Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm, tuscaloosa.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: Happy Sunday, y'. All. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. And it has been a minute.
[00:00:16] Speaker C: I was trying to remember how to do the radio because I got here a little bit early and luckily our production assistant or our producer, I mean, she came in, she's new, and she already had everything set up. And I was like, this is awesome.
[00:00:30] Speaker B: It makes me feel like we're important
[00:00:32] Speaker C: radio people taking care of.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: Yeah, we are established. We have made it. You know, we still air at the prime time of Sundays at 2pm, but we have the support staff to make us feel like we are. I'm telling you, like, this could be paid. Like a paid gig.
[00:00:50] Speaker C: I think we should continuously say that because maybe we could get paid extra for this. I hear about supplemental pay a lot at the university and I don't know, maybe we should entertain the idea.
[00:00:59] Speaker B: I mean, I'm not against that, but I. You know, and it's crazy. It's, you know, a Sunday afternoon and we've gotten the semester started not too long ago and, you know, there's just been so much going on. Like, I. I don't know if you've seen the photos or heard of things from like, week of welcome, like.
[00:01:18] Speaker C: Or weeks of welcome.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: Weeks of welcome. Multiple weeks. Like the script A event had over 3,000 students.
[00:01:24] Speaker C: So.
[00:01:24] Speaker B: Cool. What?
[00:01:25] Speaker C: Yeah. Well, you know, it's interesting because we've been talking a lot about the rec center and like, we have such a hustle and bustle of students coming in and being excited about all the things we have to offer that even our staff is super excited. We had our staff kickoff two weeks ago and it just. I feel like this is the first semester that we're almost back to like normal. Like, it feels normal. And the events that we can have and the in person events and it's just been really good.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: I know. I agree. I'm really excited about this semester. I think that there has definitely been that energy of it feeling like the most normal semester since COVID You know, obviously we do still navigate some of that, but there's just a big energy and I've heard about, about like enrollment numbers and all of these things. So I don't know.
[00:02:11] Speaker C: And the new Tut. The new Tutweiler.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:02:13] Speaker C: I mean, it's pretty cool. It's pretty swanky.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Have you looked inside?
[00:02:17] Speaker C: I have. Okay. I've been on a couple of tours, kind of. Interestingly enough, there's a gym in Tutweiler. And so we had to put the list together to have all the equipment ordered. So hopefully you guys are using it and love it. But I don't know. There's been some talk about doing some programming over there. I don't know. I could be speaking this into the universe. But you never know. We might have some group X over there.
[00:02:35] Speaker B: It's a great space.
[00:02:36] Speaker C: It really is.
[00:02:37] Speaker B: Isn't there a screen in there? So if a group friends wanted to stream their favorite workout or throw the large mirrors in there?
[00:02:44] Speaker C: Yeah. You know, gotta make that selfie, you know?
[00:02:48] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, if you didn't document it, like, did you actually exercise?
[00:02:51] Speaker C: I don't think so. But do people sometimes document it and not exercise?
[00:02:57] Speaker B: I've never done that before. I was gonna say, have I ever done that? I've never done that. Cause then I would just feel really weird. So I don't know. But how has your summer been?
[00:03:04] Speaker C: It was really good.
We're almost fully staffed at the rec center with all of our instructors. And Char is still with us. And Mikayla Snell is now our coordinator, group exercise. So that means I get to focus on other things. And it's good. We got a full team. And that's kind of exciting because like we say coming back from COVID this is our first normal semester. So how about you? How was your summer?
[00:03:26] Speaker B: It was really good. It involved a lot of trips to the outdoor rec pool.
[00:03:30] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:03:31] Speaker B: So my children at that time frame were at an age where they could go in for free. So that was really wonderful. And speaking of their age, I've been using today to recover from the fact that yesterday morning I had a 9am Children's birthday party for my kids.
And their birthday's not even till September, but I just wanted to bypass the headache of football season.
[00:03:55] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't blame you.
[00:03:56] Speaker B: They don't have a concept of months, dates, or times, but no, there's a little indoor play place area that's in Northport, and they have 9am birthday parties. And I'm like, these kids are awake. Anyways, yeah, so that was lots of fun.
[00:04:10] Speaker C: Well, I think I was just sitting here as I look at the time, and we're coming up on a break, and I started thinking, you know, this. This might be some people's first time to ever hear us on the air. And I don't know if we should introduce who we are. We're just some crazy girls that are on the radio. I was gonna say the Internet, which sounds kind of true, too, but yes, on the radio. But in case you guys are just now listening, my name is Whitney and I'm over at the rec center. I get to manage and take care of all of our fitness services programs, all that good stuff. But like, I have a really good team, like I mentioned, so I don't have to do it all by myself. And you're Sheena.
