The Daily Campus

Issue date: 1/30/08 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Shaun Levy Student Kristen Cochrane works out at the SRF months before the Spring Break fitness rush.

As Spring Break draws closer there will be a mad rush to the gym. The treadmills will be taken over by girls hoping to lose those extra few pounds and boys attempting to buff up will be taking over the weight room, all in order to look good in their bathing suits. But rushing to the gym a week before vacation starts and expecting to see results is not going to work for most people. So here is a practical approach that isn't some fad diet, isn't expecting you to run ten miles a day, or just drink water.

"All of my friends have tried the diets were you eat no carbs and work out as much as possible and all that happens is you end up without any energy and if you do lose weight, it isn't the healthy way," said Audrey van Roosen, a 6th-semester biological sciences major. "For this Spring Break I plan to buy some books and look online to decide on some good healthy plans that will allow me to tone up and lose some unwanted fat, not just lose weight."

There are books, magazines and Web sites all dedicated to losing weight but I have come up with a gradual and practical workout and eating plan to help you slim down and tone up within these next six weeks.



The Exercise:

Begin by deciding exactly what works for you in terms of exercise. "A well-rounded workout that includes resistance training and aerobic activities would be ideal," said Michael D'Alfonso, the Coordinator of Fitness & Wellness at Uconn Recreational Services. "It is important to incorporate strength training exercises into your workouts to help preserve and increase muscle mass. Weight loss should ideally be due to loss of fat rather than lean body mass."

D'Alfonso suggests, "The best bang for your buck would be weight training. A weight-training routine can be broken up into three or four different muscle groups on different days of the week to fit your schedule, which also allows adequate rest and avoids overtraining. Having this type of game plan makes workouts goal oriented, time efficient, and organized. If you come to the gym without a plan you are more likely to lose focus or give up on your routine."

Continued...

Page 1 of 6 next >

Article Tools