Not just for jocks: students turn to alternative exercise for fun fitness
Melissa BARTON, Student Health 101
Issue date: 3/3/10 Section: Features
Working out and sports aren't just for jocks anymore: Students of all kinds on campuses around the U.S. and in other countries are trying out more unusual forms of exercise, from martial arts and yoga to ballroom dance and roller derby. In fact, about one in five college students said they participate in alternative fitness options, according to a September 2007 College Health Services, LLC survey.
"Do an activity that you really want to do, and then it'll never seem like a workout." Shanna Katz, a graduate of Colorado College
"Alternative sports tend to be created by the students for the students, instead of being run on a super traditional schedule," said Shanna Katz, a graduate of Colorado College (CC) in Colorado Springs and a current student at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. "They also aren't as serious, so there is less of a 'this-sport-should-be-100%-ofyour-life' attitude."
Katz spent three years playing innertube water polo at CC and has also played Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and roller derby, as well as starting a ballroom dance club. "I loved inner-tube water polo because it was a great way to have fun and hang out with friends," she said. "Lots of people on our team weren't much good, and one player was even scared of water, but it didn't matter.
We did it for fun and encouraged people who might never play a "sport" to get involved."
Do It Yourself and Then Get Others to Join
Intramural sports, whether "traditional" or unusual, often appeal to students with busy schedules or other interests, and offer a lower-key, more flexible way to fulfill college requirements while having fun and meeting new people. Many alternative sports and exercise clubs are started and run by students rather than by fitness professionals hired by the university or college. Want a ballroom dance club at your college? Start your own, like Katz did. When she found out about a ballroom dance club at the U.S. Air Force Academy, she reached out to students at CC and found quite a few who wanted to learn basic salsa, swing, Lindy, and tango.
"Do an activity that you really want to do, and then it'll never seem like a workout." Shanna Katz, a graduate of Colorado College
"Alternative sports tend to be created by the students for the students, instead of being run on a super traditional schedule," said Shanna Katz, a graduate of Colorado College (CC) in Colorado Springs and a current student at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. "They also aren't as serious, so there is less of a 'this-sport-should-be-100%-ofyour-life' attitude."
Katz spent three years playing innertube water polo at CC and has also played Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and roller derby, as well as starting a ballroom dance club. "I loved inner-tube water polo because it was a great way to have fun and hang out with friends," she said. "Lots of people on our team weren't much good, and one player was even scared of water, but it didn't matter.
We did it for fun and encouraged people who might never play a "sport" to get involved."
Do It Yourself and Then Get Others to Join
Intramural sports, whether "traditional" or unusual, often appeal to students with busy schedules or other interests, and offer a lower-key, more flexible way to fulfill college requirements while having fun and meeting new people. Many alternative sports and exercise clubs are started and run by students rather than by fitness professionals hired by the university or college. Want a ballroom dance club at your college? Start your own, like Katz did. When she found out about a ballroom dance club at the U.S. Air Force Academy, she reached out to students at CC and found quite a few who wanted to learn basic salsa, swing, Lindy, and tango.
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