Rebels Athletics and Recreation Services along with the Student Association are hosting three Intramural Special Events this year in a variety of sports. This is great way to meet new people, relieve stress and be active! All events cost $10.00 each, so this is an affordable way to get exercise and participate in some fun sports! Each event is open to all RRC staff and students. Door prizes and a player’s lounge are a part of every event.

To participate, print the 2015 Winter Intramurals Registration Form and take it to either The OX on Notre Dame Campus or The Mercantile in the Exchange Campus to register. Deadline to register for each event is the Wednesday prior to.

Saturday January 24- Rebels Badminton Classic
Location: North Gym
Time: 8am-4pm
Cost: $10 per person. Can enter as many categories as you wish
Categories: Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles and Mixed Doubles

Saturday February 7th-Rebels Floor Hockey
Location: North and South Gyms
Time: 8am-4pm
Cost: $10 per person
Categories: Register as a team or a Free Agent. 5 players to a team including goalie.

Saturday March 21st- March Madness 3vs3 Basketball
Location: North
Time: 8am-4pm
Cost: $10 per person
Categories: Register as a team or a Free Agent. Men’s and Women’s Divisions. Max 5 players per team, 3 on the court at one time.

For further information please contact Athletics and Recreation Coordinator Cole Skinner at 632-2397 or coskinner@rrc.ca

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By Mario De Negri, Fitness Coordinator for Athletics and Recreation Services

I’d like to take a few blogs and talk about ways to achieve gratitude. If you were at the “Say YES to Everything” talk we spoke briefly about how this applies to the work of acceptance. Gratitude is a very selfless state. Different actions can be ways to gratitude but we are ultimately looking to be living the state. When we exercise these actions they strengthen us to see things that we might not be seeing given we’ve choose to block them or not be aware of them. These actions when practiced on a regular basis start to become the new “normal” and within this state we see things the way they are and that becomes more frequent.  

Seeing things for the way they are makes it feel difficult to be grateful. How can I be grateful when my girlfriend dumps me, or when my friend doesn’t seem to have to work as hard as me to make more money? All of this can be true only if we resist seeing the real picture. I’m not saying these things don’t make happy feelings but what I’m saying is that with practice of gratitude when these things happen we are better equipped to manage these feelings.

Avoiding comparison is a tough one because we are programmed to want to keep up with the Jones’s. That if we don’t happen to have what others have then we are somehow less worthy of receiving. This is very dangerous as this thought process is the very reason we are not receiving abundance. Being able to not compare ourselves leaves us open to focus on the things we do have. This will lead us to more gratitude. I know I want the car with heated seats but if my suffering is coming from a place because someone else has what I want then I am the one who suffers not them. Instead being grateful I own a car at all, or even that I am lucky to know someone who can have a car with heated seats invites more happiness and lets the world unfold for me without my resisting or trying. So by comparing ourselves to others only limits us from our true greatness. When we can accept ourselves for who and where we are then the gates of gratitude will open.

Appreciation is also another action to achieve gratitude. When we appreciate the space we are in presently then we invite more joy into our lives. If we harbour resentment to our situation it will continue us on a path of suffering. It is easy to reject the cold winter, to spend a whole season living for the spring to come without any appreciation for the now. It takes discipline to find appreciation for where we are at. I appreciate the winter as it gives me more cuddle time with my friends and loved ones. I appreciate that the trees can be at such ease, almost unaffected by the cold. I appreciate I can walk freely in the sun without fear of my personal safety or how quiet and calm the winter can be. There are many opportunities to feel appreciation but we must discipline ourselves to the reality of life.

Another thing we can do for gratitude is care for my body. This again is an easy one to neglect as we take it for granted. We expect it to walk and move and breath and heal for us but we so seldom give anything back. We must look at our body as a relationship much like another person and treat it with the same love we want to receive from others. We cannot be in happy relationships if we never do our part to create a feeling of being grateful. We tend to be the worse towards ourselves over everything else. So taking some time to care for my body, with some gentle loving, stretching, and moving, feeding it well will lead to gratitude. When we care for our bodies it will care for us. This is the universal principal to happiness when it becomes a cycle state of constant giving and receiving. We must first be willing to give and be willing to receive.

Try out some of these and just keep them in mind, or write them down on post notes to leave on a mirror or stove. Do not judge yourself if you forget or move into a state of ungrateful. Just watch it and when you see it gently make the change. Play with it and leave it everywhere so you are consistently reminded of why you can be grateful.

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Red River College Athletics and Recreation Services offers Group Fitness Programs suited to all interests and fitness levels. Our highly trained and enthusiastic instructors will lead you through a fun and challenging workout suited to you.

