The Post

Thanks to the new ReCardio system installed at Ping, twenty elliptical machines have been outfitted with the ability to produce electrical power to the building. The amount of energy depends on how many people are using them and how much resistance they use. Workers at Ping are encouraging patrons to increase resistance during workouts not only to boost your exercise but to also boost the power generating efforts of the new program.

The self-powered ellipticals, located in the Lookout Area by the stairs on the second floor, take 10% of the energy created to keep it running while the other 90% in transferred into energy from the building. According to the Web site, that power can be used in a variety of ways in the building:

A typical 30 minute workout produces 50 watt hours of clean, carbon-free electricity. That’s enough electricity to run a CFL bulb-2 hrs. 30min; Incandescent bulb-45 min; Laptop-1hr; or Desktop computer-30 min.

As Ping has increased efforts to be greener, this program shows that they have really put forth a serious effort to combat environmental issues. While they have increased recycling in the building and have employees shut down lights in certain areas, this new ReCardio system will surely help those efforts even more. Next time you want to work up some sweat at Ping, find these ellipticals and work up some energy for the building as well.

blog.bioethics.net

Every quarter on the Monday of exam week, Ping hosts the exam stress-reliever special event where, for two hours, everything is devoted to calming you, the hard working student, down. The best part? It’s completely free.

This upcoming Monday, November 16, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., you will have the chance to get some much needed rest and relaxation. They provide free snacks, like cookies and a free pasta dinner, and free pampering and games. There is a cookie decorating contest and board games to keep you entertained.

The best part and the one that creates the longest lines, however, are the free massages performed by licensed massage therapists. The same masseuses that perform stress-relievers for a fee at Ping donate their healing hands for the stress-reliever, and, believe me, it’s worth waiting in line for these massages.If you want to get the best pampering, get there a little early.

This event is bound to help you keep your sanity during final exams which, I think we can all agree, can drive some people a little crazy. Be sure to address your stress and come to Ping for the free TLC.

Hopefully, you have all ready registered to vote. If not, then you are out of the running until next time. If you aren’t sure, you can always check with the board of elections to see if you are. Here, you can also take a look at your voting location, what the issues are and change your address if need be.

There is also a run-down of the issues to be voted on, including the debate-inducing Issue 3, which determines whether or not Ohio will feature four casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toldeo. While I am a fan of gambling personally and am in favor of boosting our economy, this is not the way to go. All of the casinos will be owned by one out-of-state company, Penn National Gaming, Inc., creating a monopoly and funneling money away from Ohio.

That’s about as in depth with political discussions as I will go. But, it feels good to do your citizenly duty and vote this year. You even get a sticker. If that doesn’t entice you, I don’t know what else will.

This week, Donkey will be showing Harold and Maude, the story of a friendship that sparks between a young teenage boy and an older woman in her 70s. While Harold spends most of his time trying to scare his over bearing mother with fake suicide attempts, Maude is a woman living life to the fullest despite her age. The two begin a strange friendship and help each other learn more about life and living.

Free Film Night is the newest addition to the many events held at Donkey, which include Designated Space on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where participants can perform poetry and music in front of an audience.

Donkey is expecting to have Free Film Night every Friday. The films to be shown and other lists of events can be found in the weekly papers and on their Web site.

First is picking the right pumpkin. Of course, the get the full effect, you’ll have to find a pumpkin patch, where farmers of the veggie grow them, pick out the best ones and set them in an area free for eager pickers to find their pumpkin. Unfortunately, these are hard to locate from the internet; the closest I could find was Jackson, Oh., about an hour away. Keep your eye out this time of year for flyers for patches. There is bound to be one hidden in the Athenian hills.

The perfect pumpkin should be completely orange and about medium size (too large, you can’t carry it; too small, you can’t carve it). Pick whatever shape suits your carving ideas. It might be a good idea to pick a pattern before you head to the patch. Don’t pick a pumpkin with any soft spots or scratches. Mold could be growing in and about your future Jack-o-lantern!

