Liz Wallace, director of inclusive community – student hub

End of semester celebrations and winter gatherings offer opportunities for community-building and creating a sense of belonging with colleagues, friends, and family. The warmth of spending time with others is a reminder of the difference we make in others’ lives and the value others hold in our own. As communities, the centerpiece of our celebrations . . .  read more

Full Body Resistance Training

Cathe Friedrich’s workout regimens say, “training your whole body in one session can improve how your muscles function together. With a total body approach, you don’t isolate muscle groups and work them independently of each other. Instead, you work them as a unit. In this way, muscle groups ‘learn’ how to work together rather than in isolation” (Cathe pg. 1). While working through a full body workout your muscles tend to learn how to work together through physical activity. For those in the general population full body workout routines can help you to get through those everyday activities in your lifestyle.

Full body workouts can also help improve your proprioception. Proprioception is the ability to be aware of your body position and where you are in relation to another object or in space. Cathe explains, “With full-body training, you aren’t just strengthening and hypertrophying muscles, you’re training them in an integrated manner” (Cathe pg. 1). This can allow you to prevent falls and improve balance which can be more beneficial for those who are elderly.

Push/Pull/Legs Resistance Training

BoxRox Competitive Fitness says, “One of the first pros of PPL (Push/Pull/Legs) is the flexibility of focus. This means that you can follow the split regardless of if your training focus is strength, hypertrophy, general fitness, or athletic training. You can alter the scheduling and the workouts themselves to reflect your specific goals” (BoxRox Fitness pg. 1). This is a great benefit of the push/pull/legs workout routine because it fits into all areas of fitness no matter what your goals are. As well it allows for more flexibility in your training regime and allows you to improve your specific goals of resistance training without having to increase or decrease your workout load.

The next pro of the PPL workout routine is it allows your body’s muscles to work as synergists, which means they are using the surrounding muscles to work together to complete the task. An example of this on a pull day would be instead of doing isolated bicep curls you could do supinated chin-ups which allows you to hit the Forearms, Biceps, and Latissimus Dorsi (Lats) muscles in unison. Which will improve your overall upper body strength rather than just hitting one muscle group.

References

Friedrich, C. (2019, April 15). The Pros and cons of full-body training routines. Cathe Friedrich. https://cathe.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-full-body-training-routines/

Hudson, R. (2022, March 16). “How to Build Muscle – Pros and Cons of a Push Pull Legs Split Program (PPL) | BOXROX.” Www.boxrox.com, 2022, https://www.boxrox.com/pros-and-cons-of-a-push-pull-legs-split/

Nitro Cut. The Ultimate Full Body Workout, www.nitrocut.com/blogs/blog/the-ultimate-full-body-workout. Accessed 2 Nov. 2023.

Bowman, Peter. Push/Pull/Legs, 13 Aug. 2018. Accessed 2 Nov. 2023.

Active Recovery: Low-intensity exercise or other activities that encourage blood flow and aid in the body’s recuperation without adding to stress are considered forms of active recovery. Active recuperation exercises such gentle running, swimming, or cycling are frequently used. By increasing circulation and providing oxygen and nutrients to weary muscles, these exercises help the body rid itself of waste products from metabolism. Peake et al. (2017) found that lactate, a consequence of intensive exercise, is cleared more quickly during active recovery, which speeds up the recovery of muscular function. This implies that those who want to shorten the time between intensive exercises may find it advantageous to include active recovery in their training plan. Active healing has psychological benefits in addition to physiological ones. Lighthearted, pleasurable activities can aid in stress reduction and the development of a positive outlook, both of which are essential elements of general wellbeing (Ghram et al., 2020).

Passive Recovery: Conversely, passive recovery entails rest and very little exercise. With this  method, the body may recuperate without having to perform particular workouts. Sleep, massage, and contrast baths (alternating between hot and cold water immersion) are common passive recovery techniques.

According to a research by Barnett (2006), passive recovery can help muscles recover more quickly after strenuous activity and lessen pain. Specifically, sleep is essential to the body’s natural healing processes because it helps with tissue regeneration and memory consolidation for motor abilities and cognitive functioning (Walker, 2017).

Choosing Between Active and Passive Recovery:
The choice between active and passive recuperation is influenced by a number of variables, such as personal preferences, workout intensity, and individual fitness objectives. Depending on their training regimen and how their body reacts, some people may find that a combination of the two approaches works best for them. They can alternate between active and passive recovery.

