Tag Archives: health

Quarantine Diary 4: Tips for a Healthy (Indoor) Lifestyle

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Hello world! My name is Annabel, and I am coming to you live from quarantine in West Michigan! If you’re like me, you’re a person who can’t sit still for five seconds, craves productivity, and is fueled by an anxious energy, which is maddening unless you’re busy. We are the Leslie Knopes of the world, and I would argue that quarantine is essentially the antithesis of our entire beings. While I haven’t yet completely come to peace with the situation, in order to stave off existential dread and debilitating uncertainty, I am here to advocate for a practice that has kept me sane – proper exercise!

Exercise is vitally important for not only your physical health, but also your mental health. Of course, as a graduate assistant for the university libraries, I can point you towards numerous library guides which are full of information on various facets of health. For example, check out this guide on wellness and personal wellbeing, this guide on campus resources for health education, or this guide for mental health resources. !]. In addition, the University has provided us with a free subscription to Les Mills home workout videos! If you haven’t tried them out yet, I have tested a few of them for you, and here are my reviews:

1. LES Video still of LES MILLS GRIT #29 CardioMILLS GRIT #29: I thought I was in pretty decent shape… until I tried this HIIT workout. Let me tell you, it kicked my butt. I had to keep hitting pause so I could breathe! This definitely disrupted my elevated heart rate, but I couldn’t have made it through without some extra breaks. If you’re in an apartment, I don’t recommend this video because it is a lot of jumping around. You will definitely disturb your downstairs neighbors! However, I often find that workout videos are never hard enough. This one is an exception. It’s a great video for an intense cardio workout!

Video still from SH'BAM #36 45 min2. SH’BAM #36: This workout was similar to Zumba or any other dance-based workout you’ve tried! The workout was definitely on the easier side – it was fun, but repetitive and even a little boring at times. The music was great, and the hosts are vivacious, but in the end, I didn’t get as much of a workout as I would have liked. I did this video with my mom though, and we had a lot fun! This video is great for freestyling and it’s also great for beginners.

Video still from LES MILLS BARRE #07 30 min3. LES MILLS BARRE #07: For this workout, you only need a couple of small weights. I didn’t have any, so I improvised with jars of pasta sauce! I think this was my favorite workout of the three I attempted. It was challenging, hit all of the major muscle groups, but it was quick! I want to do this workout over and over, because I feel that I can improve each time I do it. This video also brought me back to my days in ballet class and made me a little nostalgic! I highly recommend this workout for anyone with a dance background, or anyone who wants a quick & efficient burn!

There’s a multitude of other great workout resources online too! One of my favorite places to go for free yoga instruction is doyogawithme.com – my favorite video is ‘Rise and Shine.’ I also love to run, so I’ve been hitting the trails to clear my mind. Exercise is super important, but a healthy lifestyle is made up of a lot of components. To summarize, here are my top ten tips for staying fit and healthy to survive the quarantine:

Annabel’s Top Ten Tips for a Healthy (Indoor) Lifestyle 1. Do something every day. Whether it is going on a walk or doing a full home workout, it’s imperative that you get some exercise every single day! 2. Set a timer. Sitting for prolonged periods can lead to serious health effects such as weight gain or increased blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. I recommend standing up and walking around every 45 minutes. 3. Set a goal. Setting an intention before you start exercising will remind you why you keep at it. Big or small, goals keep you focused and motivated! 4. Get enough sleep. Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed at a regular time each day and practice good habits to get better sleep. Sleep restores both your mind and body. 5. Stay hydrated. Water is our body’s fuel. It keeps us energized, flushes out our system, and promotes other health benefits – like clear skin! 6. Meditate. Exercising has a lot of positive mental health effects, but it’s important to supplement by checking in with yourself and doing some deep breathing exercises once in a while. 7. Stay accountable. Find a friend to do workouts with, post your progress on social media, or keep track of what you’ve done by writing it down. Anything to keep you coming back! 8. Eat well. Eating and exercise go hand in hand. In fact, the more you exercise, the more your body will crave whole, healthy foods. I can’t stress the importance of fruits and veggies enough! 9. Take time for you. Working out is an opportunity to appreciate yourself and your amazing body. Take this time to be proud of yourself – you can do anything you put your mind to! 10. Get creative. There are millions of ways to fit exercise into your daily routine. Whether that is going on a daily walk, dancing in front of a mirror, or doing squats while you make dinner. Do anything and everything to stay active because it will keep you health – and sane!

Written by: Annabel

Edited by: Amy

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DON’T DISTRESS, DE-STRESS AT THE UGL DE-STRESS FEST!

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As the semester winds down, the intensity always ramps up. Don’t worry, the UGL has you covered. On Reading Day, Thursday December 13th, we have programming to help curb your stress with our semesterly De-Stress Fest! Choose your own adventure by looking at the categories of programming we have below. For a concise hourly schedule, see the image at the bottom, but be sure you stick around for 8:00p.m.…because you never know what Uggles has up her sleeves—er, paws.

