Fitness Opportunities

Feeling Chilly? Come warm up with us in the Fitness Center as we have even MORE classes to offer you!

Starting now, on Thursdays at noon, you can join us for "Tread and Shred. " This class involves alternating between walking or running and strength training. It's a lot of fun and variety.

If you love nature and the outdoors, consider joining a group outdoor hike on Fridays leaving from the Fitness Center lobby at noon. You can make this walk slow, quick or as long or short as you want it to be!! A different route will be given each week but you can modify it as you like.

STUDENTS: You wanted more cycling classes and your fellow students have stepped up in a big way. You can now attend a cycling class on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday at 4:15. Sandi will continue to teach on Wednesday and a big thank you to Skylar and Miriam for teaching on Thursday and to Eden for teaching on Friday!!! These classes aren't listed on the Calendar for November so please spread the word. We will add them to the calendar for December and January.

Don't forget about our Free Library/Book Exchange located in the Fitness Center, the fresh coffee served every morning and all the benefits of getting a great workout! See you soon,

Fitness Center Staff

It’s A Great Day to Be an Eagle

It’s A Great Day to Be an Eagle

By: Andrew Dorrel

Everyone has a story to tell about their fitness journey. I was encouraged to share mine only because I believe that one of life’s greatest satisfactions is to share experiences and encouragement in order to positively impact lives.  I am passionate about helping others achieve success and hopefully you are enriched in some way by the following remarks.

Exercising and working outdoors have been part of my life from a very young age. I grew up on a farm, have always been involved in sports, love being outdoors, and relish hard work – it is invigorating. My fitness goals have changed throughout my life but the most significant revelation to my improved health is a better understanding of how to manage a healthy diet.

My first deliberate efforts at monitoring my fitness began when I played college football. During this time I ate as much as could, spent hours lifting weights, and did some cardio workouts, but the simple reality was I wanted to be big and strong. After my college football career ended I continued to lift weights and periodically would exercise but continued to eat more than I needed.  Over the years I gained weight and lacked the self-discipline to admit that my college playing weight was not in my best interest. I enjoyed the adrenaline high lifting weights provided and liked feeling strong. However, I used the excuse that since I worked out I could still eat as much as I wanted with little thought toward nutritional value or caloric intake.

It was not until my wife, Jenny, who was also a college athlete, challenged me to consider how I could become healthier. Through her encouragement, along with the birth of our second son, and the fact that I was turning forty motivated me to improve my health in order to be the husband and father I aspired to be.    

Initially in my quest to become healthier I began to research multi-vitamins because I thought at my age that is what I needed to do. Fortunately my ignorance and research introduced me to a line of nutritional products that motivated me to think about what and how much I ate. I soon realized that a few minor changes to my diet and better management of portion sizes was critical to achieving better health. Additionally I started running; this was a feat in itself as a former offensive lineman I never envisioned myself as a runner.

As my diet improved and my energy level increased I became even more motivated to run. Once I started to experience modest results I was further encouraged by others who noticed that I had lost a few pounds. After only a couple of months I randomly stepped on the scales and was amazed. In fact, I stepped off and then back on as I thought the scales were broken. For the first time since high school I weighed less than 200 pounds, a milestone I never thought I would achieve again.

Fortunately I have been able to maintain this weight for over a year while enjoying the benefits of increased energy, more satisfying sleep, and the drive to exercise regularly. Most importantly, I am grateful to the support and encouragement from so many as I do not think I could have achieved these results without the help of others.