by Jay Aguila
Staff Writer
Once again it is that time of year when college students invest bundles of money for the trip of their life-time to some of the best known spring break spots.
From the beaches of Cancun to the clubs of Rosarito Beach and the lake parties at Lake Havasu, it is time to leave college courses behind and get into – or out of – the clothes to party in.
An important aspect of this college ritual is getting your body in shape for spring break.
Students are known to start working off holiday pounds during January for the best look by April.
“I try to always stay fit, so I won’t have to worry about looking fit for spring break,” said Michael Aguila, a senior criminology major.
“Push-ups and sit-ups are overlooked in my (opinion), if you just stick to it you’ll see the results,” Aguila said.
Most students, however, must get ready for spring break, whether by going on a diet or by just not pigging out at Davenport.
But do last minute shape-up plans work?
“It’s a little too late at this point to get in shape,” assistant athletic trainer Tim Nausin said. “Appearance-wise, you might see some change, but it is unhealthy for your body to just through yourself at push-ups and sit-ups.”
Nausin said that crunches and push-ups are good ways to spot-reduce weight but that can’t be all you do.
You have to check your calorie intake, the portions you eat and your lifestyle in general. “You have to have good lifestyle choices,” Nausin said.
“When spring break comes around, I look forward to spending time with my friends and family and not about hitting the gym extra hard,” said Luis Chavez, a junior broadcasting major.
“Why are people going to be fit just for spring break? If you’re going to be fit, then be fit, not just for spring break but for life.”
There are a lot of techniques that people use to get fit but if they realize that this should be a lifestyle not a yearly routine, the “I need to get ready for spring break” mentality would not even exist.
Cardiovascular workouts are known to be good way to get in shape.
Cardio exercises are designed to elevate your heart rate and any time you raise your heart rate for an extended period of time, your body is working hard enough to achieve results.
A workout that achieves this cardiovascular goal is Tai Boe. In Tai Boe you do non-impact punches and kicks with various movements to achieve a high heart rate in a workout that has been the craze for some time now.
For men, the areas that they seek to shape up are the arms, abs and oblique area, otherwise known as love handles. Workouts like sit-ups and push-ups can take care of this, but you have to also have a healthy diet.
Women tend to want to focus on the stomach and legs. Workouts like Winsor Pilates are among those recommended.
As a college student you just have to start somewhere and follow through.
“You have to have a game plan, and be able to follow through because there are no quick fix programs,” Nausin said.
As for next week’s exercise endeavors.
“I think because I got the week off … I get lazier, so I don’t really work out,” said freshman criminology major Kyle Musselman.
“If I do go to the beach … I might want to work out afterwards but not before, I am too lazy,” he said.
College students do not always have the money or the rock-hard bodies the media says all people should strive for. They might not be as rich as rock star and as fit as an athlete, but that does not imply that they cannot have fun at spring break.
They simply hang out with their friends to make sure that, as a group of buddies, they have the best time of their young college lives.
