Archive for February, 2008

Dance Marathon ‘08: For the Kids But Not For Sleep

February 27, 2008 at 12:27 pm · Filed under Fitness, UNC Events, mental health ·Tagged , , , , ,

(Because of technical difficulties, i.e., no internet connection in Fetzer Gym, this blog post was unable to be posted in real time. Let us suspend reality for the five minutes it takes to read this post and pretend I am in the darkened gym, listening to the bumping beats blasting from the Dance Marathon deejay.)

Click “View All Images” to watch a quick slide show of the event.

4:20 p.m.
DM ‘08, a 24-hour charity event for the N.C. Children’s Hospitals, started at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23. I arrived at Fetzer on Saturday with two hours and 40 minutes until all the dancers could sit down after 24 hours on their feet. This year marked the 10th anniversary of DM, and the volunteers succeeded in raising $321,938.53, which is a new record for DM. As I entered Fetzer, I thought back to freshman year when I participated in DM: the pain coursing up and down my legs, the group dancing and the 15 hours of sleep following the end of the event.

This year’s theme was “Going out of the world for the kids,” and the hall leading to the gym was wallpapered in black paper and handmade cut-outs of UFOs and aliens. There was an award ceremony taking place when I arrived, followed by the group dance. Every year the DM coordinators create a group dance to which DM participants sing and dance at least once an hour. This year, the coordinators penned a song to the tune of “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” by Britney Spears, and they rewrote the lyrics to relate to DM:

Now don’t get lazy / Stay on your feet / 24 hours who need sleep / It may be crazy but it feels so right / Dancing for the kids we’re staying up all night.

The lyrics were projected on two huge screens, complete with instructions for a dance break, just in case the dancers forgot they were part of a marathon of dancing. Yeah, right.

4:36 p.m.
Clearly, it is time for a dance contest. I could not believe how energetic these dancers were after being up for so long. It was probably a combination of delirium and coffee. As the dance contest went on, I noticed one dancer stretching and took the opportunity to ask her some questions about DM. And then I convinced her to do the worm for me.

Katie Trapp is a sophomore and second year participant in DM. This year, she raised $400 for the children, and she says, “I go to church with a couple of kids who were helped by Dance Marathon.” During our conversation, she casually mentioned that Will Ferrell came to visit the dancers at DM after his Friday night performance at the Dean Smith Center. Reason number 435 as to why I love Will Ferrell. And what is Trapp’s favorite song to dance to? Apache. Trapp also says that the hardest time, in terms of feeling tired and run down, was between 1 and 2 p.m., and she currently was sore and feeling delirious.

The combination of staying awake all night and remaining on your feet can be painful and not a recommended activity. Studies show that sleep deprivation can cause a number of problems, including memory impairment. After scouring the Internet for tips on staying awake all night, most news articles had the same advice: don’t. I did find different blog articles about staying up all night, and a fellow WordPress.com blog, had some good advice, such as limit caffeine intake, snack regularly and listen to music.

The occasional all-nighter, however, will not be too detrimental to one’s health, especially when it is for a good cause such as DM ‘08. The benefits of acts of kindness, as discussed in an earlier post, might make up for the health risks.

5:20 p.m.
I leave Fetzer at the beginning of family hour, at which point families of the DM recipients come and express their gratitude to the dancers. At the end of the 24 hours, when Trapp and the other can go home, shower and finally sleep, they will know they helped out many deserving children.

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Sick of the SRC and RHRC?

February 21, 2008 at 1:43 am · Filed under Fitness ·Tagged , , ,

When I go to the gym, the last thing I want to do is run on the treadmill for 30 minutes sandwiched between the kid who asks all the questions in my Spanish class and the girl who was real drunk at Top of the Hill last Saturday night. Yet, whenever I go to the SRC or RHRC, it feels like a class reunion. Only, the air smells stale, I’m wearing a five-year-old ratty t-shirt, and Nickelback is blasting from every speaker. My workouts were not enjoyable, and I had to take the bus to catch the bus for the sojourn from my off-campus apartment to the SRC. But all that changed when I decided to shell out the $180 for a three month membership to the Ladies Fitness & Wellness Center in Chapel Hill. Behold: a gym with only female members, where I don’t have to sign up to use a machine and don’t have to listen to Nickelback.