Once you’ve picked the pumpkin, you can take it home and start cleaning it out. Use your pattern or your free hand to carve your design and place a candle inside.

Now you have the seeds and the pulp of the pumpkin, which contain zinc, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper and protein. You can clean the seeds, let them dry out and then bake them for a healthy snack. Bake seeds on a lightly oiled pan for about an hour on 250 degrees, stirring about every 20 minutes.

There are many recipes for the pulp, as well. Use it to make muffins, cake, bread and more, all from scratch using the remains of your pumpkin. Remember, don’t throw anything away while you’re carving; everything can be used!

There is a lot involved with using a whole pumpkin, but it is a great way to get you in the mood for the season. You can experience fall by going to the pumpkin patch and feel playful for Halloween carving a Jack-O-Lantern. And the best part, of course, is the delicious foods you can make, most of which are delicious and healthy.

There are many, many benefits to physical exercise. You can tone your legs, burn some fat and build some muscle, all of which are benefits to your body. The best part of exercise, though, is its psychological benefits. Exercise gets the body working to naturally reduce anxiety and depression, and running can be a great way to get the most out of these benefits. Why not help someone in need in the process? To profit yourself and humanity, it may be a good idea to participate in a charity 5k run.

Ohio University loves holding 5k running events that seem to attract everyone and anyone from far and wide. There is the yearly Relay for Life 5k run, multiple philanthropy runs by Greek Life and the occasional charitable foundation, such as the recent Empower Campaign 5k, held on October 10, 2009. This run proved to be a great success with many participants able to raise money for vulnerable children in Uganda. There is another 5k coming up tomorrow, October 24, being held at the Ping Center and sponsored by Campus Recreation. There is no better time to begin your physical and mental health transition and help others at the same time.

The most obvious psychological advantage to running is the release of hormones, including the ever-so-famous endorphins. These happy hormones release into your body through physical exercise and make you happier. Exercise conducted over a long period of time can help balance depression and anxiety symptoms in sufferers.

Another amazing benefit would be the fact that exercise can help create new brain cells in the hippocampus area of the brain, where we store and recall memories. This helps improve “fluid intelligence,” intelligence that requires no previous knowledge, and can lead to an improved IQ. This will no doubt create a better, more positive image of yourself and influence some much-needed self love.

The Ping 5k, presented during parent’s weekend, begins at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning with registration beginning at 8 a.m. There are a few things to prepare for when running a 5k, so if you are not in the best of shape, try walking for the cause instead and work your way up to running for the next 5k held in Athens. I guarantee you’ll be feeling good, both inside and out.

aarondelay.com

Health News states that Americans only get an average of 6.9 hours of sleep on the week night and only 7.5 on the weekends, opposed to the 10 hours of sleep Americans got in 1880, before the invention of the lightbulb. The people during that time used the sunlight to determine their nocturnal states. Today, we are more likely to let our bulbs burn into the wee hours of the morning and overshadow the dying daylight, a natural signal telling Earth to sleep.

While eight hours is the normal sleep recomendation, it varies for each person. If you notice, however, that you are sleeping less than 6 hours (involuntarily) every night, then that may be a sign that you have a sleep disorder.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health issued several recommendations for stubborn sleepers to adhere to in order to catch some more shut-eye:

• No naps after 3 p.m.
• Nix alcohol, nicoteine and caffeine an hour before bed time
• Stay away from late-night large meals and drinks
• Relax with music or a bat before you go to sleep
• Avoid exercise 5-6 hours before bed
• If you find you are still awake after 20 minutes of trying to sleep, get out of bed and do something to make you more tired and relaxed.

Though it might be the fashion in a town like OU to stay out late every night and get up early for those morning classes, it is not the smart thing to do. For you mental and physical health, do as your mother told you and get to bed by the right bed time.

