Dreading bathing suit season? Get in shape with Pirate Life's helpful and healthful workout tips! We bring you advice from Seton Hall's athletic trainers and health faculty on setting up the perfect workout, and exercising in a healthy way.
1. Anything that looks too good to be true, probably is.
Strength and conditioning coach for the Seton Hall Pirates, Angelo Gingerelli cites inventions like the Shake Weight and the Ab Rocker as frauds.
"The clich?© is actually true in this case," he says. "In commercials, everything looks awesome, but it's not for everybody." The same goes for diet pills and energy drinks. "You need to be cognizant." Gingerelli says. "Some of the diet pills out there, especially the stimulant ones like Hydroxycut and things like that, you have to be careful with. If you have any kind of heart condition or predisposition that is not going to react well with that, you can have a potential medical emergency. So check with your doctor. Diet pills and energy drinks are not for everybody, even though they're marketed as being for everybody."
2. A complete workout is a combination.
When working out, it's very important to exercise both muscles and the heart, according to Richard J. Boergers, a professor in the School of Health and Medical Sciences.
"Something when I come to the gym here, I see a lot of people just lifting," he says. "You have to throw in some kind of aerobic exercise, be it swimming, biking, anything." Aerobic exercise, according to Boergers, helps the body maintain a nice body weight, while strength training, such as lifting or using weight machines, helps build muscle. The combination of both is the key to both building lean muscle - the desired product of a healthy workout.
3. Replenish after a workout.
Don't shy away from food or water after a workout for the sake of losing weight. Boergers advises to eat properly following a workout. "Lean meats and proteins are appropriate, not the supplements," he says.
4. Take advantage of what Seton Hall offers.
The Richie Regan rec center is open to students Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Junior Lauren Cicale, a certified Zumba instructor, teaches a free Zumba class in the Visceglia Room in the Rec Center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. "Zumba is a dance-based aerobics workout," Cicale explains. "And you're not supposed to realize you're working out while doing it, because you're having so much fun dancing."
5. Don't forget to stretch.
"Remember to address your flexibility," Gingerelli says. "Stretch before and after each and every workout." Visit Discovery Fit & Health's website for creative ways to warm up and cool down, but remember to stretch the regulars: the calves, quadriceps, hip flexors, shoulders, hamstrings, lower and upper back, triceps and biceps.
6. Don't try it unless you are certain it's safe.
"Find activities that you can do and do safely," Gingerelli says. "Check with professionals. Talk to someone who knows, someone who trains or has credentials to steer you in the right direction." If you don't know what you're doing, you could injure yourself.
7. Switch it up.
"I think one thing that we mess up on is we get too pitted on 'I'm a distance runner, I'm a weightlifter, I'm a bodybuilder, and I'm only going to do this one thing,'" Gingerelli says. Then, two things happen: one, the body doesn't maintain general wellness if not all of its systems are being exercised properly and regularly, and two, you can get burned out. "If you do the same thing, day in and day out, how long till you hate that one thing?" Gingerelli asks.
He suggests switching up your workout schedule: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday, go for a run of varying lengths and paces. Lift weights or do core exercises on Tuesday and Thursday, and on Saturday, try something different, like a Zumba or spin class.
"Get out of your regular routine," Cicale agrees. "Try something new. I get bored easily, so I like to try new things."
