Author: Jennifer De La Rosa

AFC Spa Repair Update

The AFC anticipates the re-opening of the spa within the next week, barring any setbacks.

During this process, we have pressured tested our pipes, performed sonar testing and used an aqua camera to identify the source of our losing water. The leak was identified as a faulty coupler located approximately 3.5 feet below the tile. We have installed a new coupler and are now working on re-filling the area and relaying tile. Once the tile has been set, we can continue with the cleanup and re-open to our patrons.

We recognize that this has caused some of our patrons frustrations and may have impacted regular routines. We thank you for your patience and we hope to see you back in the spa soon.

Hawksbill and Stony Man Hike

The group on top of Hawksbill, the highest point in Shenandoah National Park

This past Saturday mason students hiked 10 miles along the Appalachian Trail to the summits of Hawksbill and Stony Man mountains. The day started off raining but in the afternoon the sun came through making for an awesome hike. The students first summited Hawksbill, the highest peak in the Shenandoah’s, then continued to the summit of Stony Man where they stopped and ate lunch while enjoying the view. Although it was a little windy at the top, the view was great and it was a perfect place to chill before the descent down the mountain.

Brother raven flies high above the summit of Stony Man

The Making of #FitHappens: National Athletic Training Month

National Athletic Training Month: By Melanie Parr

Do you ever wonder who is sitting with the big black medical bags on the sidelines of all George Mason practices and games?

In celebration of National Athletic Training Month, I sat down with recent George Mason Graduate and current Mason Rec Athletic Trainer Katie Graybill. Katie is employed through Select Physical Therapy which contracts Athletic Trainers to provide medical services at all George Mason Club and Intramural practices and games. Here is what Katie had to say about Mason Recreation and National Athletic Training Month:

I started by asking Katie the basic question can you tell me a little about Athletic Training. Katie explained “there are 5 domains to Athletic Training; Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, Emergency Management and Rehab”. I was interested as to what the most common injuries they see during the season was. Katie said “knee and ankle injuries are the most common, along with a lot of lower back pain”. Katie did offer some advice to prevent these injuries for you athletes out there “for starters alw natm_2016_logo_c ays be prepared! Be properly hydrated, and bring extra water to games because the weather is constantly changing. Also, try to hold a practice before the start of the season. We see most injuries occur during games, because players are not consistent with exercising before they play. Stayed stretched and remember that we offer baseline concussion testing for all club sports”. I was curious after learning all this, and knowing we had over 30 different club sports what a typical day was like for Katie. I was surprised to find out their days didn’t start out as e
arly as expected but they were definitely later than expected, she said “we start our day in the RAC offices around 4pm. Then, we are off to the club and intramural fields until about 11pm Monday-Friday. We are at every home game and tournament game for GMU Club Sports. We also are at most intramural games and playoffs.” With the late nights and long weekends, I wanted to know what made it all worth it and Katie explained “I enjoy working with my alma mater because I was involved with Mason Rec club sports and intramurals. I also enjoy seeing the growth of play at Mason, and the growth of student athletes over the course of each season. Katie then continued with that’s also why she loves this month NATM 2016 “because it brings awareness to the profession of Athletic Training. A lot of people confuse Athletic Trainers with Personal Trainers. Athletic Trainers are medically licensed and must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. This month is also about bringing about a safer approach to work, life, and sport.” #NATM2016

Want to hear or learn more about Mason Recreation Athletic Training click the link to check them out!

Visit https://recreation.gmu.edu/club-sports/athletic-training/.

Happy #NATM2016, and thank you to all Athletic Trainers for keeping us safe on the field!

NCAA Tournament Workout Routines

Oh! George Mason! Are you kidding me?! It’s March Madness, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are down to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament! Villanova! Oklahoma! North Carolina! Syracuse! Who will make it to the Championship game?! I can’t tell you, but I can tell you it’s going to be AWESOME, BABY!

The strength and endurance of the athletes are going to be challenged. It’s time for you to be challenged as well. There are only three more games in college basketball, so use this time to better yourself and your body with the March Madness Workout Challenge.

Take the challenge of working out while watching basketball. #fithappens

Action	Classic	Lower Body	Core
3 Point Shot Taken	5 Push-Ups (classic)	3 Squats (add 3 if “trifecta” is used)	10 Crunches
Slam Dunk	10 Sit-Ups	15 Calf Raises	8 Leg Raises
Foul is Called	5 Rows (use door or bed frame)	10 Lunges	8 Knee Tuck Crunches/Leg Pull-Ins
Jump Ball	5 Burpees	5 Burpees	5 Burpees
Turnover	10 Dips	10 Glute Bridges	10 Bicycle Kicks
Game goes to Commercial	60 Jumping Jacks	60 Jumping Jacks	60 Jumping Jacks
Referees go to the Monitor	20 Mountain Climbers	20 Mountain Climbers	20 Mountain Climbers
Close up of the Announcers	5 Push-ups (wide arm)	10 Side Lunges	8 Flutter Kicks
Buzzer-Beater Make	5 Shoulder Presses or 30 Second Handstand (using wall)	30 Second Chair Pose	20 Alternating Heel Touches (10 for each heel)
There’s an upset ANYWHERE in the Tournament	1 Minute Plank(per upset) (per upset)	1 Minute Wall Sit (per upset)	1 Minute of Russian Twists (per upset)

Are you up to the FINAL FOUR challenge?

