News

  • 8 Simple Rules to a Healthier Lifestyle

    Wednesday, February 17, 2021 | By

    Being healthy doesn’t only mean working out and eating healthy, it is focusing on holistic health. These tips are easy and cheap solutions to gain motivation, being happier and healthier each day. By following these 8 simple rules, it will help with reducing stress, improving sleep quality, and increasing productivity.  

    1. Meal prep/meal plan

    At the beginning of the week, make a meal plan and stick to it. If you are someone who doesn’t like to cook or find you are too busy, take one day to prep your meals for the week. These easy to grab and go meals are a healthier and cheaper option!  

    2. Plan your day

    Take a moment to plan out your day either the night before or the morning of. This will increase your motivation and productivity. It also allows you to incorporate things you want to do into your day before time slips away.  

    3. Put your phone away 1 hour before bed

    Set your alarm and place your phone somewhere you won’t be urged to look at it. Take this time to allow your body to wind down and give your brain a break. Tiktok can wait!  

    4. Drink water 

    Drinking water has so many health benefits. Drinking water keeps you hydrated throughout the day and improves mood.  

    5. Exercise or move daily 

    Exercising has many great benefits to your health! Online fitness programs have become the new fad and are easily accessible! Check out Brock Recreation’s Expressfit on Demand for some workouts to follow along! If exercising isn’t for you, get up and move. Go for a walk, do some yoga, or take brain breaks and stretch! 

    6. Get a full 8 hours of sleep 

    Go to bed at a decent time and set your schedule to allow for a full 8 hours. You will be less tired and more productive.  

    7. Do one thing you love to do each day 

    Think about those things you love to do but never have time for. When planning your day, add in one of those things you love to do. This allows you to focus on self-worth and spend time doing things for you! 

    8. Have a goal in mind

    Picking up your lifestyle and changing it completely can be difficult for obvious reasons! Set a goal and take baby steps. Have a goal, stick to it, and build these goals. Once you achieve one, set the next and the next and the next! 

    Now, more than ever, we notice ourselves moving from the bedroom to the living room completing the same tasks each day. Whether this is schoolwork or working from home, we conform to the same things every day. A healthy lifestyle can easily be forgotten or set aside as we embrace the new normal but following these 8 simple rules will bring you to a healthier lifestyle.  

    Do it for you! Do it for your health!  

    Your friendly neighbourhood Badger 

  • 10 Things To Do This Reading Week 

    Wednesday, February 10, 2021 | By

    Reading week is fast approaching, which also indicates that we are halfway through the winter semester. In the midst of finishing up papers and submitting assignments, we would be packing our bathing suits and hitting the beaches down south. Or rather, we would be packing a different type of gear and hitting the slopes or heading home to see family and friends. Amid a much-needed break, the papers would still be written, and the assignments finished, but this reading week might look different for most!

    Here are some ways you can spend your reading week to improve mental health and prepare for the rest of the term.

    1. Screen free day – Spend an entire day without your computer, phone, tv or tablet. We have been spending more time than ever in front of screens. Give your eyes a break and plan a day full of non-screen activities.
    2. Test out a new recipe or order in from a local restaurant
    3. Get some outdoor exercise and go on a hike or go skating
    4. Complete a puzzle or play board games.
    5. Have an online social with friends
    6. Make a scavenger hunt with your roommates or family that you can do at home
    7. Meditate every day
    8. Check in to Experience BU to take part in workshops and activities.
    9. Read a book
    10. Crafting is in! Try out a DIY from TikTok or Pinterest

    Use this time to take care of YOU and your health. Follow along with this list of ideas and complete whichever ones speak to you at your own pace.

    Wishing you all an enjoyable Reading Week! Get some studying in but be sure to take time to relax and have fun too.

    Your friendly neighbourhood Badger

  • Fitness Equipment; The New Toilet Paper

    Wednesday, February 03, 2021 | By

    Yes, you read that correctly! Fitness equipment is the new toilet paper. No, we’re not implying or in any way suggesting that you attempt to use it as one in the same, but if you’ve attempted to buy a set of dumbbells recently you may have flashbacks to empty shelves in the hygiene aisle back in early 2020. Fitness equipment is hard to come by right now and if you are lucky enough to find any in stock, chances are you’re paying a premium.  With that being said, here are 3 options to consider for at-home fitness equipment. 