Registered Programs For 2015 Winter Term

Boot Camps with Cameron on Mondays from 11:05am to 11:50am

Yoga with Amanda on Mondays from 4:15pm to 5:15pm and Thursdays from 4:15pm to 5:15pm

Rapid Revolution Spin with Lesley on Tuesdays from 11:05am to 11:50am.

Dynamic Core with Lesley on Tuesdays from 12:05pm to 12:50pm and Thursdays from 12:05pm to 12:50pm.

Zumba with Melissa on Wednesdays from 11:05am to 11:50am

Back Care with Andrea on Wednesdays from 4:00pm to 4:45pm 

20/20 Stack Training with Lesley on Thursdays from 11:05pm to 11:50pm

Cardio Fusion with Ming on Fridays from 11:05 to 11:50

Soccer Boot Camp with Jordan on Fridays from 12:05 to 12:50

Regular classes will start January 19th and run until March 30th.

A “Free Week” of Classes will occur starting Monday January 12th. Classes will be held in their normal time slots and locations. A great way to try a new and different class before signing up!

Drop in cards for 5 or 10 classes per term can also be purchased. An unlimited Full Fitness Pass can also be purchased, allowing to attend as many classes as you want.

Register

Registration Starts on Monday January 5th. To register for a class download the attached form, fill it out and take it to the Student Service Centre to make a payment. 2015 Winter Fitness Classes Registration Form

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North Gym and Loft hours for exams and holidays

From December 12 to the 19^th the North Gym and Loft will operate under reduced hours due to exams

Exam hours Read More →

As a student I was always looking for ways to get better marks and if possible with less work. Little did I know that shooting hoops with my friends and playing co-ed intramural volleyball was doing exactly that.

A recent article quoted a study from Purdue showed students “who visited rec facilities 15 times or more earned 3.08 GPAs, compared with 2.81 for those who made no visits.” Further evidence for the benefits of visiting your campus recreation centre are shown in a study that “Recreational sports and fitness center members achieved higher GPAs and completed more credits than nonmembers.” Read More →

What are energy drinks?

Energy drink is a term invented by the beverage industry. It is not FDA approved and describes a drink that includes caffeine combined with various herbs or vitamin products. In Canada, caffeine does not have to be listed on labels unless it has been added to the product separately as a pure substance. That means that consumers of energy drinks, especially young people, can develop serious side effects from unrealized high caffeine consumption, and become dependent on such products.

“Caffeine loaded energy drinks have now crossed the line from beverages to drugs delivered as tasty syrups,” wrote Drs. Paul Hebert, Noni MacDonald and Matthew Stanbrook, in their editorial, published in the CMAJ’s July edition. “However, because energy drinks are regulated as foods, the manufacturers are only required to list ingredients according to standard food formats. The total caffeine content or equivalent in cups of coffee are nowhere to be seen. There are no health warnings.”

Stimulants such as guarana and ginsing are often added and these increase the effects of the drink. More than 100mg/day of caffeine has been shown to increase blood pressure. With guarana alone 1g is equal to almost 40mg of caffeine.

Should energy drinks be consumed before or during exercise?     

Karrie Heneman, PhD,Project Scientist and Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr, PhD from Nutrition Science Specialist Department of Nutrition,University of California tell us.

If you experience any of the following AND drink “energy” drinks-stop. It could be caffeine toxicity. Acute caffeine intoxication can cause a multitude of symptoms. They can include the following:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Heart palpitations
• GI (gastrointestinal) upset
• Potential heart arrhythmia (irregular heart beat)
• Feelings of anxiety and nervousness
• Feelings of being hyper-energized
• Irritability
• Loss of sleep

What can you do?

• Read the labels of all health products you consume, including energy drinks.  Some cans/bottles contain more than one serving so you need to multiply the per serving dose to know the amount of ingredients you are drinking.
• Even better! Make healthy beverage choices, especially when playing sports or exercising. Water is always a better choice than an energy drink, real fruit or fruit juice, and chocolate or other milk drinks.

From Health Services

When did you last cycle 100 miles in one day? For most of us such a question would only raise an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right?”

Well, five current and retired RRC employees and three spouses drove 478 km from Winnipeg to Park Rapids Minnesota the weekend of September 26 to do just that. The Headwaters 100 is an annual one-day, 100-mile (161 km) bike ride through Itasca State Park, source of the mighty Mississippi. The route is stunningly beautiful in the fall, and this year’s sunny 27 degree weather certainly added to the enjoyment.

Our Head Honcho, Wayne Ferguson, was the first of us to ride the Headwaters some fifteen years ago. Retired from RRC in 2012, Wayne was the inspiration for this team trek that included current employees Lisa Case, Guy Dugas, Dayna Graham, and Mike Poitras. 2014 marked Lisa’s and Dayna’s 1st Headwaters, Mike’s 3rd, Guy’s 5th, and Wayne’s 8th.