[00:04:39] Speaker B: I am Sheena and I work in the department of health promotion and wellness. I'm a dietitian and I am gonna be your go to for to have a grocery store tour at any grocery store in town. Learning to ball on a budget when it comes to meal prep. Also doing cooking demos and a lot of group nutrition programming like mindful eating, intuitive eating. So between me and Whitney, we kind of give you the hookup when it comes to your health and wellness.
[00:05:05] Speaker C: We do, and we love to talk about it. And sometimes we go rogue.
You never know.
You never know. So on that note, I think we need to take a break.
[00:05:12] Speaker B: We do. So you guys grab some water, bathroom break, anything you gotta do, we will be back here a little listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:05:27] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
[00:05:36] Speaker C: Welcome back. You're listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. And we're back. And I feel like there's lots of songs, thongs, maybe, you never know. Songs that we could play for our intro music. And I think about, like, like, oh, my gosh, I just have this song in my head. This just shows I haven't been on the radio enough. I can't think quickly. It's gonna take a while, you know, oh, my gosh.
[00:05:58] Speaker B: All the things, we'll pick it up for sure. But I think given that this is our first show of this semester, you know, we're a little rusty. So, you know, we've gotta warm up to all of the hot topics we wanna talk about. But also, given the fact that it's the beginning of the semester, we may have some new listeners with us on beautiful Sunday afternoon or you're listening to us on the Internet. But we wanted to start talking about just some good general health and wellness tips to kind of like your starter pack to wellness as a college student at ua. And so we kind of scoured the Internet for some different things, and I actually found several universities that on their health and wellness website, they had this comprehensive list of 101 health and wellness tips for students. And I think that we Wanted to share a bunch of them that kind of hit the nail on the head and then others that might be a little antiquated and, you know, kind of talk about them a little bit.
[00:06:55] Speaker C: Yeah. When you sent me this link, I was like, man, this is a really long list. So my first thought was, this kind of gives me anxiety. I was like, man, if I was a student and I had to read through this, this would kind of, like, make me even more anxious, considering one of the list is about, like, mental health. But when I started looking through it, I kind of. I kind of narrowed it down, like, for myself just. And what we were going to talk about today. And just, you know, if I were to put myself in a student's shoes or even just being staff on campus and working with students. And so even though it's a pretty big list, it's pretty.
It's pretty good. Like, it's got a lot of good things and they actually play off of each other. I think there's, like, in my opinion, there's like, one or two main themes, and I'm not going to say what I think there are yet because I don't want to, like, persuade your thinking. But as we go through them, I'll tell you what I'm thinking at the end of what I think the main theme is of, you know, this 101 ways to what, be healthy and kickstart the semester.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. And so we'll go section by section. And we thought we'd kick it off with diet. That's kind of in my arena of work. And so as I was looking at the list, I think for the diet section specifically, there were 15 tips. One of the first ones that stood out to me was to drink water.
[00:08:08] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:08:09] Speaker B: I mean, oh, my goodness, we have so many out of state students. I don't know how many of y' all are not from the Southeast or somewhere with, like, hot, humid temperatures. But water is so important.
[00:08:22] Speaker C: Water is so important. And, I mean, I've been drinking a lot of water lately. I don't typically drink a lot of Cokes in general, and I used to. And I kind of got off of that and started going to fizzy waters, like sparkling waters, and that helped. But it is really, really hot down here, and the humidity, it causes you to sweat a lot more. And we'll definitely talk about exercise shortly. But it's hard to drink water. I don't know if you have any tips for, you know, water consumption. I know for me, I like lemon juice in my water. If that helps, absolutely. Add a little flavor to it.
[00:08:51] Speaker B: Yes. No, I think anything that you can do to jazz up your water if you're not a general water drinker, you know, adding a little bit of lemon juice or other fruit juice or you know, if you wanted to sparingly use some type of like artificial water flavoring, something along those lines. But also within that realm of staying hydrated. One of the other tips on here was eating more fruits and vegetables and produce in general, and especially during continued hot months, it can be easy to think of some very water rich foods. So like having salads, eating a lot of fresh fruit, you know, most of those things are going to be 98% fluid. So that's actually helping with those hydration goals. And then also if you're the type of person that's having to eat on the run, one of the tips is making sure that you have convenient, healthy choices available to you with a busy schedule. So I think about things like smoothies. So that's a great way to stay hydrated. It can be a meal on the.
So there's so many different things that I think can be part of that hydration piece versus someone just visualizing, oh my gosh, I'm that weirdo that has a empty milk jug. That's like drinking a gallon of water.
