Blog

Written By Katrina Burgess, Aquatics Coordinator

It’s the year 2020! Here at Recreation Centers, we have been looking forward to a brand new year with all of you.
With each yearly ball drop, people set new resolutions for the days ahead. Let’s think about how many of these “resolutions” are actually seen through the next year and how many have been achieved. You in fact, may have experienced how your new year resolution starts out strong in January, but fades once February or March comes along. I want to challenge you to see your goals through to the year 2021. I personally believe that less goals in specific areas of your life is key to behave consistently and create lasting personal growth throughout your everyday experiences.
In order to create lasting goals, I follow Dave Ramsey’s goal setting principle.

The goal must be specific

The goal must be measurable

The goal must have a time limit

The goal must be yours

The goal must be in writing

These goals do not need to be year-long goals, they can also be short-term or long-term goals within different areas of your life. Below are the seven categories I like to review when setting my goals each quarter of the year.

Career
Career goals can be as simple as … Read More

Written By Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Employee

It’s almost Christmas, and you know what that means! Time with family, lots of good food, and traditions!  There’s something so magical about this time of the year, and it’s important to soak in every moment of it. Here are some tradition ideas to get you in the holiday spirit!

Pick and Decorate a Christmas Tree
This may seem like a no brainer, but this can be a great way for families to bond and spend time together while doing something fun. If you don’t want to deal with the upkeep of a real Christmas tree this year, getting an artificial tree and decorating it can be just as fun! If you don’t already have an artificial tree to pull out of storage, going to the store and looking “your tree” can be a lot of fun as well. Next step—put on your favorite Christmas music playlist and get to decorating!
Start an Ornament Collection

When it comes to ornaments, there’s something special about buying them throughout the year and anticipating the day you finally can put them on the tree. Whether you traveled, graduated, got married, adopted a pet—all are good excuses to buy or make a special ornament symbolizing that memory!
If you are on … Read More

Written By Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Employee

The Holidays are a good time for family, friends – and food. The food may be good for your taste buds, but not so much for your waistline. Looking at you pie, mashed potatoes, and endless amounts of gravy!
A key to staying healthy during the holidays is to eat mindful, not mindless; so be a smart cookie and follow these steps to stay healthy during this holiday season:

Eat Mindfully
It can be extremely easy to overeat and fall into the well known “food coma”, which may sound exciting at first, but once you get there you know you’ve made some mistakes. To avoid this, try to eat slowly and allow yourself to truly enjoy your favorite holiday dishes. Since it takes around 20 minutes for your stomach’s “I’m full” signal to reach your brain, it is suggested to take a 10-minute break after your first helping of food. As for dessert, eat only a couple of your favorite dishes instead of sampling every option available.
Stay Active
Try to avoid sitting for long periods of time. Too much sitting can be hazardous to your health, and research shows that it’s important to get up for even just five minutes, every 30 to 60 minutes and … Read More

Written By Alivia Chenoweth, Marketing Manager

Let’s Admit It…
Going home for the holidays means you don’t have access to LaHaye. But that doesn’t mean you have to lose your routine! Doing simple, short workouts from the comfort of home can be very effective in attaining your goals—no gym necessary. Here are some exercises you can complete at home over winter break.

No Equipment Body Weight Workout
Surprisingly, it is easy to achieve a full-body workout with a handful of equipment-free workouts. After stretching, we recommend beginning with your upper body and working your way down. To start, pushups are great upper body workouts that work the shoulders, chest, triceps and ab muscles. Next, sit ups, crunches, and planks are all very effective core and ab workouts. Finally, strengthen your legs by performing lunge holds, alternating lunges, squats, and calf raises.  Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list of body weight workouts, so feel free to expand your arsenal by researching more!
Under 15 Minute Workout
(20-30 second breaks between each exercise)

10-12 pushups
8-10 diamond pushups
10-12 declined pushups (put feet on a chair or bench)
30 sit ups with hands behind head
30 cross-arm crunches
60 second plank
45 second left leg lunge hold
45 second right leg lunge hold
Alternating lunges (15 for each leg)
20 squats
20 … Read More

Written By Samantha Schwab, Marketing Employee
This semester has been flying by, and Thanksgiving break is already just around the corner. In the midst of the hustle of grinding for final exams, take this time to focus on you and nourish your mind and body by finding ways to rest! You deserve a well-earned break in the midst of the chaos that surrounds you in this season of prepping for the end of the semester.
Here are 5 tips on ways you can find rest during Thanksgiving Break.

Self-Care
When was the last time you went to your favorite coffee shop, found the coziest corner, and dug into that new book you’ve been waiting to read? Go spend some time with yourself! If coffee shops aren’t your thing then go drive to the nearest nature trail and spend some time walking and reflecting on your inner self. Or maybe you need a cliché spa day—so go put on a facemask and sit back while binging a new Netflix show.
When life gets busy we tend to shove aside our much-needed self-care tasks in order to get done the more pressing tasks that consume our weeks. Find rest in self-care this holiday break.