Did we all ride the full 100 miles?

Actually, only Dayna and Mike can boast completing the entire 161 km. And this was the first time in eight outings that our Head Honcho did not go the full distance.

But what made this year particularly significant was the fact that Wayne had undergone hip replacement surgery this past spring. So he hadn’t even started riding again until late July!
Oh, and did I mention that Wayne is 75? Sure, he had pronounced before his operation that he intended to cycle the Headwaters again this year. “Yeah, right.” I thought. But, true to his word, there we were again.

In the end, the spirit was strong but the flesh weak(er). Wayne did complete a “century”, but he quit after only one hundred kilometers, not one hundred miles.

Still, not too shabby I think.

Maybe next year…

Highbush Cranberries dripping with dew

The transition from summer to fall can be a difficult one. Idyllically, summer is a time of warmth and abundance, of growth and prosperity. The land is alive with a variety of birds, insects and flowers, as people roam the landscapes and head off for summer adventures. The trees are full of leaves and seeds, while the fruit bearing shrubs have shared their bounty with people and animals alike.  Many people have spent time swimming in their favourite lake or other watering hole, attended an outdoor music festival, or sat in the sun soaking up the rays while reading a book or enjoying a BBQ.  We’ve all wished at some time that summer would last forever and that winter would never come (or make as brief an appearance as possible).

But as we all know, the time inevitably comes when the nights begin to cool off and we hear that familiar honking sound as the geese return from the north.  We watch with trepidation for harbinger of winter, as the trees suddenly lose their clothing and leave the branches bare. The chaos and exuberance of summer is replaced by something a bit more honest, as the land is once again stripped down to its essence.

The Naked Forest and the Wild Harvest

Chokecherries dangling

As someone who enjoys trail walking, I am always amazed when the forest opens up in the fall, and I can once again see through the landscape as opposed to having  my view of the sky and the horizon obscured by leaves. The study of leafless trees is a great educational tool for understanding a forest ecosystem.

One of the easiest ways to identify a tree in the summer is by looking at the size and shape of a leaf, or by the flowers, seeds and fruit.  The wobbly and bulbous oak leaf is iconic, as is the classical maple tree emblem that we all know so well as Canadians. Many can recognize a choke cherry bundle or a Saskatoon bush when the berries come out.  However, when the leaves come off and the fruit has fallen to the ground, it can be a bit trickier to distinguish one shrub from another.

For most people, there is little need to know the difference between one tree or shrub and another. However, as someone who likes to make winter trails through the bushes and to trim shrubs in the winter to help “revitalize” an overgrown hedge, knowing one species from another is very important. Some species such as Hazelnut are very prolific and will regrow instantaneously from new shoots when trimmed (like a lilac bush), whereas plums and young oaks are rarer and don’t multiply to the same extent.  When you focus on the bark alone and the overall shape of the tree other features become apparent.  You begin to differentiate between the dead wood that is great for stating fires and the living stems. The mossy stems and weathered bark are tell tale sign of aging.  When you look often enough, you begin to see that some stems are purplish (Saskatoon), others are white (like cranberry), some are light brown (hazelnut).

When you look at the shape of the tree or shrub, you can begin to see the effect of the older shrubs have over younger ones as they crown over them, forcing them to shoot out sideways or produce week and gangly stems that are desperate to steal whatever lights pokes through the canopy. By contrast, young growth has an immediate vibrancy and color that is unmistaken.  The dormant buds appear ready to burst even though they are just beginning their seasonal rest.

There are even a few shrubs that keep their berries into the winter, such as the highbush cranberry with its ruby red color and sour smell, the hawthorn with its long and very sharp thorns and mealy dark red berries, or rosehips with their prickly stems and hundreds of tiny seeds inside. I try to hold off picking too many of these in the fall, as they are even more delicious in January when out for a winter walk or snow shoe. Read More →

We’ve all heard it a million times — exercise is good for us. But not only do our muscles benefit when we hit the gym or go for a run, exercise also does wonders for our brain and our mental health.

One of the biggest reasons for this is because exercise and sleep are the only two things that help our bodies rid themselves of the hormone cortisol, which causes us to feel stressed. Exercise also pushes positive endorphins through our brains and this helps alleviate feelings of depression.

“Since students are often running low on sleep, exercise is even more important for getting the cortisol out of their system,” says Tessa Blaikie, youth mental health promotions worker at the Canadian Mental Health Association Winnipeg. “Exercise also promotes sleep because it tires us out, making it more likely we’ll have a restful night.”

But between papers, projects and presentations, let’s be honest, how many of us have time to regularly hit the gym?

