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CAMPUS COMMONS
A CHANCE TO UPDATE GOALS FOR 2023
NEW DOORS ARE OPENING
Have you ever wondered why January kicks off a new year? It wasn’t always this way. March used to signify the beginning of a new year, but the Romans changed this sometime between 700 and 150 B.C. March was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, whereas January was named after Janus, the Roman god of doorways, gates, and all beginnings. It only made sense the new year would begin in January since Janus was their god of beginnings. “IT’S OKAY TO TAKE BABY STEPS TO REACH YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL AS LONG AS YOU PUT IN THE EFFORT.” In many ways, this ideology has remained the same. Many people see the beginning of a new year as a new door opening. We often perceive a fresh start when we can create new goals and make plans to accomplish them. Updating our goals each year allows us to strive for something desirable. Everyone wants a better year than the last, so we refresh and reset at the beginning of the year. It’s a big reason New Year’s resolutions are so popular. The new year is our landmark to push last year’s negatives away and direct our attention to the future. I set some new resolutions every year, but I don’t always stick with them. I plan to pay more attention to my personal goals this year. I often tell myself, “If I could only lose these 10 extra pounds ...” So now, I’m fully committed to exercising more. I need to dedicate more time to myself
rather than spending it all on my work. My wife has been a consistent source of support and motivation to take better care of myself physically and mentally. I’ve found it difficult to commit more time to myself in the past. Many business owners face this, too. I prioritize the business over everything else, including my mental and physical well-being. It’s my livelihood, though. How can I support my family if I don’t have my business? I work my tail off so we can all be taken care of when I retire. This year, I will work on finding a better balance so all aspects of my life get equal attention. Every year, I have the same personal resolution to take care of myself, exercise more, and get healthier. It starts great, but I do less and less as the days go by. As we get older, we want to take better care of ourselves but find it difficult. To be honest, starting anything new is not easy, whether it’s a new job or workout routine. You’ll always experience growing pains and soreness, but you must have an ultimate goal and create a path to accomplish it. It’s okay to take baby steps to reach your ultimate goal as long as you put in the effort. It’s easy to revert back on some of your progress, so you must push through to meet your checkpoints along the way to your main goal. When we approach the end of 2023, you can reflect on everything you’ve accomplished and be proud of yourself. You stuck with it and achieved your goals. And no one can take that away from you!
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HATE THE TASTE OF WATER?
Stay Hydrated With These Alternatives
Did you know that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated? It’s a hidden epidemic that many Americans fail to realize is happening. Most people need to drink at least 4–6 cups of water daily, but Americans only average 2.5 cups each day. This leaves them seriously dehydrated, and they get used to the feeling, so they don’t even notice it. For many people, the challenge comes from finding time in the day to drink enough water, while others simply don’t like the taste. If you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy the taste of water, there’s good news. There are other ways to stay hydrated. Here are a few of them.
comprised mostly of water. Lettuce and cucumbers have 96% water content, celery and radishes have 95%, and cauliflower, strawberries, spinach, watermelon, and bell peppers are 92% water. Eating enough fruits and vegetables in your daily diet can increase your water intake by 2–3 cups without drinking anything. ICED COFFEE How often have you heard that coffee is bad for you and will dehydrate you? Coffee is one of the few caffeinated drinks that does not cause fluid loss. It’s also 98% water, so it’s actually helping to rehydrate you. Decaffeinated coffee is the best way to go, but you can get the same benefits by drinking regular coffee. Just don’t overdo it since too much caffeine can cause adverse effects. Limit yourself to one or two cups a day. COCONUT WATER AND DRINK MIXES Many people consume sports drinks to counter dehydration, but many of those are loaded with sugar and sodium, which both dehydrate you. Instead, try drinking coconut water. It has more potassium and fewer carbs and sodium than sports drinks, so it’s a great alternative to maintain your hydration levels. You can also try drink mixes that flavor your water and make it taste better. Be cautious of what you use, as many drink mixes contain sugar and caffeine, which can counteract your efforts.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Most of us already know how beneficial eating fruits and vegetables can be, but they also help us stay hydrated. Many fruits and vegetables are
The Secret to Faster Recovery?
A HEALTHY SLEEP SCHEDULE
There’s nothing better than getting a great night’s sleep after working a long day at the office. While getting a proper amount of rest can help us feel refreshed and alert, it can also help us recover from and prevent injuries. It’s recommended that healthy adults get 7–9 hours of sleep each night. Start by ensuring your bedroom is dark and quiet, reducing your daily caffeine intake, and maintaining a consistent evening schedule. You’ll feel better physically and mentally once you have a healthy sleep schedule. If recovering from an injury, you must be extra diligent about getting the proper amount of sleep. Improved sleep will help reduce your levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Stress is detrimental to the healing process as it causes our body to allocate energy away from healing our injuries.
and testosterone while you sleep to repair muscles and regenerate tissue. Additionally, we don’t need as much oxygen while we sleep, allowing our body to devote energy to building proteins and transporting fatty acids needed for healing. Sleep also plays a vital role in preventing injuries in the first place. When you’re on a healthy sleep schedule, you feel less tired, which reduces your potential for chronic pain. You’re also more alert, reducing your risk of injury in the workplace, at the gym, or while driving. One of the most significant benefits of proper rest is stronger muscles, as sleep creates a steady supply of proteins. Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule gives you the best chance at a speedy recovery if you’re injured. It will also help you fend off potential injuries in the future. Put some time and dedication into creating a sleep schedule that works for your body, and you’ll quickly notice the phenomenal mental and physical benefits of proper sleep.