Summary:

The use of recovery measures is essential in the quest for peak performance and physical fitness. Regardless of the choice between active and passive recuperation, it’s critical to understand the distinct advantages that each strategy provides. While passive recovery permits rest and regeneration, which helps with muscle repair and general recovery, active recovery stimulates the body and mind, increasing circulation and lowering stress. In the end, achieving the ideal balance between these two approaches can help improve long-term wellbeing and physical performance.

References:
Peake, J. M., Neubauer, O., Della Gatta, P. A., & Nosaka, K. (2017). Muscle damage and inflammation during recovery from exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 122(3),
559-570.

Ghram, A., Briki, W., & Maameri, Z. (2020). Acute effect of active recovery on mood states in men and women. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 60(10), 1384-1390.

Barnett, A. (2006). Using recovery modalities between training sessions in elite athletes: Does it help? Sports Medicine, 36(9), 781-796.

Walker, M. P. (2017). Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Simon
and Schuster.

Ainsley Snow, benefits specialist

The end of the year can be full of excitement due to holidays and new beginnings, including the end of the current insurance plan year and the beginning of the new one. It is important to remember that the end of the year can be a valuable time for your benefits. Here are five tips on how to make the most of your benefits: 

1. Remember that at the end of the year, your deductible and out of pocket maximum reset—any amounts you’ve accumulated towards your medical or dental deductibles or out-of-pocket maxes will start over on January 1, 2024.

• If you contribute to a Flexible Spending Account, only $610 of unused funds will rollover into the new year – so use those dollars on eligible expenses before you lose them. You can check your balance on the Voya Health Money Accounts Portal: https://myhealthaccounts.voya.com/ 

• The holidays can be a busy time – remember that should you find yourself under the weather, if you are enrolled in a UCO medical plan you have access to MDLive. MDLive offers free telehealth to members on the PHP (Primary Health Partners) Sync, PHP Plus, and $1,250 plans for 2023, or any of the copay plans for 2024. Appointments are $50 or less for general health visits for those enrolled in the Health Savings Account plan in either 2023 or 2024. MDLive can be accessed using this link: https://www.mdlive.com/hch.  

• Retirement cumulations towards the annual maximums also reset at the end of the year. Feeling like you want to end 2023 or begin 2024 with a substantial chunk towards your annual maximum of $22,500? You can start/stop/change your voluntary retirement contributions at any time at employee.uco.edu. Note that if changes are made via Paycom after the approval deadline on the Payroll Calendar, changes may not be reflective on your next check.  

• The holiday season can mean greater stress and exposure to more people, meaning a weakened immune system – do not forget the access you have to preventative services and vaccines. 

Have additional questions? . . .  read more

Kari Lewellen, payroll supervisor

The time of year for Year-End Information Review has officially arrived which also means W-2 season is upon us. We’d like to remind faculty, staff, and student employees to verify their Year-End Form Paperless Elections. The Year-End Forms include Form W-2 and Form 1095. You can elect to receive all or only certain Year-End Forms electronically.

If . . .  read more

Cristi Moore, inclusion strategist

There is a reason this time of year is called the holiday season; it is packed full of various celebrations and observances. It can be easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of whichever special days you personally observe. Humans tend to subconsciously view the world in terms of their own culture or faith. What does this mean for getting along . . .  read more

Sonia Rodriguez-Escobar

1. What is your background?

I grew up in Chicago after immigrating there from Mexico. I am the lone girl sibling among four brothers. Isabella, my 16-year-old daughter, is my only child. I have nearly two decades of communication expertise, including work as a copywriter, digital marketing, television and radio, community engagement, and private consultancy. . . .  read more

Kuang-Chung (Glen) Hsu, professor of economics

The Faculty Town Hall meeting was held on Nov. 8 in the Liberal Arts Lecture Hall. Approximately 40 faculty, staff and students attended the meeting. Several important questions were raised, including concerns about a shortage of student advisors, low adjunct salaries and the working environment for student workers and graduate assistants. Many of . . .  read more

Mary Deter-Billings, director of talent management

As we are wrapping up 2023, it is time to start thinking about the annual performance appraisals. Performance appraisals provide a structured format to help individuals evaluate where they’re at and articulate where they want to go.

As a reminder, performance appraisals are employee-led, with staff members completing a self-assessment first. . . .  read more