Flyer for Destress Fest. Image shows a very distressed student.

It’s time to Destress!

Tackling that Final Research Paper or Project?

Starting at 12:00p.m. you can join the Writers Workshop in their “Long Night Against Procrastination” to fight the monsters that are your final writing projects. Research consultations will also have extended hours starting at 2:00p.m. until 10:00p.m. in the consultation corner. The Writers Workshop will close at 11:00p.m..

The Writers Workshop will also host several activities throughout the day in the UGL lobby for you word-nerds and grammar geeks (don’t worry, everyone at the library is one too!)

Need to take a break?

The graduate assistants hear you and we want to get crafty! Come procraftinate with us all day long from 12:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. and 5:00p.m. to 8:00p.m. in the new books section of the UGL. We will have coloring pages, pet rock painting, and button making.  If you don’t have time to craft, pick up a de-stress bag full of word puzzles and brain teasers that you can use to take a break between flash cards, math problems, or book chapters!

Feeling competitive?

Come to room 289 to participate in a variety of board games, party games, and an Illini trivia session. If you can pin the tail on Uggles or beat a team of friends/strangers at trivia, you can win a small piece of sugary motivation. (Candy, the motivation is candy.) You can also play one of the board games out of the UGL board game collection!

If you’re into video games, we have that too. From 8:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. in the gaming center, come test your gamer skills on vintage games with classics like Mario Kart, Dr. Mario-Tetris, Street Fighter, and more!

Need to vent or manage your stress?

The Integrative Health and Wellness Team will be in the UGL front lobby from 12:00p.m. to 2:00p.m. and the McKinley Stress Management Peers will have stress balls available for free from 2:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.

Want to escape the real world for a while?

We hear you, and we have just the people to help! Several members of the Pathfinder Society who know how to play the popular Dungeons & Dragons Pathfinder game will be around to answer your Pathfinder related questions from 4:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. in the UGL front lobby. Then you have a chance to use your new knowledge to play a beginners scenario in UGL Group Room 11 from 6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m.

See our full schedule below!

The Destress Fest Full Schedule. The schedule in the image is the following. From noon to ten p.m., Trivia and Board Games in Room 289. From Noon until two p.m., Integrative Health and Wellness Team will be at the Front Tables. From Noon to four p.m. and five p.m. to eight p.m., Pet Rocks, Button Making, and Crafts in the new books area. From two p.m. to ten p.m., Research and Writing Consultations outside the Writer's Workshop. From two p.m. to four p.m., McKinley Stress Management Peers at the Front Tables. From four p.m. to six p.m., Creating your own revision vision board at the front tables. From six p.m. to eight p.m., Pathfinder Beginners Scenario in Group Room eleven and Word Games and Writing Handouts at the Front tables. At eight p.m. there is a surprise, and from eight p.m. to ten p.m. there is vintage video gaming in the Gaming Center.

The Schedule of events

Written by Paige

Edited by Zander

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National Mental Health Awareness Week

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Self-care is an important part of your mental health. For National Mental Health Awareness Week (April 23-27), we are highlighting resources and events around campus to help you #finishstrong and be healthy!

The Counseling Center

An oldie but a goodie, talking to someone when you’re feeling stressed, anxious or depressed is always a good option. McKinley Health Center has counselors who are here to help you! Schedule an appointment by phone at 217-333-3704 and check out more info on the counseling center website.

A gif of a yarn gnome sewing a yarn heart

There’s always someone who will listen

Take a Night Off

The Illini Union Rec Room has bowling, billiards, arcade games, and more! Take a night off from homework and stress to hang out with your friends and have fun!

A gif of a cat trying to bowl but knocking down the pins with its body

Strike!

Go for a Walk

Getting outside and walking can be an easy way for a mood boost. The arboretum has a trail that passes by the Japan House, a pond, and plenty of beautiful flowers.  If you need to study, you can bring a friend and some flashcards for an active study session!

Massage at the ARC

Did you know you can get a massage from a licensed massage therapist at the ARC? Rates and more information can be found here on their information page.

A gif of a cat massaging a cat that is relaxed

Licensed cat massage therapists not available

Krannert Art Museum

Krannert Art Museum, apart from having a beautiful collection, also throws fun events! You can grab some Cookies n’ Cold Brew on the 26th, or get zen with Yoga at the Museum on the 27th!

A gif of Spongebob enjoying cookies and milk

As delicious as it looks and sounds

Finally, there’s nothing like a good old fashioned movie night. The UGL has tons of classic or current movies and TV shows!

A gif reading "And now.... It's Show Time" over a background drive-in theatre screen.

Note: The UGL is not a drive-in theater

If you’re having a hard time, it’s ok to reach out for help

UIUC Crisis Line:   217-359-4141 (TTY: 217-352-4217)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or chat

Trevor Project Hotline: 1-866-488-7386

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

 

 

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