If you are sick of the SRC or the RHRC, and you can afford to join a gym, do it. There are many gyms around Chapel Hill, offering the restless exerciser with new classes and an escape from the student population. Below is a list of some of the gyms in the Chapel Hill area that you should check out.

Ladies Fitness & Wellness Center
Locations: Chapel Hill, Durham
About: As the name suggests, LFW is for women only (sorry, guys). Although it is smaller than the SRC or the RHRC, it usually is not as packed. I have not had to wait to use a machine. There is a sauna, more than 40 classes to choose to participate in and many strength-training machines. For an extra fee you can hire a personal trainer, get a massage or use the tanning beds. If you are in a sorority, you get a membership discount. LFW is not open for as many hours as the SRC or RHRC, but if you live on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, it is a convenient alternative.
Contact:(919) 969-8663 for the Chapel Hill location, (919) 929-7474 for Durham

PEAK Fitness
Locations: Durham, Chapel Hill
About: You cannot find an excuse to skip the gym with a membership to PEAK because it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I would like to meet whoever is working out at 3 a.m. So, what are the perks of PEAK besides its hours of operation for the insomniac in each of us? They boast both their comprehensive facilities and their affordable rates. They also have an extensive group exercise schedule, including step, cycle and yoga classes. Some locations even have a swimming pool.
Contact: (888) 833-PEAK

UNC Wellness Center
Location: Meadowmont, Chapel Hill
About: In addition to its gym amenities, the Wellness Center has registered nurses, dietitians and exercise physiologists on staff. In terms of the facility’s offerings, there is a 25-yard lap pool, an indoor cushioned 4-lane walking and jogging track and a multi-purpose room with basketball court. There also are education classes, rehabilitation and nutrition classes. For someone who wants a gym that offers everything, the Wellness Center is for you.
Contact: (919) 966-5500

Franklin Street Yoga Center
Locations: 123 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill
About: The Yoga Center is yoga, all day, every day. On the Web site, the teacher and owner, Lori Burgwyn, says her “teaching style adapts yoga to the ever changing needs of the individual thereby motivating students to find what’s right for them by looking within.” Most of the classes are power yoga, which combines traditional yoga and a more vigorous workout. The first class is free, and there is a newcomer special.
Contact: (919) 929-0414

I will continue to update this list with other gyms in the area – check back soon.

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Move over Valentine’s Day – it’s Random Acts of Kindness Week

February 14, 2008 at 2:55 am · Filed under mental health ·Tagged , ,

I want you all to think about the last time you did something kind for someone else. Not a favor that someone asked of you, but some kind act that you performed because you wanted to do it. Savor that thought for a moment, remember how good you felt and how much better the community, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the United States and the world would be if everyone was kind on a regular basis. Ah, utopia.

As if you ever need an excuse to be kind, I have one for you. This week, from Feb. 11 to 17, perform as many kind acts as you want because it is Random Acts of Kindness week, sponsored by (who else?) the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

What is the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation?

The organization’s goal is to “inspire people to practice kindness and to ‘pass it on’ to others.” Created in 1995, the foundation is a non-profit that is privately funded and does not accept any donations. The foundation serves as the U.S. delegate to the World Kindness Movement, which is comprised of 20 countries, including Japan (the creator nation), France and Nigeria.

To help people perform acts of kindness, the Web site provides visitors with ideas for acts of kindness at school, in the community, at work and for individuals and groups.

Health Benefits of Kindness
Even if you are performing a selfless act of kindness, there are many physical and mental health benefits waiting for you. The following is an abbreviated list compiled by the Niagara Wellness Council from the book, “The Healing Power of Doing Good: The Health and Spiritual Benefits of Helping Others,” by Allan Luks.

  • Helper’s high – Often times, do-gooders experience a rush of euphoria, followed by a period of calm. This sensation releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers.
  • Diminishes stress-related health problems – By helping others, you are likely to reverse feelings of depression, hostility and isolation, which means you are less likely to experience stress or ulcers. For some, a reduction in stress helps to decrease lung constriction, which often leads to asthma attacks.
  • The benefits return – When you remember the kind act, the health benefits and sense of well-being can return for hours or days.
  • Happy thoughts – Helping can enhance feelings of joyfulness, emotional resilience, vigor and optimism.
  • Affiliative connection – This term refers to the creation of a positive relationship with someone, and such connections strengthen the immune system

What you can do

kindnessrocks1.jpg

There are 964 registered members in North Carolina in four cities – Lexington, Charlotte, Buies Creek and Hampstead. As of 2006, there were 8,856,505 people living in North Carolina. I like to think that more than 963 people are being kind in North Carolina and more often than one week per year. It did make me stop and think about the last time I was kind and wonder if people consistently are kind to one another.