Health Care Magic warns that filling up on high-carb, sweet treats are going to be your worst enemy when trying to combat stress. The seratonin in the carbohydrates will help with regulating anxiety, but it doesn’t last long (we call those “sugar highs”).  Instead of reaching for your extra-large muffin with that sugary top, heat up a bowl of oatmeal and add cinnamon. The oats will release seratonin much slower than white bread and cinnamon helps with blood sugar regulation. And don’t skip this important meal–the earlier you get your metabolism moving after sleep, the more energy you will have for your day.

Drink plenty of water. Notice how you tend to get a bit cranky when you are thirsty? Keep a bottle of water nearby (in a reusable bottle–reusing plastic water bottles is unhealthy) at all times. Your body is bound to feel better after a few days of increased intake, leading to more regulation in your systems and an elevated mood.

The best news in this entire discussion of mood elevating food would be the benefits of dark chocolate on stress relief. Not milk choccolate, not chocolate chips, but dark chocolate. Eating this delicious treat releases caffeine and theobromine, both of which enhance mood. Eat in moderation, though, as too much chocolate, dark or not, is not good for your gut.

The best part about taking notice of what mood-enhancing foods you put in your body is cooking up new ways to prepare the given foods. Constantly try new recipes, such as the famous Mind Meal. It takes many of the most beneficial mood foods and encorporates them into a three-course meal that is guaranteed to get you feeling good. Not to mention that cooking is a simple pleasure in its own way!

geist.com

The open-minded crowd and relaxing atmosphere makes Donkey’s Designated Space a perfect place for self-expression, one of the most pertinent portions of self-reflection.  Every Tuesday, starting at 9 p.m., the Donkey stage is set for poets to bare there souls and read their poetry for the masses. Whether it is a poem about a broken heart or a cup of coffee, each poet adds something to the mix and invited everyone in the room to share their sentiments.

This week was filled with a great assortment of talent and interesting points of view. There were poems about drug addiction and recreation, love found and lost, cups of mocha and black bears. There were no boundaries; poets spoke freely about illegal substances and sex, leaving no foul language unsaid. It is an eye-opening and interesting experience, to say the least.

Leaving this week’s poetry night, I was inspired to finally pick up my pen again, start writing and, perhaps, share my own poems on the stage in the future. Personally, I find writing to be one of the most freeing forms of expression and the key to happiness. If ever I have something to sort out, I find it best to do it on paper before opening my mouth. Perhaps the listeners at Designated Space will be my next audience and allow me to unveil my feelings in one of the most open forms of writing there is: poetry.

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There are five classes left in the quarter for FBF, held every Monday from 8:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. until November 9, where participants will use kickboxing techniques to improve muscle strength and memory while also building confidence and honing focus on targets. Held at the Charles J. Ping Recreation Center, both members and non-members can participate to learn the motivating and, potentially, life-saving techniques, including “encourage comfort in a face-to-face confrontation.” The class does cost money, however, so contact the fitness office to inquire about changing rates.

Kickboxing, like that offered in the work shop, if beneficial both physically and mentally. First, it raises heart-rate and endurance in cardiac activity, obviously benefiting your heart and muscles. It is also a great work out for fat burning as well as training core muscle groups.

Fight Back Fitness will also benefit your mood. Workouts such as kickboxing allow nerves to “loosen” and the stress-reducing exercise begins to work its magic. It will help you relieve muscle tension, release endorphins (the hormone in our brain that gives the feeling of happiness) and build your focus, confidence, vigor and agility. These will all combine to both help elevate your mood and help you feel prepared if you find yourself in a dangerous situation.

Everyone hopes that the recent criminal activity will begin to subside, but until then, we must all be vigilant for precarious situations. Police are advising that those on the streets late at night travel with another person, stay on sidewalks and walk only in well-lit areas. It wouldn’t hurt to develop your ass-whooping skills either.