Category: Announcements

Spring Training for Club Baseball

Mason Recreation’s Club Baseball team is headed to Florida over spring break to participate in NCBA’s Spring Training 2015 Showcase. While there they’ll play against five of the 27 teams attending that week. During the four week event, 63 teams from all over the country come together to practice, train, and play the great game of baseball.

Nate Berlin, Club Baseball’s president and a junior majoring in Finance, says most of the 20+ player team is going to Spring Training. Following last year’s District 3 win, Nate feels like the trip will make the team even stronger. “Our team is talented and we work well together. The trip will be good prep for us to do even better than we did last year.” He adds, “While we play for the love of baseball, we also know that by attending Spring Training, we show that George Mason’s Club Baseball team is strong and competitive. It gets Mason’s name out there.”

Because the team is considered “young” due to its number of freshmen and returning sophomores, Club Baseball has a good chance to have another very successful season that could continue into one or two more years. Nate says that baseball is a very strong sport and they have lots of interest from both freshmen and transfers. He credits the interest to its timelessness. He explains, “Baseball has no age limits. It’s available for young and old. It truly is for everyone.”

Club Baseball’s season begins Saturday, March 14 when they’ll play the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. Game time TBA. If you are interested in joining the club, please contact Club Baseball via email.

Article Written By: Jennifer Lehman, MS RYT

Should You Workout with a Partner?

We hear it all the time, whether it is from our super fit friend or one of the trainers at the gym, “workout with a partner!” Is it worth it? Does it actually help you maximize your workout potential? Or is iShouSht just another way for your best friend, Amanda, the marathon addict, to keep pestering you about going on a run with her? Mason Rec dug into some research to answer these questions for you and we found a resounding “yes!” Here is some of the most compelling research we came across:

The Maryland Athletic Club (MAC) has five huge reasons why you should workout with a partner:

A workout buddy provides motivation. The days you don’t want to work out, he or she will get you out the door. The days he/she feels like skipping, you will get her to the gym. When you want to give up completely, he/she will talk you into sticking with your plan.
They serve as spotters. Your partner can help spot you, keeping your workouts safer yet more challenging at the same time.
They increase your exercise arsenal. There are numerous strength moves you can do with your partner, like crunches with a medicine ball, partner pushups and leg tosses. These are fun and very effective.
They provide companionship. Working out can be lonely, especially long cardio sessions. Having a friend next to you to talk with while you slave away on the elliptical can make the time fly by.
They provide competition. Let’s be honest: We as human beings like to compete with one another. Try finding a workout partner who is just a little more fit than you are. By trying to keep up with them, you will challenge yourself in ways that you cannot do alone.

If these five reasons don’t get you to the gym with your newfound workout partner, maybe this will:

In 2012 The Society of Behavioral Medicine conducted the following study and found some pretty strong evidence that we should be partnering up before we hit the gym more often. Their study consisted of three groups of people that rode bikes in three different conditions. The first group rode their bikes independently. The second group rode their bikes with a virtual workout partner—a screen that looped video of someone also riding a bike (therefore the virtual partner could never rest before the live partner). The third group rode their bikes with a partner and was also informed that their performance would directly affect their partner’s. What were their results? The first group lasted an average of 10.6 minutes before having to rest, the second group lasted 19.8 minutes, and the third group lasted 21.9 minutes. That’s an 87% difference between riding independently and with a virtual partner, while riding with an actual partner doubled the amount of time spent riding. Quite literally, then, exercising with a partner can double your results.

By now, you’re searching for your ultimate workout partner! Once you’ve found them, be sure to head to the RAC’s Cage Gym on February 10^th at 8pm to take part in Be My Fit Valentine. If you find yourself still searching by Tuesday morning, come anyway! Partner planks are an awesome first date! Mason Recreation encourages all couples to attend, whether you want to workout with your boyfriend, your sister, your teammate, or your best friend, we will see you there!

National Compliment Day – January 24, 2015 by Jennifer Lehman

Compliments at the Recreation & Athletic Complex

Most of us enjoy receiving compliments. “Your hair looks great today!” “That was a great game you played!” “Your presentation was fantastic!” We enjoy the feeling we get when we’ve been sincerely complimented and it makes us feel good about ourselves. Compliments help to build our self-esteem and encourage us to continue to work hard. By genuinely complimenting others, we provide them with the same uplifting experience. We also help to build positive relationships with others, and by making others feel good, we in turn also feel good!

National Compliment Day is January 24, 2105. Think about how you can impact others. Take opportunities throughout that day to sincerely compliment your fellow students, friends and anyone you feel deserves a compliment. As the saying goes, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving!”