OA Little Devil’s Stairs Hike

The group at end of the hike on Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park

Some lucky students got to spend the nice weather the last weekend in February in Shenandoah National Park hiking on Little Devil’s Stairs. 7 miles of up and down hill made for a really awesome hike in the Park. We had a blast crossing the streams as the trail followed the waterfalls up the mountain. Lunch by the water made for good atmosphere to relax and chill before getting back to the steep uphill through the trees and stream crossings.

Going up Little Devil's Stairs — Going up Little Devil’s Stairs

Hiking along, up, and through one of the many small waterfalls on the hike.

OA Goes to White Grass

SATURDAY February 20th– Seven Mason students drove out to White Grass Ski Touring Center in Davis, West Virginia for a day of cross country skiing with Outdoor Adventures. The sun was shining and the temps were warm making for perfect spring skiing conditions where there was a good base. The warm temperatures also meant sections of White Grass’s 30 miles of trail criss-crossing Cabin Mountain, Roundtop, and Bald Knob, had turned back into dirt so hiking was required to access some of the better snow.

After a quick lesson and a warmup lap around the snowfarm the crew headed off for the 6 mile circumnavigation of Roundtop Mountain.

DCIM100GOPROG0022683. — Rahat heading down the Three Mile Trail

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0082. — Jon and Areeba practicing during lesson time

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0091. — Lunchtime with a White Grass local

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0102. — Hiking a thin snow section

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0104. — Snowperson found along the trail

DCIM100GOPROG0042756. — Yiqing on the home stretch

Working Out Without Actually Working Out

Working Out Without Actually Working Out

Working out and exercising doesn’t always mean going to the gym for an hour of running or weightlifting. Let’s face it; going to the gym can be a hassle. Sometimes you would rather skip the gym for some other activity. The glory of fitness is the fithappens everywhere. You just have to find the thing that is both fun for you and gives you a quality workout. Stay in shape everywhere you go with the various activities below.

Winter Workouts

There are plenty of workouts that you can do in the winter check them out at http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/tips/winter-fitness-workout-tips/. Specifically during the holiday season, you can increase your activity level by simply changing one or two things. One of the simplest forms of exercise is walking. You can increase how much you walk when you go shopping for holiday presents. Simply park your car towards the back of the parking lot. This is a minor change but it can add hundreds of steps to your daily step count. Continue this trend by adding an extra lap around the mall before you leave. If you are not shopping at a mall, then just walk around the perimeter of the inside of every store you visit before leaving. These small additions will lead to hundreds of more steps a day, and that will really improve your fitness in the long run.

Working Out or Hanging Out? Why not both!

As mentioned before, working out and exercising does not always involve going to the gym or running on a treadmill. There are plenty of ways to hang out while working out

Hiking with friends

When you are with friends laughing, talking, and enjoying the fine scenery nature has to offer, you tend to forget how much time has passed or how far you have traveled. That is the beauty of hiking. Before you know it, you will have hiked miles depending on the trail. The workout is great for your leg muscles and building up cardio. If you decide to carry a backpack, you will build up your shoulder and back muscles, too! Make sure you bring a snack and some water because this is a tremendous calorie burn.

Dancing

Everyone loves music. Turn on your favorite party playlist and get your body moving! It doesn’t matter how you look as long as you are moving and having fun. A serious sweat dance can burn up to 450 calories every hour. What’s better than getting fit while having fun?

Roughhousing with the kids

This one is for a select group of people, but maybe you have younger cousins or siblings if you don’t have kids of your own. Kids seem to always have energy and they are always ready to play, so join them! Nothing brings families together better than a friendly wrestling match. Just make sure not to hurt anyone.

Do that thing that couples do

Consensually of course 😉

Parkour/Climb things

You would be surprised at how much of a workout it is to jump over rocks, balance on curbs and climb up trees. It may sound a little childish, but it is good to let your inner child out once in a while. So go into your local woods with some friends and see who can climb the highest tree or balance on a log for the longest. Establish those core climbing muscles and improve your balance.

Change the way you play video games

Video games are usually the enemy of fitness, but there are ways you can have the best of both worlds. Play your video game the usual way but instead of sitting on the couch or in a gaming chair, stand up while playing or sit on a yoga ball. This won’t burn many calories, but you’ll get more out of it than you would if you just sat in your usual chair!

Play a musical instrument

It is a fact that playing the violin for an hour burns as many calories as walking at a moderate pace for an hour. Which sounds better? Creating beautiful music or walking nonstop for an hour? Have some fun with your exercise!

Play a childhood game

Gather your friends and channel your inner child again. Throw it back to the good ole days of being a little kid with a game of kickball, kick the can, or tag. Instead of sitting around talking with your friends, go throw a ball around and be active. You would be surprised how much fun it is to play kid games as an adult.

Join a Rec League

Playing your favorite sports is the best way to exercise while having fun. Cardio improvement, muscle enhancement, and coordination are all improved when you join a rec league. The best part about this one is that George Mason offers these types of leagues all year long!

Make a few simple changes to your day

There are multiple ways of getting extra exercise every day without you necessarily noticing. All you have to do is make a conscious effort in the beginning to change a few things, and then these changes will become habit. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or ramps. Take the long walk to class or work. There is a form of exercise called NEAT, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, and regular movements like the ones mentioned can burn a lot of extra calories at a time.

Exercising does not have to be a chore. Going to the gym, albeit a great way to get a workout in, is not the only way to workout and exercise. There are ways to exercise throughout your daily life without necessarily realizing it. Be fit by having fun and enjoying your life. Do the things you do, just do them with a little twist to get an easy yet efficient workout going. Go out there and workout without actually working out.

By: Dan Ward