Fall '93 Fitness Edition
Meditation
Benefits Health
By Mordant McCarthy
If the
first thing
you think
of when
somebody
mentions
meditation
is some old.
stoned granola ringing a bell
and chanting in his converted
'68 Volkswagen bus, you're
dead wrong. Meditation is
not a fringe thing that
weirdos do, it is a world-wide
practice used to greatly
reduce stress and improve
attention. These are impor
tant issues for every college
student.
Using meditation as a
relaxation technique is very
easy to do; here is a general
program you can try: Set 15
minutes aside in your day
and find a quiet place where
you're not likely to be* dis
turbed. Sit in a comfortable
position with your spine
straight (this helps with your
breathing). Breathe slowly
and steadily from the bottom
of your stomach, relaxing
your body with each exhale.
Pick something to focus on.
Your focus can be whatever
you'd like; a soothing color, a
word, an idea, or a part of
your life you'd like to change,
try to keep your mind clear
of scattered thoughts.
Undoubtedly things will pop
up in your mind, but each
time you catch yourself wan
dering off return your atten
tion to your focus. With
regular practice you can get
very good at clearing your
mind quickly of distractions,
enabling you to devote all of
your attention to the task at
hand, whether it be doing
well on your chemistry final
or calming down after a
stressful day.
There is much more out
there when it comes to medi
tation. All major religious
faiths contain some form of
meditation, it is also an inte
gral part of many spiritual
beliefs- People practice medi
tation alone and in groups, to
combat terminal illness and
to have more energy.
If you think meditation is
Energize vour life with Club Sports
Hy Robin Hotly
It's Thursday. 4 V) pm,
and midterms an.' next
week. You've been living .1
the library for the past
three days, frantically try
ing to get through that ten
pager with desperate hope’s of still having
time to study for exams. You decide to take a
break, opting for a quick coffee and cookie at
the EMU instead of taking the time to go all
the way home for a more nutritious meal As
you're walking Kick to the library, you think
about your friends and wonder if they are as
stressed as you Then you begin to wonder if
you still have any friends, as you haven't
returned a single one of their calls in days
Feeling quite depressed, you slowly trek up
two flights of stairs and somehow make it to
your table.
While waiting for the caffeine to kick in,
you stare blankly at the window Suddenly,
you are distracted by something outside and
begin to focus beyond the glass pane but
what is it’ What's going on out there? You
see a large group of students having an awe
some time running around in the muddy, we
gras-, and throwing some flourescent-looking
disc at one another Your spirits begin to lilt
as you watch the action, anil before you
know it you've been watching them for half
an hour While imagining how much tun it
would be, you wish that somehow you couk
get involved too. Hut the question you ask
yourself is. how?
If you haven't guess it. the answer is sim
ple: C LUB SITJK I S I he Frb Memorial Unior
Club Sports Program at the University of
Oregon is a great way to get involved in com
petitive recreational sports It is designed as
an athletic alternative to the existing intra
mural and intercollegiate programs I here
are lots of reasons why everyone (including
you) should participate in the Club Spirts
program Here's just .1 few
1 Anyone Can Participate- U of O Club
Sports are designed to be available ti' any
male or female who wants to plav and com
pete. regardless of lev el ot expertise begin
ners are mom than welcome!
2 Variety- I''here are 27 different sports to
choose from ranging from Baseball to Water
nolo, Ice Hockey to Ultimate Frixtxv Includ
ed as well are thrix' new clubs which have
surfaced this year Billiards, Scuba and Fixil
bag (hackee sack)
1 Meeting People Since you are all shar
ing a common interest, Club Sports can lx- an
excellent wav to meet people and make neve
friends.
4 Good f xercise It anything, join a club
sport for the work-outs. It kiss's your fxxiv in
shape, your mind healthy, and is a lot more
exciting than running laps at Hayward Field!
5. Collegiate C ompetition- I Vspite not
being l! ot O. Varsity sports (such as loolball
and golf). Club Spirts allow you to evp-ri
once the thrill ot competing against other uni
versities
n t ravel Experience- Ileinga member of a
Club Spirt most likely will include lots ot
travel to cool places11 ast Spring, the
Women's Waterpolo team alone got to travel
to Berkeley, Santa Cm/, and Claremont, Cali
fornia tor different competitions!
