Blog

Written by Tabitha Earwood, Personal Training Manager

As a personal trainer, I hear women say these two phrases all the time: “Lifting weights will make you bulky,” and “I don’t want to be bulky—I just want to be toned!” Nothing is more frustrating for me than these two misconceptions. Since our perceptions shape what we do, believing something that isn’t rooted in fact can lead us to avoid the very practices that could help us grow. One of my passions is helping women understand their body’s physiology so they can be empowered to make educated choices.
I Promise, You Won’t Look Like a Man
Female physiology just doesn’t allow us to gain a masculine physique. Because males have more testosterone than females, women aren’t able to gain muscle at the same rate or size as men. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends similar general guidelines for both men and women, including strength training 2-3 days per week.
Carbs Can Equal Curves
Strength training can introduce you to a whole new world of understanding about your body’s physiology. Most people don’t realize that building muscle is one of the only effective ways to speed up your metabolism. The only two places that your body stores carbs as fuel … Read More

Written by Danielle Whitmire, Intramural Sports Coordinator

Struggling to think of a creative Valentine’s date idea for you & your significant other? Do you need a fun way to celebrate Galentine’s Day? Are you and your roommate just tired of watching Netflix all day, every day? Here are 8 Campus Rec activities if you’re looking to try something new this V-day:
Coast Down the Slopes & Coffee
Flex your ski/snowboarding skills at Snowflex or laugh as the two of you fly down the tubing runs. The best part? It’s all free for Liberty students! After your time on the slopes, you can warm up in the cozy Barrick-Falwell Lodge over a cup of The Muse Coffee and delicious pastries.
Pins & Pizza
Pick up one of your favorite pies from Woodfire Pizza Co., then go pick up some spares! The Montview Bowling Alley is a great place for a double date, a group outing, or a ladies’ night! To make it even better, the Montview Bowling Alley is hosting a BOGO Blacklight Bowling event from 6 p.m.–close on Valentine’s Day!
Gun Club & Gyros
Head up to LMGC between 2-6 P.M. on Valentine’s Day to practice your shooting skills and enjoy the mountain views! Afterwards, head back … Read More

Written by Darienne James, Marketing Employee

Campus Recreation works hard to bring incredible experiences and activities to the Liberty student body each semester. Every opportunity provided is centered on the idea that being active can be enjoyable and that our holistic well-being matters!
For the entirety of the spring semester, you will have the opportunity to compete in the first ever Campus Rec Challenge. This challenge is not only a great way to stay active, but a way to push yourself while getting to know all that Campus Recreation has to offer. Those who complete the challenge will receive an award and be entered to win one of the grand prizes!
How to Participate
Make sure to pick up a challenge booklet at any of the Campus Recreation facilities, or in the Campus Recreation main office (located in Green Hall above Chick-fil-A)!
Here are the rules for participation:

The activities can be completed in any order and at any time throughout the semester.
They must be completed within operational hours at each facility.
After completing the activities, you must verify your completion with a faculty staff member. You will receive a sticker from the staff member covering that activity in your booklet.
You cannot get credit for your activity if you … Read More

Written by Maria Campanella, Assistant Director of Hydaway

Here at the Hydaway Outdoor Center, we do our best to take care of the environment and practice Leave No Trace principles. This has inspired me to live a more sustainable lifestyle and to be more aware of how things in our day-to-day life affect the environment. Making the jump to a completely sustainable life is a long process, but here are just a few things that you can start doing whether you live on campus or off to decrease your impact on the environment.
Compost
I know, this seems like a drastic thing to put at the top of the list, but this is actually a simple way to be more sustainable. Keeping fruit and vegetable scraps and dropping them off at a local compost station is a great way to reduce waste. We have a compost station at Hydaway now where people can bring in their waste!
Make Your Own Everyday Items
There are so many recipes out there to make your own everyday items without chemicals. Here are some of my favorites that I have tried and some that I am hoping to try soon:

Laundry Detergent
Dish Soap
All-Purpose Cleaner

On top of these, it is helpful to … Read More

Written by Katy Ward, Outdoor Adventure Manager

When you hit the trails, you are probably looking for some quality time in the peaceful wilderness. Chances are, you will run into someone else with the same mindset. You’ll have to share the trail, but who is supposed to step off and let the other pass? Do you just both awkwardly squeeze through a space meant for one person? Or do you both step off and do a little dance until someone quickly walks through, avoiding eye contact? Believe it or not, there is a proper way to handle this situation.
At Campus Recreation we offer programs that assist you to stay on track such as Personal Training, Group Exercise Classes, Intramural Sports, and nine facilities that are here to meet your needs and holistic well-being during your time at Liberty. So, this year, take 2021 by the reins, and seek to be your best self in all phases of life. To help with this, we are offering some great deals on all our fitness programming at LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center, so check them out below!
Hiker v. Hiker
You’re hiking to the top, pushing for your destination and someone is coming down the trail in front of you. What do you do? Proper etiquette says that you have the right … Read More

