How To Stay Active On Campus

Incorporating physical activity into a busy schedule can be a challenge for college students. Physical fitness can easily take a back seat to academics, socialization and sleep.

However, a lack of physical activity in college can bring consequences. The National Library of Medicine reports that students who are physically inactive showed higher levels of depression compared to those who are physically active.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physical activity helps you immediately feel better, function better and sleep better. Exercise can improve bone and muscular health while also preventing cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, infectious diseases and certain forms of cancer.

Exercise provides numerous physical and mental benefits such as those listed above. Fortunately, Liberty University offers several options for incorporating activity into a busy schedule. From workout classes to going on walks, the options are endless.   

Try Out An Engaging LaHaye Workout Class

The LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center is a wonderful place to start when looking to add more physical activity to your life. According to the website for Liberty Campus Recreation, the 162,000-square-foot facility is full of exercise equipment, basketball courts and workout classrooms. Workout classes are offered every weekday and include Power Pilates, CrossFit, cycling and barre, to name a few.

“The workout classes make it so easy for you,” sophomore Campus Rec employee Arielle Hartzell said. “This way you can plan it into your day, and you don’t have to create a workout.”

Students can sign up for a workout class using the QR code at the end of the story.

Give Pickleball A Go

According to CNBC, pickleball has risen in popularity over the last two years. The sport is like smaller-scale tennis and larger-scale pingpong, with a diverse set of rules and ways to score. The sport has grown popular because it is accessible for people at all fitness levels, being played in retirement communities as well as at the intramural level in college. Liberty offers three on-campus locations where students can play the sport. The first location is inside the LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center, past the basketball courts. The second is the brand-new outdoor location and the third is at the Hydaway Outdoor Center. Over the summer, Liberty constructed six pickleball courts at the Liberty Mountain Intramural Complex, and they are now open for students’ recreational and intramural use.

Join an Intramural Sport

Intramural sports are some of the most popular activities on campus. They allow students to make friends, get active and try new sports. Liberty offers over 20 different intramural activities.

“The best part about intramurals is having the sense of being a part of a team,” Hartzell said. “It builds such a great community, and you meet new people who enjoy doing the same thing as you.”

Getting involved in intramural sports such as basketball, soccer, softball or broomball is a great way to create new friendships and cultivate camaraderie in a team setting. Intramurals begin each semester for a small cost per team. 

According to Campus Recreation’s website, intramural sports and programs “exist to offer opportunities for health and exercise, social interaction, stress reduction, sportsmanship, teamwork and healthy competition.”

Take a Walk

According to WebMD, “Walking helps boost your mood because it increases blood flow and blood circulation to the brain and body.”

Even a short 15-minute walk can improve mental health and physical well-being. Liberty’s campus has many places to walk through and explore. Walking from the Residential Commons to North Campus, on a treadmill in LaHaye or around the sidewalks that surround Main Campus are just a few safe and fun options.

Walking is also a great opportunity to spend time with God. Listening to worship music or praying while on a walk can provide physical and spiritual benefits. Harvard Medical School recommends aiming for 7,500 steps per day, so explore various ways to meet that goal, whether it’s by taking a leisurely evening stroll or opting to walk to class instead of taking the bus.

Staying active while in college may seem like a daunting task, but there are so many practical ways to get moving on campus. Check out the Liberty Campus Recreation website or follow @libertycampusrec on Instagram to learn more.

Long is a lifestyle reporter for the Liberty Champion. 

 

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