[00:10:06] Speaker C: A gallon of water. It doesn't have to be like that. Well, I mean, I was just looking at the list and literally right underneath drink water was limit your sugary and caffeinated beverages. And I think that's, I mean, at least for me when I was in college, I mean that's tough because you're going to want caffeine because you're trying to pull these all nighters. Which will take us into another list of getting more sleep.
You know, there's other ways to get energized. That's kind of where I like to think about exercise. Like I said, we'll get into that a little bit more. But using your natural endorphins to give yourself a little break for the day, increase your energy, but I mean that's really hard. And so I know, like if you are a coke drinker and Sheena, I'm really just curious, I was going to ask you people that drink a lot of Coke, I mean, is it still considered that they're getting water intake or should they be drinking more water on top of that because of the caffeine, is there a balance to that?
[00:10:55] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I think that's a great question because I think that there could be some different thoughts on that.
Especially too, if you're not necessarily thinking about what all is in that Coke. So technically, yes, you would be getting fluid from that. But if you're exclusively getting your fluids from caffeinated beverages like colas or whatever else, caffeine is a natural diuretic. And a diuretic means that it dehydrates you. It gets fluid out of your system. So if you're constantly drinking something that's pushing fluid out of your system, your cells need water. You're gonna set yourself up for actually your body being more prone to wanting to hold onto water weight. So if you're the type of person that's like, oh, I don't like feeling bloated or sensitive to salt or whatever else, it seems counterintuitive. But if you're on point with your water intake, you're less likely to experience something like that.
[00:11:50] Speaker C: That's good to know. So those of you drinking tons of Cokes, maybe switch a Coke for a water.
[00:11:54] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:11:55] Speaker C: I'm telling you, fizzy drinks are awesome. I mean, they taste terrible after you've been drinking Coke. But if you can, like, just do it, it's a nice little. I don't know, nice little break.
[00:12:03] Speaker B: Absolutely. Another thing from the list, and I did mention this a little bit a second ago when we were talking about the smoothies, is making it convenient to eat. Right.
So I think when we think about someone wanting to include more healthy choices in their diet, try to make that the cake convenient choice. And so that means actually having that available in your room or having that in your kitchen. You know, if you're wanting to eat fruits and vegetables, actually buy them. You know, it's kind of. It's honestly hard to make an impulsive choice for something that's a little bit more nutrient dense when all of your convenience items may just be the vending machine or whatever else. So I think really setting up for yourself, having the types of healthy snacks that you prefer available so that when you are in snack mode, you've got those available.
[00:12:55] Speaker C: Yeah. And I was just thinking about, you know, fruits and vegetables and, I mean, little tangerines are super easy to have in your bag because, I mean, you don't have to refrigerate them. And so I think thinking of things that don't have to necessarily be in a refrigerator, although I have this really cool lunchbox, and y' all have probably seen it, but you put it in the freezer, and it basically freezes it, and then you put your food in There, So it kind of lasts all day. So maybe investing in, like, a fun little lunchbox, especially if you can't go home for lunch and things like that.
[00:13:21] Speaker B: No, I love that. And that is along the side. Same vein of. One of the other tips was don't skip meals. You know, there are going to be classes this semester where your meals, meals, meals are happening during a meal time. So during the lunch hour dinner, maybe early morning breakfast. So having that backup snack in your backpack until you can actually sit down and eat a full meal is really great. Because if we can make sure that we're consistently eating throughout the day, that makes it more prone for our body to want to give us those naps, hunger, and fullness cues, as opposed to our body kind of guessing when that next meal is coming from. You know, we eventually get hangry, and we may end up eating a lot more than we would have wanted to. But if we keep predictable meal and snack times as much as we can with our schedule, our body chemically and hormonally is like, oh, my goodness. Thank you. Thank you for creating some sense of normalcy with fueling me.
[00:14:20] Speaker C: It's kind of funny because I'm sitting here, like, reliving my college days. I. And it is really hard when you're trying to eat between classes because each semester is very different. And then you start getting into all these, you know, clubs and organizations, and it's just really hard to find time to eat. And I was looking at the list, and I found one that I really liked, and it's number 13. Indulge every once in a while. And I mean, Sheena, I mean, you can speak to this, but I think it's really important.
[00:14:46] Speaker B: I do. I do. You know, and I think that when we think about having, like, a good quality of life and knowing that, yes, there are foods that exist for the nourishment of our bodies, but there's also foods that exist for pure pleasure and enjoyment. And we eat for so many reasons, for socialization, celebration, things of that nature. And so I think with having a good balance of foods that are gonna fuel your body, but also your fun foods, you're just gonna have a more balanced quality of life during the semester.
[00:15:16] Speaker C: I agree. I agree.