So, I’m curious, readers, when was the last time you were kind? Can you remember giving your bus seat to someone who looked like he needed to sit? Maybe you handed out five dollars to one of the homeless people on Franklin Street yesterday? Perhaps you let someone else have the last available shopping cart at Harris Teeter? No matter how big or small your act of kindness was, post it here as a tribute to Random Acts of Kindness Week.

(F.Y.I: My last random act of kindness was yesterday. I just got home from class, and I had an hour before a group project meeting. The gym was calling my name, wanting me to de-stress. My roommate called, and she was stuck on-campus in the rain without an umbrella. No problem. I jumped in the car, picked her up and had a shorter, but happier, time unwinding at the gym after knowing I made someone’s day easier. Cue cheesy music.)

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Qigong – it’s easier than it sounds

February 5, 2008 at 4:58 am · Filed under Fitness ·Tagged , ,

qigongIt all started with Oprah, as many trends do. I watched as Dr. Oz, Oprah’s medical guru, espoused qigong (pronounced “chee-gung”) as a way to “add years to your life” and reduce stress. Then I found a qigong DVD in the apartment. And on Tuesday there was an ad in the Daily Tar Heel for qigong classes offered in Chapel Hill. The buzz around this exercise is heating up.

Perhaps qigong is becoming a new fitness trend in America, but in China, it is a 2000-year-old traditional healing method. Since 1989, medical qigong has been recognized as a standard medical technique in Chinese hospitals. In 1996, the Chinese government decided to regulate qigong and incorporated it into China’s National Health Plan.

What is qigong? According to the UNC Wellness Center Web site, qigong is, “a simple system composed of gentle movements, meditation and breathing techniques that cleanse and strengthen the immune system and Life Energy (Qi).”

Maybe you read that description and already decided to sign up for a qigong class near you. Maybe you laughed at the word “life energy” and the thought of an exercise powerful enough to strengthen the immune system. Or maybe you still are trying to pronounce qigong (it’s okay, you’ll get there).

Either way, people practice qigong to reduce stress, meditate and alleviate sickness with movements resembling a combination of martial arts in slow motion and beginner’s yoga.

I called the Cornucopia House Cancer Support Center in Chapel Hill, which is offering three qigong classes every Tuesday beginning Feb. 12, to learn more about the self-healing powers of qigong.

Joy Bryde, program coordinator, says that classes are open to cancer patients, survivors and their family, friends and caregivers. Qigong’s movements are gentle and easy enough for the patients and survivors to perform, says Bryde. Also, some evidence says that qigong can help with the absorption of medication in the blood stream. To absorb drugs, Bryde says, they must flow through your blood system, and qigong and its gentle movement helps the blood flow better.

The Support Center offers qigong as a complimentary therapy to cancer patients and survivors and not as an alternative to their current, doctor-prescribed medical regime.

The UNC Wellness Center also offers medical qigong, which helps the “practitioner to take control of illnesses or pains, and also helps to prevent them.” The wellness center focuses on the self-healing aspect of qigong, and the Web site says research indicates that people’s most powerful defense against disease is already within a person’s body. The goal is for practitioners to connect with these self-healing powers through qigong and decrease their dependence on medicine.

There are not enough well-designed research studies on qigong to prove the connection exists between the exercise and its healing powers. There has been research, however, in human’s self-healing power. At the very least, qigong’s meditative and energizing powers mirror that of yoga, and its breathing techniques and gentle movements should leave practitioners feeling calm and energized. And we all could use less stress in our lives. To sign up for classes at the Cornucopia House, call (919) 401-9333, or if you prefer the UNC Wellness Center, call (919) 931-9983.

Intrigued? Watch a short video about qigong featuring instructor Lee Holden, whose show often appears on PBS:

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