After carefully following all of the advice I have given readers this semester, I have lost 30 pounds and have more muscle mass than an ox. OK, well, maybe I look pretty much the same and have lost half of a pound, but who's counting? Either way, this column has been an enjoyable health journey this semester. Here are five final health and fitness tips I have acquired from my time at AU.
1) The many breakdowns of the Tenleytown-AU Metro escalator are actually a blessing in disguise. I can say with some certainty the escalator did not work for my entire first two years at AU. While I often met this challenge with frustration and confusion over the absence of people working to fix it, it was a good opportunity to burn some extra calories going up and down those steep steps. The lesson here is that although there are escalators and elevators everywhere, it is OK to take the stairs every now and then.
2) It is probably faster to walk to campus from Tenleytown than waiting for the shuttle. If I could count all the time I sat endlessly waiting for the shuttle to pick me up, there would probably be enough time to write a whole new capstone (of course, there would be no more desire to do this than there would be to wait for the shuttle). Campus is less than a mile from the Metro station and people can walk the route in about 15 minutes, which is the same or less time than it could take to wait for another shuttle.
3) Carrying your laundry back and forth between your room in the desperate hope for an open washer is as good as lifting weights. A typical load of laundry weighs 10 pounds, but if you are like me and wait a solid month in between washes (think of this not as dirty, but as thrifty), then you can bump it up to 15. Free weights don't need to be those cute little handheld things at the gym. Weight resistance can be found in everything, from books to your month's worth of dirty laundry.
4) There's nothing quite like the TDR diet. Don't get me wrong. I am actually quite a fan of TDR, especially since I've moved off campus and now have to fend for myself. Still, I am willing to admit that day after day, year after year of eating at TDR can be a bit tiring. Some days you are just not feeling the salad bar again, other days, there's really nothing but the salad bar. Whichever it is, it helped me avoid the infamous Freshman 15.
5) If you are looking for a cool place to hang out and chat while appearing to workout, but not really working out, Jacob's Fitness Center after 5 p.m. is the place for you. For all of you who would actually like to exert some energy, get to Jacob's earlier in the day or find a fun, new way to work out. After classes, the place is jammed and the chance of an elliptical sign-up dispute is very high.
For all of the readers out there who are lucky enough not to be graduating and entering the real world, I hope my words of wisdom will offer you some healthy inspiration. Remember - workouts are hiding everywhere, and your personal health is one of the most important aspects of your life. As for me, I am off to new places and new discoveries, but I will never forget those hidden little workout treasures AU provided me with every day.
