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Written By Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Employee
Starting a new exercise can seem intimidating. Not only does switching up your fitness routine keep it exciting—it is also often rewarding. CrossFit is one of those intimidating, exciting, and rewarding exercises.

So, what is CrossFit?
CrossFit training consists of varied and high-intensity functional movements. According to the CrossFit site the program is “designed for universal scalability, making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience.” CrossFit is a training philosophy that coaches people of all shapes and sizes to improve their physical well-being and cardiovascular fitness in a hardcore, yet accepting environment.
Official Definition of CrossFit
Found on their website, “CrossFit is a lifestyle characterized by safe, effective exercise and sound nutrition. CrossFit can be used to accomplish any goal, from improved health to weight loss to better performance. The program works for everyone—people who are just starting out and people who have trained for years.”

What to Expect
You’ll work hard
You won’t be doing the most advanced moves in your first few classes, but hard work is what gets the best results. So, don’t expect it to be too easy. It’s like the first week at a new job—everything is tiring because everything is new, and you don’t even know where to … Read More

Written By Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Employee
 
Meal prepping saves time and money, and it also helps you to keep up with your fitness on a busy schedule. It may seem like a hassle, but in the long run it saves so much time— especially if you’re constantly on the go.
Here are some reasons why you should meal prep, as well as some meal prep ideas:

Meal prepping saves you money
You don’t need to worry about where you’re going to go on your lunch break, what you’re going to eat after work, or how much money you want or don’t want to spend. The money you spend per meal is much cheaper because you are creating your meals in bulk and using different ingredients for several meals.
Meal prep reduces food waste
It’s easy to buy a ton of groceries, especially meat and produce, thinking you’re going to eat it all, then eventually throw it out because you weren’t able to eat it before it went bad. It’s easy to forget about the meat and produce that you bought when you’re not thinking about and scheduling the meals you want to make in bulk. One of the best parts about meal prepping and planning out your meals is … Read More

Written By Heather Callahan, Associate Director of Fitness and Programming
Over the last few years, the handstand has become the quintessential pose for aspiring and active yoga practitioners. There are a few reasons for this shift – a primary reason is because of the rise in social media, many are seeing these advanced postures and admiring the strength, flexibility, and balance it takes to achieve them more often than they were seeing them in Yoga Journal magazine on the shelves in Barnes and Noble.
In my approaching decade of teaching yoga, I have had a love/hate relationship with this pose. It is a battle of fear and ego, of holding and letting go, of mental and physical harmony. The ability to do this pose correctly is entirely dependent upon your mental state and level of preparedness.
There are quite a few physical benefits to practicing handstand including:

Reverse the blood flow in the body and improve circulation:
Increase immunity and prevent illness
Improve balance
Increase core strength
Literally give us a new perspective on life

Now what are the tools you need in order to get started?
Have an established yoga practice with good body mechanics
The reason I suggest having an established yoga practice is that it creates good kinesthetic awareness – i.e., your ability to know where your body is in space at any given time.
Yoga helps establish that balance. … Read More

Written by Luke Whitmire

Fall is here, and it’s our last chance to soak up the warm weather before the cold arrives! One great way to get out and enjoy the changing seasons is to go out and do some fishing!  Central Virginia has some great opportunities to go after many different species of fish! If you’re into bass fishing, grab a canoe and head to the James! The James River provides great opportunities for both smallmouth and largemouth bass. If you’re really hardcore, grab the biggest streamer you can find, throw some salt over your shoulder, and go hunting for some muskies! Always be sure to pick up your fishing license when heading to public waters, this is a great way to support conservation and save yourself from some trouble, if you happen to see a game warden.
 
Another great spot for canoe and kayak fishing is to located at Clemmons Lake in Ivy Creek Park. They stocked over four-hundred pounds of trout and catfish last November and you can catch and keep up to four catfish or trout a day, so whether you’re a spin fisherman or a fly fishermen, head on over and try to catch some dinner! If you’re a fly fisherman looking for trout streams, take a drive and head out to some … Read More

Written By Hannah Gwaltney, Marketing Intern
Here at Liberty we are surrounded by beautiful mountains and students have the incredible opportunity to explore them on weekends. Whether you hike Cole Mountain, Sharp Top, McAfee’s Knob, or any other mountain, hiking is a great, fun outdoor workout. Before you begin your next hike, check out this list of do’s and don’ts. Hike mindfully and safely with these few tips!
Buddy system
Hiking alone provides a great opportunity to escape and unwind. However, if you are a beginner it is in your best interest to bring a friend or more. You will be less intimidated and lonely!
Look up the hike in advance
Know exactly what kind of hike you are starting before you drive there. This will allow you to look up the trail’s difficulty, distance, elevation, directions, water sources, and other important features.
Check the weather
Make sure you have clear weather the day of the hike (specifically no fog, rain, ice or snow). That will ensure you get the most of your hike in the best weather possible! Plus, it can protect you and your friends from getting stuck in faulty weather.
Wear the right shoes
Wear the most comfortable and broken-in sneakers or hiking boots you own. This choice is the … Read More

Written by Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Employee
It’s important to stay active; we all know that. But what happens when you’re busy and don’t have time to work out? If school or work is keeping you from staying active, here are some tips on how to fit exercise into your routine—no matter how busy you are.
Take the stairs
Instead of taking the elevator up to work, walk up the stairs. Walking, or running, up stairs is one of the best exercises that you can do to build muscle mass while also burning off the calories of that morning doughnut. Not to mention, more often than not, taking the stairs is actually faster than taking the elevator.

