I have been lifeguarding at my local community pool for the last three summers, and during my time at this job I have grown a great appreciation for the importance and health benefits of swimming. When I first got certified during my sophomore year of high school, there were two main prerequisites I had to pass, through the Red Cross , to prove I was capable of being a lifeguard. The first, was a timed test to see how quickly I could swim from one end of the pool to retrieve a brick at the bottom— this was to make sure I could reach a victim in a sufficient amount of time. I did not have any trouble with this but the second test, to swim 300m, proved to be a lot more difficult for me. Initially I started my laps way too fast, as I had not realized how much endurance was involved in swimming. I am happy to say I did pass the course, all while gaining an understanding of how great an exercise swimming is.

Pool I Work at

At my job, I have watched people swim laps with limited breaks for over an hour. Knowing the difficulties I had with my 300m— six laps in an Olympic sized pool— I think the endurance these patrons have is incredible. Free style especially can be very tiring, and I think it is impressive when people keep up with the stroke for an extended period of time. Furthermore, swimming causes little to no stress on joints and muscles in the body, one of the many benefits of the exercise, making it a viable option for people of all ages. Overall, it is a great source of cardio, without straining the body too much.

During the summer, while I do spend about 30 weeks at a pool, I rarely actually go into the water. My time is spent making sure swimmers are safe, rather than getting a workout in. Usually I find other ways to stay fit, but swimming is definitely something I would like to push myself to get more into. I know that currently the outdoor pool at Penn State, the McCoy Natatorium is closed indefinitely due to repairs, but I would defiantly considering spending time here once it opens. Lifeguarding has opened my eyes to how great of an exercising swimming can be and I would love to one day get more involved with this exercise.

PSU Outdoor Pool

Part of the reason why I love staying active so much is because I grew up doing sports my entire life. I was a competitive cheerleader for ten years, and in high school I ran track. I am going to only focus in on my time as a cheerleader because this consumed such a large portion of my life, and has shaped how I view myself and my health today.

Contrary to to a typical misconception about cheerleading, there is a highly competitive and athletic nature to the sport. There is a strong focus on stunting— lifting others into the air— and tumbling—the types of flips you could associate with a gymnastics floor routine. The higher the level of difficulty and execution of these components, the better a team will score. The Universal Cheerleading Association provides very detailed score sheets that judges follow to determine the winning team. Many doubt the seriousness of cheerleading because they think a judge will watch a routine and pick the one they like the best, but after taking a closer look at at score sheet they will see that the criterial for winning is highly objective. 

Me Doing a Backtuck

Throughout my time in high school I would compete at the High School National Championships , where hundreds of teams across the country would come together at the ESPN World Wide Sports Center in Orlando, Florida. This was definitely a high-stress environment and very overwhelming to first time participants. My team would work from August all the way until February to perfect our routine and showcase it on this large nation-wide stage. I would say my favorite part about being a cheerleader is the adrenaline that comes right before competing at a an important event. 

A Higher Level Stunt

Unfortunately, one of the biggest downfalls of this sport was the toll it took on my body over the years. During my junior year of high school I sprained both of my ankles and one of my thumbs and it became hard to maintain the skills I had worked for years to obtain. My team would practice Monday through Saturday and have competitions on Sundays, so it was especially difficult to recover during the season. Studies have come out that cheerleading is the most dangerous sport for females, and I do not doubt this, knowing what my teams had to endure over the years. While I loved my time as a cheerleader, the accumulating injuries are why I am glad I am retired. Now, if I am in pain or sick I do not have to push myself to limits I am not okay with. I really enjoy having the ability to be in control of when and how often I exercise. I am happy to have gone through this experience and grown as much as a person and an athlete as I did, but I am especially glad to have moved on from this chapter in my life.