Don’t Over Plan!
Plans, plans, plans! Planned obligations consume our weeks and … Read More

Written by  Tim Lewis
 

This fall, I had the privilege to participate in a Leave No Trace Master Educator course through Landmark Learning in Cullowhee, NC. This 5 day course introduced the topic of Leave No Trace (LNT) to myself and a several other outdoor professionals and recreationalists.
During that course, a foundation of experiential learning and outdoor ethics were built, and upon graduation, we would teach to our respective spheres of influence. We were tasked with teaching the course to each other throughout the 5 days. What better way to learn the material!?
What Is Leave No Trace?
Since the 1980’s, Leave No Trace has been a respected organization in the outdoor community who’s mission has been to protect the outdoors “by teaching and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly” (LNT Mission Statement). Through “cutting-edge education and research”, LNT has become a household name in the outdoor industry and continues to send ripples well beyond the banks of the outdoor industry. So what is it exactly?

Quite simply, LNT is a collection of 7 defining principles:

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

These 7 principles can be applied to all outdoor activities, sports, and environments at any time by anyone! While following each principle, you will find that they relate back to and support one … Read More

Written By Alivia Chenoweth, Marketing Manager
Finals week is approaching, which means stress! A lot of people struggle finding mental health balance during this time, and the motivation to do the final push through classes can be tough. Thankfully, there are 3 weeks until finals season which means there is plenty of time to prepare. Preparation is prevention, so let’s dive into the 5 ways that you can prepare for finals and make it into something positive.

Make To Do Lists
Organizing and prioritizing when you are going to study for each class can actually alleviate anxiety, according to Psychology Today.  Lists help combat avoidance and procrastination—they help organize your inner chaos, making your workload feel more manageable.

Back Off the Caffeine
Yep—you read that right. I just stated the unspeakable, and probably the opposite of what you think you should do during finals week. Caffeine is known to increase your alertness, but it also increases anxiety. Focus on limiting yourself to one to two cups a day instead of the normal five to six. You’ll end up sleeping better too and your body will thank you.
Don’t Neglect Healthy Eating Habits
It’s easy to reach for the snacks and foods that are quick and reliable when we don’t have … Read More

Written By Katrina Burgess, Aquatics Coordinator
The days are starting to get busy and the weather is getting cold—and let’s be honest, classes and work are beginning to fill the longest days we have seen all year. What better way to get through the day than with a podcast?
So let’s grab our earphones and begin the search for the best podcast for you. Here are 5 podcasts to make the whole week feel like the weekend.

1. The Ken Coleman Show
To start your podcast search off, here is my all-time favorite: The Ken Coleman Show. In each of the episodes within this podcast, the host, Ken Coleman (did anyone else guess that?), establishes the key points to become the person who you want to be in the place where you want to be. On the show, Ken takes calls from people all over the world and listens as they pour their confusion, frustration, and dreams onto his lap. The cool thing about Ken is that he never simply gives the answer to the question, but through the 35-45 minute episodes, he allows the caller with the question to answer their own question!

If you are in the mood for professional life guidance – e.g. … Read More

Written by Maria Campanella
As I’m sure anyone who attends Liberty University has noticed, the Enneagram is a constant topic of discussion. For those of you that don’t know, it is a set of nine personality types and meant to help people understand themselves and others better. The Enneagram Institute has far more information on each type, the correlation between all the types, and how to determine what number you are. It can be beneficial in relationships, the workplace, and to know yourself better to help you grow as a person.
The outdoors are more appealing to some types rather than others, but I feel that the Outdoor Recreation department has something to offer every enneagram type. Hopefully this will give you a better idea of what we do as a department and how you can utilize what we have available.
 

Type One – Ones have a very strong sense of right and wrong and strive for perfection. The Reformers are known for wanting to change the world, and they have goals and visions for how to make a difference. They are wise and discerning and, at their best, know what is best in every situation. Ones often like to have an escape and a way to “blow off steam” which is why I think that our trail races and trail running in general would be a beneficial thing … Read More

Written By Britta Solle, Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
The gym can be an intimidating place for many different reasons. Whether it’s the people, the noise, the equipment, or something else, it’s never fun to feel anxious in a place that should be for reaching goals and bettering yourself. As someone who has been lifting for a few years, I know exactly what that feels like, and it’s totally normal—we all have to start somewhere. When I first started working out it took months for me to find the courage to try a new machine or exercise. I didn’t even touch a barbell for almost a year of being in the gym! From someone who’s worked through all the uncertainty, self-conscious thoughts, and confusion, here are my best tips & advice for overcoming gym anxiety:

Come prepared
Write down your workout on your phone or in a notebook, and make it specific. Ask yourself these questions to help build your workout: What body parts do I want to work? What exercises do I want to do? What machines do I need to use? How many sets and reps of each exercise am I going to do? Write it all down. The more you … Read More