, that’s ok! All full-time, part-time and graduate students* have FREE access to the driving range in the Varsity dome using their T-card. There’s drop-in golf offered every weekday, and you can even print out a handy schedule.

On a side note… this marks week three of my tennis lessons! And so far, so good! I’m having a lot of fun and I think my hand-eye coordination is getting better. We’ve been moving slowly and covering the basics, like practicing controlling the ball, keeping a rally going, forehand and backhand swings… Oh, and just yesterday we worked on nailing those serves! Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to practice yet in between lessons. In the meantime, I’ve have been trying to wrap my head around the rules and the score keeping. But hey, at least I know what love means now!

-Lesia

* See this link for full details.

 

Have you “dropped-in” yet?

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So with the temperature plummeting recently, and my motivation for any outdoor exercise plummeting with it, I’ve been taking advantage of the FREE drop-in fitness classes offered at both the Athletic Centre (AC) and Hart House.

I think those classes are absolutely the BEST idea. What I especially love about them is that it means I don’t have to come to the gym with a workout plan. I don’t have to think about what machines I should use, how many reps to do, or how many seconds to hold a pose. All I have to do is show up, follow the instructor’s lead, and before I know it the class is over and I’m done my workout for the day!

I’ve tried a bunch of different classes during my time at U of T. Read on to see what I thought, and make sure to check out the full schedules for both Hart House and the AC!

Boot Camp
Hart House – Mon, Wed, Thurs

This is by far the most intense of all the classes I’ve tried and I’m still hoping I can find a way to fit it into my schedule this semester. Even though my entire body was sore the next day, I felt so good about myself for toughing it out for those 45 minutes. If you are ready to work your butt off, but just need a boost of motivation, then definitely give this a try. Dustin, the instructor I had, won’t tolerate any slacking!

Zumba
Hart House – Tues, Wed, Fri
AC – Mon, Wed, Fri

Ah, Zumba. The class where it doesn’t really matter that you have no idea what you are doing cuz everyone else is pretty much in the same boat. I, for example, have terrible hand-eye-hip coordination, but nonetheless enjoy dancing around (as best as I can) to the upbeat music. I actually have only been to the class at Hart House, but a friend had really good things to say about the Friday class at the AC too.

Zumba at the AC!

Triple Blast
AC – Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat

I just tried this out a few weeks ago, and it’s challenging, but I love it! This class is a mix of cardio, core and all over muscle-toning moves. This is another one of those classes you are probably going to be sore from the next day, but it really is worth it. I’ve told a friend about it and we are hoping to make it a weekly thing this semester!

Super Circuit
Hart House – Tues, Wed, Thurs

I’ve been going to this class about once a week since last fall, and it’s a great morning
workout! There are two different instructors and they both have very different routines. Amanda’s class is a lot of strength and balance work that incorporates moves like squats and arm-raises with the use of free weights and a body bar. Daniella’s class is a total body workout – there’s lots of cardio using the step and a good amount of leg and arm work with weights, body bar and/or resistance band. Both instructors play great music to keep you going, so either way you are guaranteed a good workout!

Now, I mentioned being sore after a good workout.

Ok it shouldn’t be THAT bad… Ha-ha! But don’t get discouraged if you feel achy and sore all over. I always tell myself that it’s actually a good sign, and means that I’ve challenged my body and am getting stronger.

So next time you’ve got an extra hour to kill, remember that you can drop-in anytime!

-Lesia