[00:15:17] Speaker B: Well, I know we kind of talked a bit about nutrition. Maybe you're getting hungry, which probably means I'm thirsty. Yeah. Well, now we need a break. So if you didn't get that water break during the first break, this is your call to do that. You are listening to fit to be tied with Jeanne and Whitney on 90.7 capstone.
[00:15:37] Speaker A: Wvuafm, tuscaloosa.
[00:15:46] Speaker C: You're listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. And we're kicking it off. This is our first show back and we are rusty. I am just two old gals, just rusty over here, you know, And I
[00:15:59] Speaker B: wish that you all actually. I don't wish you guys could have heard us during the break, but we were. We kept talking about both being brain dead. And it's like, what is happening? So it made us question our identities.
[00:16:09] Speaker C: I know. Who are we?
Do we have credentials?
[00:16:13] Speaker B: Are we qualified to do this? But I think, you know, we needed to get some water in our system, get a little nutrition. And now I guess we're going to switch gears.
[00:16:21] Speaker C: Yeah. Well, I think it's interesting. I love when you talk about nutrition because I always learn about things, especially when clients will ask me stuff, because just for you guys, I teach a lot of classes, work with people on the reformer, do wellness presentations, have my certification in personal training and group fitness and all that good stuff. So exercise is kind of my thing. I feel like I can talk about it all day long. I may not have all the answers, but I enjoy talking about it. So this is kind of the next section of our list.
And one thing I was looking at and I highlighted it and I was kind of like, I'm gonna need to clarify this. It says that you should stretch first to avoid injury. Well, that's somewhat true. So stretching, there's different ways to stretch and I think we need to just kind of clarify that a little bit. If you're about to do some cardio, some strength training, we want to look at bringing warmth to the muscles so that we reduce the risk of injury. But that doesn't mean we're going to sit and hold a bunch of stretches that actually kind of does opposite. We just want blood flow. And it's kind of interesting because we used to have a different school of thought where immediately get down the floor, start stretching. To prepare for exercise, we really want to save the static longer stretches for post workout. It's more beneficial that way. So even though stretching, I think maybe they should have said warm up first. If I can make a little addendum to the list, I would say warm up first by doing large movements and things to warm up those muscle groups that you're going to work rather than just sitting in a stretch.
[00:17:52] Speaker B: Okay. So since you talk about the different types of stretches, like the static stretching versus A more dynamic movement for warmup. So with the stretching that happens after exercise, tell me the listeners, what is the benefit of that or what does that do post workout just in terms of that long stretch?
[00:18:15] Speaker C: Well, anytime you've done a workout and you've worked on contracting those muscles or I mean, obviously you're going to be super tight, so you are trying to release tension. And I think that just goes for overall mobility.
A lot of times when I look at people that just strength train, they are so limited in their mobility that it causes a lot of other issues, a lot of pain, tightness in certain muscle groups, it can shift your body out of alignment. And so really stretching after a workout is to release tension. Your body is warm, it's gone through the workout, you're going to have a better range in your muscles. And you typically would want to hold it for the textbooks would say 30 seconds, 15 to 30 seconds. I say just hold it as long as you can stand it. There's some people that will sit there and stretch forever. Like I love to just sit in the floor and do stretches because I teach yoga and things like that and it feels good. Other people may not have that type of range. And so I would just hold it for, if you can, 15 seconds. But take those breaks and you could stretch every day.
[00:19:15] Speaker B: Now, would stretching help prevent any post workout soreness that could happen the next day? When we think about like lactic acid buildup, I just didn't know it very
[00:19:23] Speaker C: well could and not all the time, because most of the time when you're doing strength training, you're creating these little tiny tears in your muscles. And so what's going to happen is your body's going to go into, okay, let's mend those tears and become stronger in the muscle fibers. And so when you get that delayed muscle soreness, you know, you've done a workout, stretching will help it and it might alleviate a little bit, but maybe not all the time. Okay.
[00:19:47] Speaker B: Yeah, well, see, I just, I love your wisdom, so I'm very, very grateful for that.
[00:19:53] Speaker C: You know what was interesting when I was looking through this list because I was thinking of UREC programs because I'm just gonna do a little shout out, hey, urec. And the next two, actually the next three. One was ride your bike. And I thought that was interesting because first of all, we have stationary bikes at the rec center. So you could come ride stationary bike or take a cycle class or a rhythm ride class or any choreography.
Cycle class.