7 Relieves Stress- We all know that exer
cise can help to relieve different types of
stress Participating in Club Spirts can lx- a
great way to diffuse the stress of school,
which may in turn help you to bettor orga
nize vour study time
8. Team Participation- I he basic philoso
phy and key to the succi-ss of C lub Spirts is
the student involvement in the coordination
and administration ot the programs What
this means is that all the work is done strictly
on a volunteer basis b\ coaches and coordina
tors I he club dec ides exav tlv how thev want
to implement funds and which competitions
thev vs ant to compete in I he tx-st thing about
the. is that it allows every member to get
involved with alt as pvt-, ot the club's direc
lion
u Cool T-Shirts and Sweatshirts
1 Vp-ndmg on how vour team decides to
sp-rid its money, you may |ust end vour sea
son walking around campus wearing some
griHiv \ clothes!
Id It's |ust t.ood. Plain, Fun!
Well, there you have it1 len great reasons
to get involved with the I Ml Club Spirts
Program! What1 You still need to know
how ’!? IHArSF ASV
Stop hy the I ML Club Spirts office (locat
ed dow nstairs across the courtyard from the
ASUO), and chivk out the bulletin board for
information on phone numbers, times and
dates You can also call Sandy Vaughn (FAIL
L luh spirts Coordinator) at Wtv 37.13,
Excessive exercise can be unhealthy
By Krista Holst
WARNING: I htom' may bo
hazardous U> your health! Con
trary to wtuit some of us may
believe, it is possible to get too
much of a good thing— even
when it comes to exercise Many
of us have known for years that we need to be
more active since simply walking to and from the
shower each morning does not constitute an
acceptable exercise plan While some people think
of exercise as a dreaded chore, others devote many
hours a week to their physical activity of choice.
Although some of us may perceive these dedicated
exercisers to be models of ultimate health and fit
ness, we are now learning that by over-exercising,
these individuals may be putting themselves at risk
for developing health problems. What really hap
pens when we exercise too much? And how much
exercise is enough?
As many of us push ourselves in our exercise
regimes, striving for that firmer, thinner, and curvi
er body, we are driven by the "more is better" theo
ry which encourages us to do that one last sit up
and run that extra mile. This excessive physical
demand which we put our bodies through can lead
to some effects which are far from beneficial. For
both male and female athletes, soa* muscles and
stasis fractures are just two of the less serious
results of excessive exercise. In women, however,
amenorrhea (the loss of the menstrual cycle) and a
loss of bone mass are two of the more serious
effects which may develop in those who consistent
ly exercise for long periods of time at high levels of
intensity.
The main goal of many women's intense work
i.v l.wo •■nixranl<w4 an^ fra
reduce ewss tnniv Kit It this sounds familiar and
you have similar desires, then I have hut one -•ug
gestion Remember the word MODI R A 1 K >\
Although exercising intensely day after day may
seem like an easy way to "lose I lie flab," it is defi
nitely not the healthiest solution Overdoing exer
cise* not only puts strain on your joints, muscles,
and heart, but also may cause your weight and per
centage of body tat to drop to unhealthy levels
Combined with high intensity exercise, low weight
and low bodv tat may contribute to hormonal
changes within the body which can lead to amen
orrhea.
Although some women may dream of the day
on which they no longer have to deal with their
"monthly cycle," this is not a positive way to rid
yourself of it. Many important hormones are
involved in the menstrual cycle and each plays a
critical role in health maintenance Estrogen is one
of these* hormones and aids in protecting and pre
serving bones Consequently, amenorrhea and the
lack of estrogen cause the bones of some women to
be unprotected and at risk for wearing down [>r
Heath/ R Olson, of the University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine, has found that some amenor
rheic athletes have a bom* mineral density similar
to some older, post-menopausal women. A twen
ty-two-year-old athlete, for example, may have the
same bone density as a woman three times her age
Unfortunately this condition cannot be fully
reversed since the majority of the body's bone mass
is constructed before the late twenties. These par
ticular young women are then very susceptible to
becoming victims of osteoporosis in later years.
Osteoporosis, which is common among older
women, is a condition in which the bones become
Turn to EXCESSIVE, oave 3
INSIDE
Training Sensibly - p. 2
Fitness Myths - p. 3
Reaching Your Target
Heart Rate - p.4
For Your
Information
FREE Cholesterol
Screening every
Tuesday from 9:30-11:30
a.m. in the Health
Education Room across
from the Pharmacy
(Bring your student
I.D.).
Be a Peer Health
Advisor—call 346-4456
or 346-2728 for more
information.
——7
This four-page insert is a paid advertising supplement. Matenal contained herein was provided and paid for by the U of O Student Health Center.