Written by Alivia Chenoweth, Marketing Manager

You’ve probably heard the saying “new year, new me” for as long as you can remember. At the beginning of every year, the pressure to set goals to be healthier, be more productive, and ultimately to seek out self-improvement in some form looms over us. What if this year we put the pressure aside and stayed true to ourselves? The busyness of life will always take priority over our fitness goals, health goals, etc. but we should strive for accountability in keeping ourselves physically and mentally healthy.
At Campus Recreation we offer programs that assist you to stay on track such as Personal Training, Group Exercise Classes, Intramural Sports, and nine facilities that are here to meet your needs and holistic well-being during your time at Liberty. So, this year, take 2021 by the reins, and seek to be your best self in all phases of life. To help with this, we are offering some great deals on all our fitness programming at LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center, so check them out below!
Group Ex Classes
We offer over 70 Group Ex classes a semester, with a variety of free standard Group Ex classes and Group Ex Plus classes available with a Group Ex Plus Membership. Group Ex modalities include cardio, strength, mind and body, … Read More

Written by Alivia Chenoweth, Marketing Manager

With Christmas coming up in exactly a week, that means it is crunch time to get gifts for your friends and family. Knowing where to start can be tricky, so that’s why we’ve come up with a specialized gift guide just for you! So, no need to have a bah humbug attitude about finding gifts this year because we’ve got your back.
The Fitness Fanatic
If the first thing on your mind every day is when you’re going to workout, then you are what we call a fitness fanatic. Listed below are a few items that are perfect for your at home or in the gym workouts. 

Personal Training Package: Our certified Personal Trainers are the best around and are here to get you back on track. After developing a personalized plan, they are here to teach you the correct workout form and keep you motivated. These packages are offered to students, staff, and faculty at a very discounted rate and are the perfect gift for the holidays.
Fitness Jump Rope: This kind of jump rope isn’t for double-dutch. Incorporating jumping rope into your workout routine is extremely beneficial for your heart and bone health and is an intense form of cardio.
Stack 52 Bodyweight Exercise Cards: Looking to incorporate some games into your workout? These … Read More

Written by Eljiah Stanley, Outdoor Adventure Manager

Greetings from Campus Recreation! Fall is upon us and that makes for perfect camping weather and beautiful mountain scenery. If you are looking for a quick getaway that will take you into rugged and beautiful forests, look no further than the George Washington National Forest.  This protected forest is only forty minutes from Liberty’s campus and is a camping and adventure paradise.
George Washington National Forest
George Washington National Forest holds a plethora of welcoming riverside campsites that are large enough to host you and your most adventurous friends. Hunting Creek Road in Big Island, Virginia is the best access to plenty of free, first-come, first-serve campsites that are neighbored by a gorgeous trout-filled river. Any vehicle can easily make the trip up the gravel road to the campsites, making it easy to unload and set up tents or any other camping gear. These camping areas are best suited for tent camping and most include a small fire pit.
Freeze-Dried Dinner
After you’ve set up camp, and you have started a fire, it is the perfect time to start dinner. Freeze-dried Mountain House meals are tasty, lightweight, and packable entrees made just for camping. We have been using them on our trips this semester, and we have really enjoyed them. My personal favorite is the chicken & fried rice … Read More

Written by Heather Callahan, Associate Director of Fitness & Programming

Take a moment and set a timer for one minute. Make a tally of how many breaths you take during that minute. Try not to change or think too much about the span of the breath, try to breathe as comfortably as possible.
It is likely that you took about 12-20 breaths during that minute – which is the average for a human being. Now let’s look at a tortoise – they take an average of four breaths per minute. Comparing life spans, tortoises live an average of 98 years longer than human beings.
So, does breathing have something to do with longevity? Health research concludes this as a yes – good breathing practices are positively correlated to decreased mortality risk. Here’s why.
Breathwork Induces Stress Resilience
What is stress resilience? This is your body’s natural reaction to stressors in your environment. Having a good resilience to stress is a very good thing. Breathing practices bring you quickly to the present moment, which helps to reduce stress, symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD.
There are two important components of your autonomic nervous system:
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) – “Fight or Flight”
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS) – “Rest and Digest”
If you are familiar with these terms, you may have heard that good breathing practices help … Read More

Written by Ashley Romero, Marketing Intern

We all started this year with words that we hoped would reflect the season ahead. Words that most likely did not end up describing the year that we would call 2020. As the holiday season comes closer and the leaves begin to fall, it is all too easy to look ahead to the new year and dream of leaving these crazy times in the past. But, what if we rested in the present? What if we shifted our perspective to be grateful for what this year has brought? With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we have a day carved-out in the year to reflect on the things we can be thankful for. An opportunity to leave this year with gratitude for what it was and not disappointment for what we think it should’ve been.
So, What Does Thankfulness Look Like?
For all you Friends lovers out there, you know that the first Thanksgiving of the show was one that was spent in a way that no one hoped for. Rachel hoped to go out of town, Joey and Phoebe hoped to go see their families, Chandler hated Thanksgiving due to his parents’ divorce, and Monica wanted a pristine meal. None of the friends got what they wanted, but after some thought they realized that … Read More