After a while, going to the gym and using the same machines each time can start to feel very redundant. Personally, I shy away with equipment I am not very familiar, which even further limits the variety of my workouts. Luckily, Penn State offers HIIT workout classes multiple times a week, which allow me to try new exercises and get out of my same old patterns. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training, and the idea behind this type of workout is to exercise intensely for a short amount of time, have several seconds of break and then move onto the next movement. You then complete this cycle multiple times. HIIT workouts offer many benefits with some of the most notable being they do not put a lot of strain on the body, are quick, and can introduce you to new types of exercises. 

PSU HIIT Class

Personally, I think the best thing about HIIT workouts is how they typically focus on bodyweight exercises and resistance training. Lifting heavy weights can cause a tremendous amount of strain on your back and joints, especially if someone has not spent a lot of time using the equipment before. Furthermore, running on hard pavement can cause an equal amount of problems with someones body, especially to their knees, shins, and ankles. HIIT offers a safe alternative, as the focus is more centered around lots of quick movements with light weight, or even no weight depending on each move. I really enjoy the exercises with the resistance bands because I can make them as difficult or easy as I choose, and I never feel sharp pains. This type of conditioning is always a safe and reliable option.

Also, I think the class setting for the HIIT workouts at Penn State is great because I never have to come up with the ideas myself. There is an instructor leading the way with what movements we do, the time limits, and how many rotations we go through. I also think they are very helpful in explaining variations to the group so each person can adjust the class to their own personal level. Nobody in the class is ever pressured to keep up with others because each person has the ability to choose their own weight level and speed at which they workout. This is one of the best options for people like me who are looking to be challenged, but don’t necessarily know what they want to do next.

Fitness Youtuber Natacha Oceane

I would still recommend HIIT workouts to anybody, even if someone does not prefer the class setting. There are many videos on youtube offering different ways to do this type of training with no equipment and in a space as big as a dorm room. These are nice because you have the ability to select what body area you would like to target. HIIT is easy, versatile and possible for people of all body types and ages; it is one of my favorite ways to continue to improve my health.

While I have been doing my best to keep healthy habits during my time at school so far, such as keeping a regular work out routine and making smart decisions in the dining hall, unfortunately life does not always go as planned. Sunday morning I went to the doctors, where they told me I had caught strep throat. Obviously this news was not the end of the world, and I am thankful it really only took me a day or two to recover, but this was still frustrating news to receive going into my second week in college. With Labor Day being this pass Monday, it was a day I could have been going out with friends or getting ahead on my school work, and instead I was restricted to napping and watching TV for the entirety of the day. However, the past week has given me time to reflect on some of the poor decisions I made that caused me to be susceptible to illness, as well as focus on healthy precautions moving forward.

Over the weekend, I spent time with some friends on my dorm floor. I remember sharing drinks and food with people, without even thinking twice. Looking back, this was probably my biggest mistake, considering how prevalent illness on college campuses are. Some of the most common being the flu, meningitis, and of course— strep throat. Knowing how prevalent these illnesses are, I have been more considerate about sharing what I am eating with other people. Furthermore, with the close living conditions on the dorms, it is especially easy for all of these different types of sicknesses to transfer. My next crucial mistake I made this past week was not giving myself enough time to sleep each night. During the week I would stay up too late to finish up on homework assignments or catch up on my favorite shows, and during the weekend I lost a lot of hours of sleep staying up late with my friends. If I was starting to catch a minor illness a restful night might have been able to help my immunity, but unfortunately I never gave my body this time to rest. Sleep is so important important , and when you choose to neglect it the way I did, it really starts to take a toll on your body physically and mentally.

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Overall, the week was not a complete loss for me, as it reminded me of all of the ways I should be treating my body, but have been lacking on during my time at college. Being mindful of what I share with others and how much sleep I get each night definitely falls at the top of this list. I am also lucky to be going to Penn State, which offers easy and accessible resources through the Universal Health Services — a website I have become somewhat familiar with this weekend. Getting sick is tough, and sometimes it is inevitable, but taking care of ourselves everyday can help reduce the chances of an illness happening.

PSU Student Health Center