‘Fitness halls’ provide built-in motivation
■Two residence halls offer
students an increased focus
on ways of living healthy
By Russ Fegles
for the Emerald
Sports, recreation and health are
important aspects of the Universi
ty experience. Physical education
classes provide for the health and
fitness needs of many college stu
dents. But for a select group of
University Housing residents liv
ing in the health and fitness halls,
fitness goes beyond the classroom
and becomes a part of everyday
life.
There are two of these halls in
the housing system: Clark Hall in
the Walton Complex and Thornton
Hall in the Bean Complex. Resi
dents of these halls engage in
many diverse fitness-related activi
ties.
“We play basketball and football
quite a bit,” said freshman Clark
resident Mike Spangenberg. “The
rec center is just down the street.”
One Thornton resident, Antho
ny Lambatos, said he appreciates
the hall’s weight room. “It's nice
for having a quick workout.” Lam
batos, a freshman, said. “You don't
have to go all the way down to the
rec center to lift weights.
“We also have groups that go to
all the [Ducks] football and basket
ball games.”
Residents of these halls also par
ticipate on their own teams.
Veronica Stotts, a resident assis
tant at Clark Hall, helps organize
such teams. “We're trying to set up
a team for girls' volleyball right
now,” Stotts said. “Our biggest suc
cess so far has been basketball.”
Both health and fitness halls
have formed their own basketball
teams. These teams challenge oth
er halls to informal games. In Janu
ary, Clark and Thornton played the
first such game, with Clark win
ning by a score of 67-63.
“Basketball is a great way to
bring the dorms together,” Span
genberg said. “[The games are] fun.
It's a good way to ease the burdens
of college.”
The students in Thornton and
Clark aren't just keeping their bod
ies fit. They're also strengthening
their social lives.
“I’ve met a lot of cool people
here,” said freshman Kara Mc
Manus, a Clark resident. “There
are a lot of like-minded people in
this hall. We’re all interested in the
same things.”
Thornton resident Steve Budke
said he likes the easy access to
sports partners. “There’s always
someone to go play basketball or
football with you.”
In addition to the physical and
social benefits of the health and fit
ness halls, residents can also im
prove their diets.
“I thought that maybe living
here would help me stay away
from the ‘freshman 15,”’ said psy
chology major and Clark resident
Sara Mulroy.
Even though the students still
eat the occasional pizza and pota
to chips, many of them take advan
tage of the healthy alternatives Car
son Hall cafeteria offers.
The residence hall experience
is common for many college
freshmen and sophomores. For
the students in Clark and Thorn
ton, that experience is improved
by the addition of athletics, exer
cise and new friends. That combi
nation makes the health and fit
ness halls a “slam dunk” for
students who want to keep both
their bodies and brains in good
shape.
Added effort means added health, added satisfaction
■With a busy lifestyle, it’s
easy to overlook some of the
easiest ways to stay fit
By Cody McCullough
for the Emerald
Trying to find the best way to
maintain a healthy lifestyle and
to balance school can be diffi
cult, and many students slip out
of shape. For the busy student,
there are some quick and easy
ways to begin getting healthy
again.
Gail Wolcott, a former health
counselor said, “A good starting
point would be to see how much
more you can walk [daily].”
Walking at a rate of just three
miles per hour can burn five calo
ries a minute.
Another suggestion is walking to
talk to a friend next door or down
the block instead of calling. Also,
instead of trying to find the closest
parking spot, park farther away
and always use the stairs, she
added. Taking the stairs at 35 steps
per minute can burn 10 calories a
minute.
“Ten calories here and there
may not seem like much, but in
the long run, it will pay off,” she
said.
As far as eating habits go, Wol
cott said, “I don’t think anyone
can eat fast food and stay skin
ny.”
Other thing people don’t think
about are how fattening the cream
and flavoring is that they put in
their coffee. Wolcott suggested us
ing skim milk and sugar-free fla
voring.
“Look at your diet and do any
thing to be active,” said Kari Mc
Dowell, a senior psychology stu
dent. “Once you start getting back
into shape, you will have more en
ergy.
Nia
continued from page 4B
energy kick or low gravity yoga
move, students concentrate in
ward so the movements mean
something unique to them.
Rosas brings this particular class
to a close with some vocal exercis
es and stretching; participants
even yawn with their tongues
hanging out. Imagination, playful
ness and silliness all have a place
in the Nia technique.
i i You don’t have to be in
shape to start. I’m always
growing with it. It’s
changed my life in terms of
what I can do physically.
Janet Hollander
Nia instructor
11
When the class ends, Rosas
glides to the corner of the room
and retrieves her CDs; she accepts
a few compliments about the class
then puts on a black leather coat
and leather cowboy-like hat over
her fuzz of blonde hair. Members
of the class disperse with an un
mistakable perk to their gait. They
are sweaty, and they feel good.
