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\ 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.