* Healthy living
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Is it time to wake up for a 24-hour gym?
by Rob Wynne
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I In.'iv arc a great many places to
work out m hrie. Whether it’s an
aerobic tilness center like Jazzercise,
or a more hard-core weightlifting
lacility like Joe’s Gym or American
I llness, most anyone can find
someplace that fits their niche. But, is
there always time to squeeze a workout
m a busy 8-5 work schedule? Well,
maybe alter dinner.. .well, maybe after
stud> ing.. .well, maybe after the wash
gets done. Oops, it's midnight. The
workout will just have to wait until
-yeah right. With the ever
growing tilness fad that is affecting
moie young people as well as old, isn’t
it time lor Trie to acquire a 24-hour
tomorrow
The concept is nothing new. Many
24-hour iitness centers have become
eiaiit chains with locations around the
country. World Gym. which has a
location in Buffalo, and 24-Hour
fitness, a western li.S. chain, are
examples of some chains that have
attracted the noil-traditional 8-5
workout crowd. In Toronto, facilities
like Monster Gym and Strictly Fitness
have vast amounts of equipment - yards
of dumbbell racks and double-digit
amounts of treadmills, ab machines,
and weight benches. Not only is there
an abundance of equipment to avoid
"working in a set" with another person,
the machines and weights are
accessible 24 hours a day.
So what's the current gym situation
like m lirie.’ As mentioned, there are a
\ ai let s ot wins and fitness centers; the
big ones including Nautilus Fitness and
Racquet Club, IVnnbi iar Athletic Club,
Ja//ercise. American Fiiness, the locai
YMCA>. and Joe's Gym. Although all
ol these gyms do carry a decent amount
ol equipment and provide a nice
w or ki nit atmosphere, the latest closing
time is 10 p.tn., it not earlier. On the
weekends. 5 p.m. may he the latest time
lor a workout.
Super slim or dying to be thin?
With the onset of summer
quickly looming. I've heard many
girls around campus talking about
losing those few extra pounds from
winter and working hard to get that
six-pack beach belly. Whether
they arc makes trips to the workout
room in Ohio, going to the ARC,
or just doing crunches in their
room, girls are trying to shape up
their bodies faster by shedding
some weight.
This is something that I would
like to do, as well. But when does
losing a couple of extra pounds
become a life threatening disease?
When does it go too far? When is
it too much? Diseases such as
anorexia and bulimia may seem
Advertise your healthy business!
Attention all gyms, health spas, doctors, and dentists, reach over 3,700 students every
month! Send your ad to us and let the campus know about your services!
Send all ads and inquiries to behrcolls@aol.com
Calvin Clayton and Brian Triscuit work out in the ARC weightroom facility. Both men agree that midnight is a late enough time
“Considering that it wouldn't cost
much more for some of these places to
stay open all night, there would be
enough business for at least one gym
to stay open 24 hours,” said Dr. Robert
Speel, associate professor of political
resulting from self-imposed
starvation. The person suffering
Blood, Sweat, and Tears from this eating disorder will
abstain from eating for extended
Orr periods of time in the hopes of
shedding weight. Victims of
anorexia have distorted images of
their bodies, perceiving themselves
to be overweight when in actuality
coned, but anorexia
vosa and bulimia nervosa
iffect ,5%-l% of all women
letween the ages of
ghteen and thirty. Over 5
million Americans, men and
vomen, are diagnosed with
Ming disorders every year.
these disorders are left
untreated, they can become
Here are some statistics to put
things in perspective. The most
vulnerable age group to be affected
by eating disorders is women ages
12-25 years old. Ninety-five
percent of all people diagnosed
with anorexia are females. Twenty
percent of those with the eating
disorder anorexia nervosa die
before the age of twenty. One in
every 200 females in the United
States suffers from an eating
disorder.
Hopefully this article will
enlighten some of you to the perils
inherent in excessive dieting,
exercising, and weight loss.