Stay Fit for the Holidays – by Jennifer Lehman, MS RYT

The holidays can wreck even the most dedicated exerciser’s routine. With a schedule filled with visits from friends and family, shopping, and fun, maintaining your regular fitness program can be a real challenge. You can throw in the towel and wait until January to get back to your regular workouts, but that means you’ll lose some of the progress you’ve already made. Instead, you can schedule activities that will easily fit into your busy schedule. Below are a few ways to stay fit for the holidays.

Wherever you are for the holidays, look for ways to keep moving. If you’re in the mountains, ski, hike, or snowboard. If you’re on the coast, spend time walking on the beach or riding bikes. Plan family outings around physical activity that everyone can enjoy and provides time away from the hustle bustle.
Even during the busiest days, most people can schedule 30 minutes of some type of activity. Walking and running are easy to squeeze into a tight schedule. Or if you’re out and about and can swing by your local fitness center for a quick 30 minute workout, do it! Plan ahead and have workout clothes with you just in case.
Before your shopping day begins, take a few laps around each floor of the mall. That will give you time to window shop and work off a few calories!
Buy a short term holiday membership at your local fitness center. Most facilities offer a student or teacher membership for those who are only home for a few weeks.
Put together a body weight workout that can be done anywhere. A quick set of pushups, jumping jacks, squats, and sit ups can help to maintain your fitness level if you don’t have access to a gym.

Finding time to exercise might be a challenge, but it’s absolutely doable. Keep staying active top of mind and you’ll see you have extra time. By carefully planning how you can keep moving throughout the holidays, you will maintain or even increase your fitness level! So stay fit for the holidays!

Home for the Holidays!

You can’t wait to sleep in your own bed and to get a home-cooked meal from Mom! Seeing your family and friends sounds like a dream! But keep in mind that you’ve been on your own for several months and going back home could be a strain on you and on those you love. Keep the following tips in mind when going home for the holidays.

Offer to help. While your parents may be anxious to have you back home and to “take care” of their college student, be sure to chip in and help with things like laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. This will show them that you’re growing into a responsible adult and will provide everyone with a more shared holiday experience.

Honor your family’s time. Your personal schedule is more than likely different from your parent’s. While home on break, your parents may still be working. Offer to run errands while they’re at work so they have more time to spend with you while you’re home. Also, be sure to keep things quiet at night so that your family can get their needed sleep for work as well as for all the family festivities.

Honor your friend’s time. You’ll want to visit with friends who went off to their own colleges and with those who stayed at home. Remember that those who have been away at school need to spend time with their families too. Be sure to coordinate so that everyone has ample time to spend with all their loved ones.

Maintain, or begin a good diet. This can be challenging during a holiday season filled with cookies, candies, and rich holiday foods, but try to minimize indulging in these foods every day. By eating a mostly healthy diet during the holidays, you’ll decrease the chance you’ll gain holiday weight and you might even decrease your weight since you’ll be eating Mom’s home cooked meals!

Get lots of rest. While tempting to stay up every night with your friends and family, be sure to recover from the hard work you did during the Fall Semester and to prepare for the Spring Semester. Not only will rest allow you to clear your mind and to get ready for Spring, but rest is critical in maintaining good health during the cold and flu season.

Going home for the holidays can be as amazing as you hope it is. Remember to pitch in and be a contributing member of the family. Mom and Dad will appreciate your assistance and will be proud of the young adult you are!

2014 – 2015 Winter Break Hours

Mason Recreation Adopts Two Families for the Holidays! by Alison Peterson

Mason Recreation’s staff is kicking off the holiday season by participating in the campus-wide Adopt-A-Family Initiative. Inspired by last year’s successful project, Mason students and wage staff put together their own Adopt-A-Family project and volunteered their time and energy to raising enough money to sponsor their own child. Together they raised money to sponsor five children this holiday season.

Mason Rec’s full time staff raised $650, allowing them to purchase necessary items such as coats, sweaters, and gloves. And with their extra money, they were able to purchase the children’s wish-list items including a bicycle, an easy-bake oven, dolls, art kits, and gift-cards. The student / wage group were able to buy their sponsored child an iPod! Together, they were able to make five children’s Christmas wishes come true.

Lee Ann Houston, who oversees the Mason Rec Adopt-A-Family program, said that “Helping to put a smile on a child is a really great feeling.” She added that the more she does it the more she wants to do it. Mason Rec hopes to see the campus-wide program spread even further within the department, and hopes that more students will join the initiative next year.

Click and see when we are open over winter break!