Yeah, dancing on the bike or play a sport. And with university recreation, we have intramural sports, like crazy. All kinds of different ones that you could do. But then also, I love it says use safety equipment. So if you're playing these sports or if you're working out, being very mindful that you're doing it in a very safe way. And I'm going to go a step further and go back to what we said in the beginning about stretching first or warming up first. That is your safety equipment working out, out. So, I mean, you can think of things like, you know, if you're, I don't know, like rollerblading, where your knee pads, stuff like that. But then also if you're working out in the weight room, like following the rules that are put in place because they're really there to protect you. That's just gonna be my little housekeeping thing that I say in case anybody comes to the rec center, make sure you put your clips on your.
Your barbells and plates so they don't fly off.
[00:21:01] Speaker B: Yeah, no, and I love that. And the fact that you do have the stationary bikes available at the rec. I remember working one of the sessions for parent orientation, and one of the staff members that was talking about the different student services and you know, where bike racks are located, he was specifically telling parents, he's like, look, he's like, if your kid has avidly rode their bike, you know, they plan to ride their bike on campus. Cool. But if they haven't ridden a bike in, like, the past decade, and they're like, oh, I'm going to bike to all my classes, you might keep that bike at home, because they may not feel as comfortable as they would think they would going from one side of campus to the other. And I thought that that was really sage advice. And I think he was also segueing into, like, how many bikes they end up having to put for auction because
[00:21:55] Speaker C: students are like, just leave them.
[00:21:56] Speaker B: Yeah, never mind. I can't do this.
[00:21:58] Speaker C: Well, I mean, campus can be dangerous with the amount. Amount of people walking and people driving and riding bikes that. I mean, honestly, I don't know if I'd feel super comfortable unless I'm used to riding a bike. So I think that's great advice. I mean, I think that's a good thing. One of the ones on here, of course, I'm just going to shout out again, you rec. But a couple of things.
One of them was take advantage of fitness courses. This could be fitness classes. You know, the rec offers free classes, but also taking an academic, like a kinesiology One crash class. I used to teach those and they're a lot of fun. And a lot of the feedback I got from students was if they made this, if it was on their schedules or priority and they had to go. Plus you're gonna learn something great. So I think that if you do have an hour or a credit or two that you can spare, sign up for one of those classes.
[00:22:42] Speaker B: That's my biggest regret is I really did not do that. I would have done tennis just to have gotten, just been able to have it as part of my schedule and I didn't. So don't live a life of regret.
[00:22:53] Speaker C: Never.
[00:22:53] Speaker B: Like me.
[00:22:54] Speaker C: Yolo, you only live once.
[00:22:56] Speaker B: What else stood out to you?
[00:22:58] Speaker C: Well, you know, I really like the idea of incorporating different kinds of exercise into your routine. Again, at the rec center, you could take one of our many classes and hit about five different categories. We have strength, cardio, mind, body, like your yoga applies classes, a fusion class and dance class. But I think even if you're not interested in taking classes, the more well rounded you can be, the better.
I hear all the time people get kind of stuck in their exercise rut. You kind of hit this little plateau where you're just not seeing a lot of changes in your body and all you really have to do is just change it up and do something different. And that could be totally off the wall. Like if you're used to doing yoga all the time and you know you're not doing any cardio and you decide, I'm going to go jump into a cycle class, I mean, even that one class a week could be a game changer and why not try different things?
[00:23:46] Speaker B: Oh yeah, I love that. And I feel like that is a great transition to the other tips that are on here. Particularly I really liked the suggestion of making it fun and bringing a friend because I think if you are wanting to change things up, it might feel a little bit more fun to do it with a friend and try out a new class or whatever else. And I think we need to squash this notion that exercise is only effective if it's something that seems like very difficult and strenuous and you hate it. Like no pain, no gain. No. You can reap the benefits of physical activity from movement that you enjoy.
[00:24:23] Speaker C: Well, I think that's a, I mean, that's a great point because I mean, we have different types of classes. Like if you came to the rec and you wanted to take like a gentle yoga class or a hatha yoga class where it's a little bit more Beginner pace. You're still going to benefit from that class because you're still moving the body, but you're creating mind, body connection. Your brain is literally taking a break, a little vacation during that time. So I do think we need to give ourselves a little break sometimes and not think that every workout has to just kick our butts. I think it's fun to have those workouts where, you know, you work hard, you feel good, and then, you know, maybe change it up a little bit. Your body will thank you as you get older if you do incorporate other styles. But one more thing on this list that I thought was kind of cool, and then we're going to take a break. But taking advantage of open spaces.
[00:25:09] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:25:09] Speaker C: And I think, like, the rec field and going on to the corner quad or any Sokol park or places around town, the riverwalk, and just go for a walk or bring a couple of friends and do, like, a little HIIT class. You can find stuff on the Internet.