Anorexia is an affliction
science at Penn State Behrend. Speel
also has visited many gyms and fitness
centers throughout the U S. and
Canada
“If one gym were to remain open for
24 hours, it would attract all of the
like quite a
reach for
those of us
who only want
they are not
Many victims of anorexia are
classified as perfectionists, trying
to achieve the ideal body. Even
though the problem manifests itself
physically, the disorder is
categorized as a psychological one.
Anorexics feel that they are in
control when determining the
amount of food they consume.
Bulimia nervosa is a little
different. It is much harder to
identify someone who is suffering
from bulimia. They usually
maintain their body weight, with
slight fluctuations in weight gain
or weight loss. A person afflicted
with bulimia will go through a
process of bingeing and purging.
They will eat massive quantities of
food, then rid the body of it
through vomiting, extreme
exercising, diuretics, or laxatives.
Symptoms of bulimia include
swollen or bloated cheeks,
bloodshot eyes and bad breath.
These are definitely not healthy
ways to trim up for the summer,
but here are a few hints that may
business in the city front people who
can’t work out before 10 p.nt.,
including lots of students,
professionals, and late-shift workers,"
Speel added. He explained how
Monster Gym and Strictly Fitness, two
prove helpful when trying to get in
shape and be ready for that two
piece bathing suit.
Get the recommended number of
fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
Always eat breakfast. It starts
your metabolism burning in the
morning and gives you an extra
boost of energy to start the day. It
will also help to curb snacking on
junk food throughout the day.
Weight training, running,
swimming crunches, rollerblading,
dancing, bicycling, and aerobics
are all viable options for an
exercise plan.
Just remember to stay active. 1
know, I know. But if you can,
avoid taking the elevators on
campus. Use the energy and take
the stairs, or take a walk in the
gorge. Don’t forget to drink eight
glasses of water a day, especially if
it is ice cold. Ice cold water can
burn an additional 1,400 calories a
week, because the body must burn
calories to raise the temperature of
the water to that of the body.
Choose an activity that you
enjoy. You are more likely to stick
with it, and this will produce better
remits. And during the whirlwind
of dieting and exercise, don’t
forget that a healthy body weight
largely depends on height and
body type. What is an ideal body
weight for one person may not be
right for you. Happy exercising!
gyms in Toronto, arc packed until
about 1 a.m., and then between 2 and
5 a.m. there are about 15-20 people.
Do people in Toronto live a better
nightlife than Erieites? According to
Mike Davis, the general manager of
Healthy Happenings
Month of April is designated as
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Sex Jeopardy
April 3, 2001
7:00 p.m. in Perry Hall with Health
and Wellness
“Take Back the Night”
April 25, 2001
Sponsored by Women Today
4*, 4?'
Nautilus Fitness and Racquet Club and
Penn State Behrend alumnus, that might
just be the case.
“I’ve considered extending hours
before, but according to member
surveys, there would be virtually no one
interested in using the facility past 10
p.m.,” Davis explained. “Ninety-five
percent of our customers seem to be here
between 5:30 a.m. and 10 p.m., and
when the survey asked the member
which they would prefer - an earlier
opening time or a later closing time, the
earlier opening time was preferred. I
was only getting one person who wanted
to be here past 11 p.m.”
Davis also stated that the cost to
remain open all night was very small.
He estimated that he would only have
to sell between thirty-five and forty
more memberships. Besides, he has a
cleaning crew occupying the building
all night. The only additional costs
would come from hiring another
instructor and perhaps a lifeguard. For
college students, Davis recommends
checking out the campus facilities.
College students may find use of their
campus workout facility, but sometimes
there is limited space in those buildings.
At Behrend’s new ARC facility, the
hours of operation are a bit more
impressive; students and/or faculty can
work out until midnight. Perhaps the
solution lies in keeping these smaller
college gyms open all night in order to
accommodate the few who could use the
night workout time.
“No, midnight is late enough,” stated
1.
aura Furko, 06 Communications. Her
friend, Brianna Shively, also a sixth
semester Comm major, agreed with the
closing time. A person who works out
late is an oddity, according to her.
“I don’t know anyone who works out
past midnight," she said.
For all of the local entrepreneurs, this
article serves as an open invitation to
come up with a solution to this dilemma.
Good luck.