In order to stay in consistently good physical condition:

Students stress regular exercise

Anthony Lanza
NorwichGuidon Staff Writer

Here at Norwich University students find that it is good to keep themselves in good physical shape throughout the school year. It is a wise choice to fine-tune your body so that it can perform at a higher level, according to student athletes, which includes getting the right amount of exercise to keep the body healthy.

"People have to make a choice of whether they want to look and feel better by working out, or just sitting on the couch at home and gaining weight" said Mike Letoile, 20, sophomore, criminal justice major, from Lincoln RI.

"Keeping your body in shape helps to keep you alive," said Carmelo Tarascio, 22, senior, criminal justice major, from Rock Hill Conn. "I want to be in tip-top shape. I want to excel. I want to look good, but it's all about me. I work out to better myself."

There are many exercises that people can do in order to get in shape and on the right path to looking and feeling better.

A person can do either aerobic or anaerobic exercises. Aerobic include activities such as running and swimming, whereas anaerobic is mostly weight lifting, said Jonathan Marshall, 19, sophomore, history major, from Taunton Mass.

"Aerobic builds your cardiovascular system endurance, whereas anaerobic increases your muscles and overall strength inside your body," he said.

"Push-ups is by far one of the best exercises a person can do to get definition in their chest area," Tarascio said "and the best thing about push-ups is you can do them anywhere. You can do them in your room, in the latrine, they work so well for the upper body."

Because people have different physical goals, there are many different workout plans to choose from.

"People who want to get in shape should go to the gym at least three to four times a week. Each day, you should concentrate on working a different muscle group," Letoile said. "This ensures that the muscles are worked."

However, you should allow yourself a few days for the body to rest, which will give the muscles a chance to become more developed." Letoile said.

"In order to get a good workout going for yourself, you don't have to go a gym, which may be a concern for many people due to money costs for membership or because they just can't find the time," said Rafael Cruz, 19, sophomore, criminal justice major, from Chelsea, Mass.

"You have to sometimes be creative, because if you don't have the means of using a gym, push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks are some of the physical fitness basics that will provide results which can be done in the privacy of your home."

Being able to have the will power to eat the healthy foods all the time is one aspect of a healty lifestyle some people find difficult.

"Eating right is one of the most important roles in keeping your body in shape," Marshall said, likening it to how to care for an automobile. "If you put crappy fuel in your car, it will not perform well. If you put nasty food in your body, you may suffer from malnutrition."

"There are many reasons of why I push myself to workout," Tarascio said. "Working out is to my benefit only; and it also is an event that keeps me awake and more active."

"Doing physical fitness exercises helps me to fight fatigue and keeps me energized throughout the day," Tarascio said.

It is common knowledge that if a person is in shape they will perform better in the workplace, Cruz said.

"In the office sometimes a person can be running all around doing different things like making copies, making appointments with different people> Doing things like this all day can be very draining, both mentally and physically," Cruz said.

"If that same person works out and conditions their body, they will be prepared for stressful environments like work," he added.

Tarascio agreed. "I think that the reason the opposite sex is attracted to others with nice bodies is because it is appealing to the eye. It's the simple fact that people don't like to see fat.

"People like to see others that are in shape, because it shows that they care about their body and about how they look when compared to other people," Tarascio said.

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