[00:25:22] Speaker B: Oh, definitely. I think sometimes I don't give Tuscaloosa or campus in general enough credit as to, like, all the different things that you can do outdoors. You know, we have so many lakes around. We have paddle boards that you can rent and canoes and kayaks. And so I'm like, oh, my goodness. Take advantage of it while you're in college. Yes. Hashtag nature.
[00:25:42] Speaker C: Nature.
[00:25:43] Speaker B: Okay, on that note, we're gonna take a break. We're gonna segue to some other health topics. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:25:56] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
[00:26:05] Speaker C: Welcome back, friends. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied. And again, we're a little rusty, but I think where Sheena's hair kind of, like, sticking up a little. It's kind of like Sunday. It's been rainy this week. We are. You don't have to fix your hair. I just thought it was cute. You have this little twig. And I was like, are we really struggling this much today? We might be.
[00:26:24] Speaker B: My hair is always a mess, but I think it's a sign that I've been moving and shaking today. That's right. It works out.
[00:26:31] Speaker C: That's right.
[00:26:31] Speaker B: The place that I work out, they always know that I've been there or that it's been a good workout for me. If they randomly find my body, Bobby
[00:26:38] Speaker C: pins across the room.
[00:26:40] Speaker B: And I'm like, okay, that's a good sign. But okay. So before the break, if you are just now joining us, we have been talking about these different health and wellness tips for college students as a little bit of a starter pack to get you successful for this semester. We mentioned some nutrition tips, some physical activity tips, and now we're gonna go into some of the other topic areas like sleep and mental health and everything else. And we're. When I was looking at the sleep section, Whitney, one of the things that I really liked, and I guess maybe as it relates to the type of work that I do, was about caffeine and eating and drinking right before bed. Because I want to add a little addendum, as you kind of did yours. So with the caffeine, let me first say, I think that that is great advice. Depending on the person and the actual amount of caffeine consumed. Typically, typically it would take at least three to four hours for caffeine to be completely eliminated from someone's system. Now, if you're knocking back energy drinks left and right, it's going to take even longer. And if you have any caffeine sensitivities and there is a specific range of bedtime you're aiming for, you might decide at what point in the day should your last caffeinated beverage of the day happen? You know, is that going to be 2:00pm? Is that gonna be no caffeine after noon? I know that it may depend on if you're deciding to stay up a little bit later to study. But I think in general, if it's an average day, maybe you decide like, okay, after no caffeine after 1pm or 2 or 3pm and I think everybody kind of knows their own personal sensitivities to that. Now, when it comes to eating and drinking right before bed, I do agree with that. However, I that sometimes, you know, students will come to campus and I'm meeting with them and they'll say, like, oh, you know, I stayed up till midnight. I got really hungry while I was studying. But my mom always said, don't eat after 7pm or you'll gain weight. And maybe for someone who might be going to bed at like 8pm or 9pm but I think in college, we kind of are in this alternate universe where our hours kind of shift a little bit. So, you know, many students may eat a really early dinner at their sorority house. Like, Mike, goodness, some of y' all your houses serve dinner Starting at like
[00:29:00] Speaker C: 4:30pm that's what I love to eat.
[00:29:01] Speaker B: You know, I mean, me too.
But then if you're not going to bed until midnight or 2:00am on average, and you are getting hungry like 7, 8, maybe even 9:00pm that's okay. Now it can be disruptive if you were to eat right before you did go to bed. And the reason for that is, is you're going to have all your blood flow trying to go to your gut to work on that digestion. And it can make it bit a little, little bit distracting for your body to wind down and actually fall asleep.
[00:29:28] Speaker C: Yeah, I would totally agree with that. And I was kind of looking at the list and I mean, these are all great, but like, sleep is probably the hardest thing for college kids because you kind of don't want to miss out. I mean, I remember like, I don't even know how. I think I taught a class at the rec at like 10:00 clock at night. Yeah, I remember that. And like now I'm thinking I'm like already in like my third REM cycle by that time. You know, it's just so weird. But one of the things on here is talking about, about sticking to a schedule and then also a full night's rest whenever possible. I don't know if it's ever possible to get a full night's rest when you're in college just because if you do have roommates, they're not super respectful and they're going to be in and out. And so I think that is kind of hard to do. But if you can, at least couple nights out of the week, try to find that routine, stick to a schedule, to find some balance. But then one of the other ones on here was take a nap. I.
I used to take naps all the time because if I knew if I had a break between classes and I had a couple of hours and I was close to campus, if I could run home and get a power nap, not like a long nap, but just kind of lay on my bed, take a quick nap, I felt very refreshed. Of course, I don't do that now because I sleep normal now.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: But what is an ideal nap time for you, Whitney? Cause I was thinking about that. I feel like there's such a weird fine line between the energizing naps for me and the ones that made me feel like I got hit by a car.