In an age of exercise gimmicks
that promise quick results, Nia is
process oriented. It focuses on the
momentary experience; it encour
ages participants to seek pleasure
in movement, but mostly just to
move.
Its more than 400 instructors
worldwide teach people to do
what feels good and augment
movements to fit comfort levels.
There’s no such thing as doing it
wrong.
And the results follow. From fat
person-turns-thin to lethargic-per
son-finds-energy, Nia stories are
growing as the number of certified
instructors rises and classes be
come more commonplace. Be
cause many of the people attracted
to Nia have fitness backgrounds or
an interest in the mind and body
connection, the transformations
that take place are on the inside.
As Rosas says, “You can’t just
address only the body or only the
mind to get to wholeness.”
The levels of Nia are measured
in belts, as with martial arts. Deb
bie Rosas and Carlos Rosas teach
intensive week-long sessions
throughout the year to certify stu
dents to the next belt level.
In Eugene, there is currently
only one certified instructor, but
another is taking her intensive
training March 10-17 and will
subsequently begin teaching
classes.
Janet Hollander has been teach
ing Nia in Eugene for about six
years. She is now a black belt and
teaches a general class at Four
Winds at 1840 Willamette and a
closed class for seniors at
Willamette Oaks Retirement Liv
ing Community.
Though Hollander, 53, now re
ceives comments about how strong
she looks, she says when she start
ed, she was not in peak physical
condition.
“You don’t have to be in shape
to start,” Hollander said. “I’m al
ways growing with it. It’s changed
my life in terms of what I can do
physically.”
Another Nia enthusiast, Deborah
Power, will begin her intensive
training Saturday and begin teach
ing classes at the Downtown Ath
letic Club on March 23 and the Eu
gene Swim and Tennis Club on
April 3.
Power has a strong fitness back
ground, with professional body
building experience, and has
taught yoga and aerobics in Eugene
for six years.
Nia classes:
Four Winds, 1840 Willamette,
484-6100. $8 drop-in fee. Monday
and Wednesdays 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Eugene Swim and Tennis Club, 2766
Crescent, 342-4414. Free to
members, $5 drop-in fee for
non-members. Tuesdays and
Thursdays 9 a.m. to 10 pm.
* Beginning April 3
Downtown Athletic Club, 999
Willamette, 484-401. $8 drop in fee
for non-members—non-members
must be called in or accompanied
by a member. Fridays 1 p.m.
to 2 p.m.
*Beginning March 23
To order videos, or for more
information, call 1-800-762-5762 or
visitwww.nia-nia.com.
“Nia’s like yoga, only with
rhythm and expression,” Power,
41, says. “The music helps you ex
press yourself so you become un
inhibited.”
All the free-flowing, tai chi, yoga
and modern dance moves of Nia
are not for everyone. Some prefer
being told what to do by a teacher,
and though Rosas believes in her
program and likes to see it grow,
she is happy to refer these people
to another class or suggest a stu
dent try a Nia video.
Rosas emphasizes the same mes
sage she did when she and Carlos
Rosas developed the program: “It’s
ideal when it’s personal.”
So different people get different
things out of it.
Debbie Rosas is still learning
with Nia too. She says now, after
18 years of spreading Nia, she is
learning that what she is doing is
helping people and that it works.
“When it comes to the body,
there’s always something to ex
plore,” Rosas says. “That’s what’s
so exciting.”
FIND THINGS IN ODE CLASSIFIEDS (ROOMMATES, TICKETS, STUFF
YOU LOST, BICYCLES, CARS, JOBS, ON-CAMPUS OPPORTUNITIES)
“The way that I stay in shape is
by eating healthy and having a bal
anced exercise routine of running,
kickboxing and playing tennis,”
she said.
McDowell said she also recom
mends working out with a partner.
“That way, even if you don’t feel
like exercising, you will have
somebody that keeps you doing
it,” she said.
Of course, the basics must be re
membered when starting any exer
cise routine.
Cari Leamy, a senior business
major, stressed that stretching is
very important.
“It is something people often for
get about,” she said. “I would rec
ommend that people start out by
jogging a little bit each day and
that they go to a group exercise
class.”
Wolcott emphasized the impor
tance of setting realistic goals and
choosing enjoyable exercises be
cause “you will be more likely to
stick with it over time.”
When it comes to staying
healthy, Leamy has some advice:
“Don’t stop, or else you will lose
it all and end up starting over
again.”
Designed for
fish or mammal.
_ /WISE
THE BIRKENSTOCK STORE
Physical Education
Take a PE class
For More Information:
a) Web site: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~pars
b) Schedule of Classes — pgs. 99-103
c) Call 346-4113
d) All of the above
Spring Term 2001