     1: Buy Used 

     Aside from cardio equipment, most fitness equipment does the same thing now as it did ten years ago. With that in mind, here are some tips when buying used equipment: 

    • Check out Kijiji and Facebook marketplace for items in your local area 
    • With the right timing, you can score a great deal on used equipment online 
    • Be sure to be safe when buying equipment, bring a member of your household with you and arrange for contactless pickup once stay-at-home orders are lifted 

    2: Shop Local 

    Southern Ontario has a range of residential fitness equipment dealers, here are some of my recommendations: 

    • Niagara Fitness Solutions
      • Niagara and Hamilton location
      • Family-run business
      • Managed by Brock Alumni 
    • Treadmill Factory
      • Locations in London, Mississauga, Markham, Barrie and across Canada
      • Ships to most areas within days
    • Matrix Fitness 
      • Supplies and manufactures both residential and commercial fitness equipment 
      • Much of the new Zone equipment came from here 
      • Most equipment is made in Canada 

    3: DIY Equipment 

    There are plenty of options for at-home hacks to reduce the need for expensive equipment purchases. Here are some of our suggestions: 

    • TRX Suspension Trainer 
      • Very versatile 
      • Second-to-none core engagement 
      • An instructional video for one of my favourite versions can be found here. 
      • Tip: if using a door as an anchor point, be sure to use a door that open away from you for added strength. A solid or steel door is ideal 
    • Dumbbells 
    • Family-size laundry detergent jugs filled with water 
      • Great to use as they have integrated handles 
      • Increase or decrease the amount of water to adjust the weight 
      • Irregular weight distribution can give your forearms a great extra burn 

    If you’re looking to add more to your fitness routine to stay active during lockdown and need that extra motivation, join us for our ExpressFit Live or ExpressFit On Demand classes. Always remember that anything is better than nothing when it comes to exercise and just because it isn’t the gym, doesn’t mean it isn’t fitness! 

     Stay active and stay safe! 

    Your friendly neighbourhood Badger 

  • Let’s Talk About It

    Wednesday, January 27, 2021 | By

    Being isolated from your social life and practically doing everything virtually is hard! Many of us thrive on interaction, and this year, hasn’t provided us with many opportunities to interact with others at the capacity we used to. It’s been hard for us all but let’s talk about it.  

    This week is the annual Bell Let’s Talk event, which raises awareness about mental health. The proceeds will fund both mental health supports and research in Canada.   

    It’s important to remember that mental health isn’t a one time “event”, it affects many people every single day. With the pandemic, the need for support has increased more than ever.  

    Take the time out of your day to reach out to others or ask for support if you feel you are struggling. It’s ok to talk about it.  

    Did you know, Brock provides great resources that are accessible, even during the pandemic.  

    • The Student Wellness and Accessibility  Centre (SWAC) website provides a confidential personal counselling, mental health nurses, drop in Peer to Peer support and other resources for students.   
    • My Student Support App (My SSP) is free 24-hour confidential text and talk counselling and also has videos, self-screening, and fitness programming. 
    • Follow @BrockSWAC for resources and workshops available to you!  

    It is easy to forget to focus on your well-being when life gets busy.. Here are a few tips to stay positive and healthy.  

    • Enjoy the small things: take this time to reset and focus on the little details you would often overlook. Watch the sunset, browse at nature, enjoy the smell of homemade cookies baking in the oven. 
    • Set a routine: Build a calendar and write it out!  
    • Study in a different space than you sleep:  Get 8 hours of sleep each night and enjoy it!  It’s tempting to keep your laptop by your bed, so you can wake up and join that synchronous class without getting up – but keep your bed for relaxation! 
    • Eat breakfast  
    • Move every single day: exercise, go for a walk, join an on-line class (Brock Recreation has a whole library of on-demand and live classes and there are classes on your My SSP app), use some soup cans for small weights. 
    • Take a snack break. Research shows that short bouts of exercise is valuable! (is this about snacks or exercise?) 
    • Relax: breathe deeply, take an on-line yoga class, schedule this time in your day! 

    On Thursday, January 28th, use #BellLetsTalk for every applicable text, call, tweet, or TikTok video and Bell will donate 5 cents for mental health initiatives. We’re all here to raise awareness about mental health and take action. This year, more than ever I encourage you to lend the hand a little further and talk about it. Reach out, stay in touch, express how you feel and together we can help.  

    Let’s talk about it,  

    Your friendly neighborhood Badger 

  • Virtual classes available

    Tuesday, September 22, 2020 | By

    Work out when you have time – go to Expressfit on Demand and choose a class!

  • Lockers, locker rooms, saunas, whirlpool, fountains

    Thursday, September 03, 2020 | By

    As we open specific areas of the Walker Sports Complex for Brock students, please be aware that there will be no lockers available (please come dressed for activity), the locker room will only be available to those using the pool, saunas and whirlpool are closed.

    Fountains across campus have been shut off, bottle fillers are available.

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