[00:30:46] Speaker C: Yeah, I, I almost feel like if you go longer than an hour, it's too much.
[00:30:50] Speaker B: I agree.
[00:30:51] Speaker C: I think, I mean, I like little quick, like you kind of fall asleep on the couch and then all of a sudden you kind of wake up, that little energy burst and then get up and go. But I think more than an hour, you're kind of doomed.
[00:31:02] Speaker B: No, I totally agree with that. You know, sleep. It feels so good, and it's so wonderful, and we're happy when we get it. But I agree, it's the first thing to go on the back burner for some. So many people.
[00:31:14] Speaker C: That's right. Let's see what else is on this list. Oh, we do have sexual health, because, you know, that's a big deal. And I think I will say. Sheena, your guys. Your guys. I can't even talk. See what I'm doing here? The Health Hut does a really good job of teaching about STDs and sexual health. And one of the things on here is always use protection. And, I mean, honestly, I don't think we talk about this enough, but STDs are real, and I don't think that everybody's free from them. I think you need to be very smart. It is college, and you're living your life and experiencing new things. But if you need a condom, go over to the Health Hut. They have them. Y' all have them at your office?
[00:31:49] Speaker B: We do. We do. And I think also along those lines, getting tested and discussing issues with your partner, I think that's the responsible thing to do. You know, if we're thinking about this as, you know, something that is happening between two individuals, you want to make sure that you're not doing it from a very safe and healthy way. And so I think getting tested, you're doing yourself justice. You're doing that for your partner. And so it's just good practice to do that.
[00:32:17] Speaker C: Yeah, it's good practice, and it's caring for the other person. I think that's a smart thing to do.
[00:32:22] Speaker B: Absolutely. Absolutely. And now transitioning to other health topics, because life isn't all just about sex, sleep, exercising, food.
[00:32:29] Speaker C: Sleep and exercise and food.
[00:32:31] Speaker B: But for some, maybe it is. But also.
So we don't talk about this enough, or we just haven't talked about it in general, but even just the simple things about how to prevent spreading the cold and flu, like washing your hands, being mindful of surfaces that are touched frequently by people, or just thinking about how many germs are constantly on your phone. I remember being in a micro lab and we all got to practice swabbing something and putting in a little petri dish. And everybody who swabbed their cell phone, like, it was like, oh, like, I
[00:33:05] Speaker C: wipe my phone off frequently.
[00:33:07] Speaker B: Do you?
[00:33:07] Speaker C: Yeah, it weirds me out. Because you know you're gonna have your phone with you when you go to bed because it's probably your alarm clock. Most of you are probably on it. The thought of my phone being on my hands and in my bed, knowing that I have set it on the floor at the rec center or set it on because I just. It goes everywhere. I have to wipe it out with a Lysol wiper, like just rubbing alcohol.
I think it's important. But also, I mean, in all reality, if you feel sick, go to the doctor and take care of yourself. You have two extremes, right? You have students that gonna milk every chance they can to not go to class. But then you're gonna have students that don't want to miss class because they're very type A and they want to make good grades. And so you're kind of caught, you know, between these two extremes. It is important when, you know, you don't feel. If Covid taught us anything, we learned how to take better care of ourselves. I think at least some of us did. And so I think if you find that you don't feel good, you start sneezing or you start having some allergies, go to the student health center, get checked out.
[00:34:04] Speaker B: I agree. And one of the big things that we've actually pushed to students and their parents when they come for orientation this summer is to go ahead and make your own first aid kit. So some basic over the counter cold and flu medicine.
Because when you're sick, sometimes you're just not in the mood to want to go to, you know, Target or a different pharmacy or whatever just to find what you need because you want to lay in bed and chill. And I did not realize this until I started helping with some of the parent orientation sessions, is that states have different age requirements for buying certain over the counter cold medicines.
[00:34:45] Speaker C: Really?
[00:34:45] Speaker B: So if you are on the younger side, you might have an issue buying certain decongestants or whatever else, you know, coming into the state of Alabama. And I just did not know that.
[00:34:57] Speaker C: I didn't know that either, man.
[00:34:59] Speaker B: So I just thought that that was really interesting. One thing I also want to point out, I know that we're gonna have to wrap this up in a second. Wear flip flops in the shower.
[00:35:08] Speaker C: Oh, yes.
[00:35:09] Speaker B: Now this one might be a little antiquated depending on what kind of residence hall you're in. You're not mine Whitney's age, where the communal restrooms and showers were a thing
[00:35:23] Speaker C: that just makes me nauseous.