There’s also quite a bit of recovery during your sleep cycle. The body secretes growth hormones
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PREVENT OVERUSE INJURIES
the past, you know how debilitating they can be. Thankfully, you can do a few things to prevent overuse injuries from ever happening. DON’T RUSH One of the biggest mistakes people make when returning to an exercise routine is going too hard too quickly. You need to ease into your workouts. Starting with max weights or running multiple miles when WITH THESE 3 TIPS
ADD VARIETY You might think you need to do the same daily exercises to see progress, but this will lead to injuries. If you run for cardio, try doing a different cardio exercise, like swimming a few times per week. When we do the same exercises daily, our form can suffer, leading to injury. Switch up your exercises and introduce complementary activities to get a better workout with less risk of injury. LEAVE TIME FOR REST AND RECOVERY You might think you have to go to the gym every day to see improvement in your health or physical form, but going too often can be counterproductive. Our bodies need time to recover after intense workouts. If they don’t have enough recovery time, they will start to break down, and injuries will occur. Taking a day off is okay, especially if you feel sick or something feels unusually sore.
As we enter a new year, many people will return to the gym after an extended absence to get in shape or lose weight. Some will make the mistake of going too hard when they first start exercising again, which can quickly lead to overuse injuries. Overuse injuries are incredibly common, and those who experience them are often unaware they’ve
developed an injury until it gets much worse. By that point, they’re dealing
with extreme pain, and their workout routine has to take a backseat to recovery.
your body is not ready is a recipe for disaster. Experts recommend increasing your workout intensity by 10% each week. This will lessen your risk of overuse injuries.
Common overuse injuries include
bursitis, tendinitis, and stress fractures. If you’ve experienced any of these injuries in
TAKE A BREAK
Air Fryer Roasted Salmon With Sautéed Balsamic Spinach
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
This recipe is healthy, affordable, and quick to make on busy nights when you need dinner in a pinch!
INGREDIENTS • 3 tsp olive oil, divided • 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each) • 1 1/2 tsp reduced-sodium seafood seasoning • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1 garlic clove, sliced
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes • 10 cups fresh baby spinach (about 10 oz) • 6 small tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat air fryer to 450 F. Rub 1 tsp oil over both sides of salmon, then sprinkle with seafood seasoning and pepper. In a greased air fryer basket, place salmon. 2. Cook about 10–12 minutes until fish flakes easily. 3. In a 6-qt stockpot, place remaining oil, garlic, and pepper flakes. Heat over medium- low heat for 3-4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in tomatoes; heat through. 4. In a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil. Cook until vinegar is reduced by half, then remove from heat. 5. Arrange spinach on serving dish. Place salmon over spinach mixture and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
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INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
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Resetting Goals in the New Year
How to Stay Hydrated Without Drinking Water
How Sleep Can Speed Up Your Recovery Time
3 Tips to Prevent Overuse Injuries
Air Fryer Roasted Salmon With Sautéed Balsamic Spinach
Volunteer to Stay Active
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G Y O U R T
YOUR BRAIN EXPANDS. When you volunteer with others, you usually have a common goal, like feeding the community, cleaning up a park, or planting a garden. Joining others to accomplish a task provides a significant brain boost, and studies show camaraderie increases positive thoughts and feelings. On top of feeling better, volunteering keeps your mind agile. By working hard to solve a problem, you’re using more neural pathways, which helps keep mental decline at bay. YOU FORM CONNECTIONS. As we mentioned earlier, when you show up to volunteer, others usually attend for the same reason. Socializing with the group can help you feel less isolated and more connected to others, and some of these people may even become friends when the job is complete. If you want to get active but don’t know of volunteer opportunities in your area, visit VolunteerMatch.org and enter your zip code to find local in-person options. Help yourself and others by making volunteer work your go-to exercise!
Staying active is increasingly vital to our health as we age. But pain, injury, or the lack of an exercise location can limit how we keep fit. But luckily, there is an easy way to have an active lifestyle without lifting weights or joining a gym: volunteer! Here are three reasons volunteering can be your new favorite exercise if you’re looking to flex some physical, mental, or social “muscle.”
IT MOVES YOU. Volunteering offers different ways to move your body! Even small things like strolling through a park to pick up litter, navigating around a soup kitchen, or directing visitors at your local donation center keep you active. Most organizations are happy to modify more strenuous activities (like lifting heavy boxes or walking up a steep hill) to fit your abilities. So, even if you’re just beginning an exercise habit, volunteering is a perfect initial step in your fitness journey.
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