Running with a Purpose

            Heather Kirkes, fitness and outreach coordinator at the University of Oklahoma, said that running is one of the most popular forms of cardio among college-aged students.

            For students who want to take their favorite exercise to a new level, training and running in a half or full marathon can be a rewarding way to do that.

            Many college students across the nation take on the challenge every year. Watch below to see two college students’ who are in the process of training for a full marathon.

            There are many resources available to students wanting to learn more or get started training for a marathon. Smith stresses that you should make sure you know what you are doing while training, because too much too fast can cause injuries.

            Students at OU can check out OK Runner in Norman to get started on the right foot. There are also many resources available online or at your local recreation center.

Make Room for Breakfast

            Breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day said Alexandra Sampson, health and exercise science sophomore.

            The main reason that breakfast is so important is because it wakes up your body’s metabolism and gets your internal system started for the day, Sampson said.

            “Breakfast gets your metabolism going and it also helps you to not overeat later in the day,” Sampson said. “If you don’t eat breakfast, your whole body will be slower, including your brain.”

            She recommends filling up on fruits, whole grains, fiber, and protein in the morning. Sampson said to avoid too much sugar and fat. She also said to not eat too much for breakfast or you could end up feeling sluggish.

            “Every student needs to get in the habit of eating something for breakfast, even if it’s small at first," Sampson said.

            Sampson’s suggestions for easy, on-the-go breakfasts are granola bars (she recommends the Kashi brand), cereal, an apple with peanut butter, or peanut butter toast.

            

Watch below to see how Bailey Ballard, elementary education junior, fits breakfast into her day.

Don't Resist Resistance Training

Strength training (also referred to as resistance or weight training) is the use of resistance to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles, said Heather Kirkes, fitness and outreach coordinator for the University of Oklahoma.

            There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction, she said. Strength training uses methods like free weights, weigh machines, resistance bands, or a person’s own weight to build muscles and strength.

             “Weight training challenges your muscles by providing a stress to the muscle that causes it to adapt and get stronger, similar to the way aerobic conditioning strengthens your heart,” Kirkes said.

            She said that when properly performed, strength training can provide significant benefits and improve one’s overall health and well-being. Benefits include increased bone, muscle, tendon and ligament strength; improved joint function; reduced potential for injury; increased bone density; a temporary increase in metabolism; improved cardiac function and elevated HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

            Strength training is different from cardio in that it is anaerobic exercise, meaning that the body creates the energy without oxygen, Kirkes said. This is because the body’s demand for energy is greater so it will find natural body chemicals to create it, and in the process build muscle and bone. 

Cardio on the other hand is aerobic exercise, which means that it uses oxygen and will have more of an impact on the cardiovascular and circulatory system, she said.

            “However, strength training can increase your metabolism after a workout because your body is trying hard to help your muscles recover and muscle takes more energy to sustain,” Kirkes said.

            There are many great forms of resistance training, including weight lifting with machines, dumbbells/free weights, or just using your own body weight such as with push-ups, Kirkes said.

            “The standard recommendation for strength training frequency is to perform resistance exercise every other day or two to three nonconsecutive days per week,” Kirkes said. “Strength training one day a week results in some muscle gains, but significantly less muscle development than performing two or three weekly resistance exercise sessions.”

            Kirkes also said that based on recent research, every-day strength training (24-hour recovery period) is counterproductive because muscle remodeling processes are incomplete.

“With beginning exercisers, it appears that strength training either two or three non-consecutive days a week is equally effective for increasing lean weight,” Kirkes said. 


Watch the video below for an OU student's experience with strength training.

The Power of Protein

            Protein is one of the three main macronutrients in one’s diet, according to the site mypyramid.gov.

            “Protein is a chain of amino acids; that’s the easiest way to look at it,” said Abbie Smith, graduate teaching assistant in the health and exercise department at OU.

            Smith teaches exercise and sport nutrition, as well as fitness classes at the Huston Huffman center.

            Smith said that all animal proteins are considered “high-quality proteins.” This includes not only meat but eggs, dairy, and cheese as well.

            “Protein influences a lot of things, “ Smith said. “Typically we think of it related to lean body mass, but it’s also really important for weight loss and weight maintenance.”

            Smith said that protein is highly thermogenic, which means that it takes more calories to burn off protein than carbohydrates. Not getting enough protein can lead to decreased satiety and a loss of lean body mass, which is usually replaced by fat mass, Smith said.

            Smith recommends that college students should get 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. She observes that most students aren’t getting enough protein.

            “You have to be very conscious about it," Smith said. “ The basic rule of thumb that I tell people is to have protein at every snack or meal.  Have the protein be the main source of the meal, and then the carbs and veggies are easier to come by.
            Smith also recommends that students stock up on protein-filled snacks like nuts and peanut butter that can be eaten on-the-go.

Interview with Abbie Smith can be found below.