[00:35:24] Speaker B: Like the community bathrooms, and it's more so one that you only share with your roommate. Or maybe you have a bathroom by yourself. Maybe this doesn't apply as much, but if you have any kind of community bathroom or community shower or the rec center.
[00:35:37] Speaker C: If you come shower at the rec center. You know what I mean?
[00:35:39] Speaker B: Perfect example. Please wear flip flops.
[00:35:41] Speaker C: Wear flip flops. You don't need a flip flop.
No. That's so gross.
[00:35:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:46] Speaker C: I mean, it happens, but like you prevent it, right?
All right, I think we need to take a break and then we'll wrap it up.
[00:35:52] Speaker B: I think we do. I think we do.
[00:35:53] Speaker C: On that note of foot fungus.
[00:35:54] Speaker B: Yes. Okay, you guys, we're gonna take a quick break. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheenan Whitney on 90.7 capstone.
[00:36:05] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:36:14] Speaker C: And we're back. You're listening to Fit to be Tied. And we're closing out our first show of fall 2022. Trying to get everybody on the right page wearing flip flops at the rec center.
[00:36:25] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:36:26] Speaker C: Meal prepping, making sure you have your snacks when you're on campus, taking advantage of exercising and making it fun.
But as we kind of close out. Sheena, did you have another one?
[00:36:36] Speaker B: Because.
[00:36:36] Speaker C: Cause this list is very extensive and I mean it's 101 things and it's divided up into exercise, nutrition, sexual health, illness, mental health, stress, miscellaneous. Did you see any that kind of stuck out to you?
[00:36:52] Speaker B: I really liked the one about getting involved on campus because I think when we think about our mental health and well being and our social health, it just, it feels good to have. Have some activities aside from just going to class and going back to your room. There have been so many students that will disengage through the year because they didn't find a place to plug in. And we have so many different student organizations. And so I think finding a place to plug in and either fellowship with other students. So many of them are very volunteer based. So if there is a part of you where you get fulfillment and joy and the endorphins release from volunteering, amazing. I just, I liked that one as an out of the box kind of recommendation.
[00:37:36] Speaker C: Yeah. So for me, I mean there was. Okay. My first one when I was looking at this was the one that said, make sure your backpack isn't too heavy and from an exercise and like an alignment person. I was like, yes, definitely. Because I'm still suffering from just backpack heaviness. And that's kind of just one to have, you know, in the back of your mind. But seriously, watch out for those heavy backpacks. But, but I think one that can go into the category of, I guess, miscellaneous or mental health and stress is give yourself a break.
Because college is supposed to be a really fun and exciting experience that you're never going to get ever again. And so while you want to try to make the right choices and do all the right things, sometimes you're just not. And you're going to fail. And that's just part of life, and you just need to give yourself a break. And when you feel like you are overwhelmed, will take a look at what you're doing. Because sometimes it's okay to look at your schedule and say, okay, I need to let that one thing go. Now, I will say from a perspective of hiring and training student employees, make sure you communicate that with us. And you don't just, like, ghost us on the job. But we're very open to that because we've all had those same experiences.
[00:38:45] Speaker B: Absolutely. And I think you really want to decide what do you want to get out of your college experience Aside from that degree and comparison is the thief of joy. Just because you're a roommate. You know, her college project is, you know, get involved in every single single club so that she's competitive for medical school or whatever. That doesn't have to be what your experience is. I think it's so easy for us to get into this rat race. And, you know, you think that once you get done with high school, it's like, oh, I was involved in all this stuff, so I look good on college applications. Now it's how do I get into that internship? But you're gonna find your place. You're gonna find those passions, and it's gonna feel very joyful to you versus feeling like you've got to spread yourself so thin.
[00:39:29] Speaker C: Yeah. And I think, you know, next week, I believe we're having Paige Acker on for university program from university programs. And they're the ones that have all these fun events going on just to keep you plugged in. But we also have a lot of other campus resources. And, I mean, you guys all go to bama bound and all those kind of great things, so you do know what we have to offer. But keeping in mind that we do have the counseling center. When you do need to talk to somebody. I mean, I love talking about life and things. Come find me at the rec center. I mean, I. I'll carve out time during my day. My office is very zen, so we can just sit and chill.
[00:40:02] Speaker B: You just give life wisdom.
[00:40:03] Speaker C: I mean, I don't know if I have much to give, but I try you know, but also, I think, like, knowing that we have all these partners on campus, and if you don't know where to go, I mean, just go on the website and Google it and I'm sure you'll find it.
[00:40:15] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. I just.
You know, again, we are excited for everybody having a great semester and all of the things that we will be equipping y' all with this fall and spring. But with that, we're gonna wish you all a happy Sunday. And just thank you for listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:40:39] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