Wake up earlier
We know that this isn’t what you want to hear, especially when you’re not a morning person. However, it’s true that you get the most benefits from working out in the morning than any other time of the day. The most prominent benefits from working out in the morning are: it enhances your metabolism, it will help cultivate consistency, it improves your physical and mental energy, and it helps develop strong self-discipline.

Make it fun
If workouts always feel like a chore, you are not going to want to make time for … Read More

Written by Hannah Gwaltney, Marketing Intern
The purpose of the physical practice of yoga is to build strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body [1]. When implementing yoga into your daily routine, you will see the harmony created both physical and mental health benefits. Listed below are some of the most important benefits of practicing yoga.
Physical Benefits

Flexibility
First and foremost, yoga is known to increase flexibility through the practice of different poses. In the beginning phases, you may have difficulty holding poses or touching their toes. However, after steady practice and determination, the poses that were once impossible become possible!

Muscle Strength and Tone
You will see a huge difference in the definition and tone of their muscles through yoga. Plus, it prevents bad health conditions or injuries.

Circulatory Health
Yoga gets blood flowing throughout the entire body. The relaxation ironically speeds up the circulation in your body, allowing blood to flow throughout the entire body, even to your hands and feet [2]. Different poses correlate to stronger circulation in specific areas. For example, inverted poses help blood flow from the legs and pelvis to the heart. T

Increase Heart Rate
Although yoga may seem as a low-heart rate, relaxing exercise, it is actually proven to regulate … Read More

Written by Alivia Chenoweth, Marketing ManagerAs you all know, Recreation Center’s promo is known for it’s smoothie bike, and some of you probably were able to even ride it at Block Party this past Saturday! It’s the only one of its kind on campus, and we love using it to promote healthy living. What’s better than being able to blend your own food? Here are some awesome smoothie recipes for you to try as a morning protein boost or afternoon snack.

Triple Berry Max Smoothie
• 2 medium bananas, sliced and frozen
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup frozen raspberries

 
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
• 2 cups frozen sliced bananas
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter
 
Tropical Green Smoothie
• 2 kiwi, peeled
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 banana, peeled
• 1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach
 
Made one of the smoothies above? Tag us on Instagram (@lureccenters) for a chance to be featured on our page!
 

Written by Luke Whitmire
Conservation is a topic that is coming more into the limelight as we continue to realize that our actions are negatively impacting the environment around us. As the conversation continues to escalate, it naturally gravitates towards the bigger issues, such as large-scale manufacturers and consumer habits. While these conversations are important, they can often distract us, as individuals, and what we can do in order to further conservation efforts.
One way to get involved and make a difference in conservation is to change your daily habits and consumer practices in order to favor environmentally friendly pursuits. How do you decide what clothes you buy? What food you are going to eat? Every time you make a purchase, you are “voting” with your money. Just as you should be conscious in the political sphere with your vote and know what a politician stands for, you should be conscious with your money, and support businesses and purchasing practices that support values that you care about.
Here are a few things that you may want to consider:

Buy local, in-season, organically grown produce. It increases nutrients, biodiversity, promotes a connection to food, and local farms often pursue farming habits that are more friendly to the soil, crops, insects, and your produce. Check out the documentary Sustainable.
Animal agriculture, mainly red meat sources such as cattle, are responsible for the … Read More

Written by Joe Frey

I was not always an outdoors enthusiast.  Sure, I loved being outside playing catch or going for a swim, but when it came to going on a hike to an overlook or kayaking in the bay I began thinking of excuses for why I “couldn’t go.” If I’m being honest it wasn’t for a lack of motivation, it just didn’t really sound fun.
Fast forward a few years and I am in high school.  I had various social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and noticed my friends posting amazing pictures and awesome things in the outdoors.  So that Christmas I asked for a GoPro.  An indestructible camera that magically motivated me to go explore and seek out the next post for my Instagram.  Many of you who are reading this may have experienced this same drive. I found myself seeking the next adrenaline rush simply to capture the video or picture.  Regardless of whether the desire was for status or for excitement, I wasn’t exploring to appreciate God’s incredible creation. I just wanted to snap the perfect photo.

Looking at the pictures I have taken over the years, it was clear that I broke many rules to capture more than a few of them.  I was oblivious to the “No Trespassing” and “Danger” signs that are posted, much like many other adventurers.  But why … Read More