Fortunately, the gym is just one place where we can get the exercise we need. Research shows it only takes about 10 minutes of moving our bodies before our brains release those positive endorphins. So whether it’s taking several flights of stairs, getting off the bus a few stops early or parking the car across the parking lot and walking, it will still benefit your mental health.

Another bonus of being active is how it can sharpen our mental focus. This is why taking breaks during study sessions for physical activity can actually end up increasing our productivity and ability to absorb information.

“When you’re at a point where you’re re-reading the same page in your textbook, it’s better to go for a walk, do some jumping jacks, run around the block — anything to get you moving so when you come back, your brain is ready to learn,” says Tessa.

Even taking a break to laugh with friends can improve our ability to focus. How come? Because laughing is a form of exercise! Studies show laughing for 15 minutes a day can help you burn about 15 to 40 calories.

So, next time you find yourself falling asleep in your textbook, don’t feel guilty about taking a break to catch up with friends at the Cave or in the Atrium. But just keep in mind that it’s only a break…


How does physical activity help your concentration? Let us know in the comment section below!

Nobody wants to work out next to the sweaty meathead who smells worse than week-old gym socks. Make sure you’re not the one who’s turning heads for all the wrong reasons by following some simple rules of gym etiquette.

Rule #1: Always wipe the equipment after use.

No one wants to sit in a puddle of your sweat, and they shouldn’t have to. The Loft(and all gyms) provide paper towels and spray bottles to clean equipment after use. Not only is this more hygienic, but it shows consideration for others.

Rule #2: Never rest on the equipment between sets.

When waiting between sets, do not sit on the equipment, let other members work in. Not only are you not using the equipment but, neither is anyone else. Get up and stretch between sets to give others a chance to work out while you recover.

Rule #3: Don’t dress like you’re on a beach.

Although this usually applies to women who wear short shorts and tiny, cropped tops, guys are equally guilty with their mesh or stretched out tank tops. Dressing in this fashion is not only distracting, but could make those who are just starting to work out feel awkward or intimidated. What ever you do make sure you wear clothing that covers all valuables. Also remember to wear proper footwear. Sandals not only put you at risk of a toe-crushing injury, they’re inconsiderate if you’re plagued by smelly foot syndrome.

Rule #4: If you smell, do something about it.

We all sweat. We all smell when we work out. However, some people sweat and smell a little worse than others. If you’re one of those unfortunate souls, invest in an extra strength deodorant for the sake of those who have to work out near you.

Rule #5: Don’t work out in packs.

It’s great to have friends. They can help push you to a higher level when working out, spot for you and keep you motivated. However, surrounding yourself with too many friends when you train will only annoy others.

Rule #6: Let people work in with you.

Some people like to circuit train or do giant sets in quick succession. This is fine if the Loft/EDC is basically deserted, but during the peak periods (before and after classes and at lunch), it is just a pain. Why should one person monopolize all that equipment, especially when there are people waiting? Be considerate. Let people work in with you.

Rule #7: Always return your weights to the stacks.

When using free weights or plates, always return them to the stacks when you’re done. Leaving weights on the floor is a safety hazard. They’re the perfect height for people to trip over. Leaving weights loaded is not fair to other members who either have to spend effort and time unloading the bars, or possibly even skip the apparatus because they can’t manage the heavier weights.

Rule #8: Obey time restrictions for cardio machines.

Everyone’s concept of time is different. When you ride the exercise bike, it might seem like you’ve only been pedaling for five minutes, when in reality it’s been over 30. In the LOFT and at EDC people have to sign up for the cardio machines, especially the popular equipment such as treadmills, and elliptical riders. It’s damn annoying when people blatantly ignore their time restrictions, reset the timer, or place their towel over the control panel to feign ignorance if questioned.

Rule #9: Don’t create a scene.

We all make noise when we work out, whether it’s breathing hard during a cardio workout, or the occasional gasp when lifting weights. However, loud grunts, groans, and obscenities are not welcome. Emitting these types of noises only makes you look like an idiot, or a show-off just begging for an audience. If you find yourself grunting like you’re passing a stone, then maybe you’re lifting too much.

Rule #10: The  Loft/EDC is not TYC or Whiskey Dix’s.

Though there are many attractive members, chatting them up during their exercise routine is poor timing at best. They don’t have time to be distracted by lonely singles looking for dates.

These 10 rules are designed to make your life at the gym better. Imagine a world where you can work out without drowning in other peoples’ pools of sweat, where boneheads don’t think they own the joint and the equipment is accessible any time. Well, the good news is that this utopia is actually easy to achieve. All that is required is for people to think of others, or at the least, follow this easy list.  For more information on the Loft and other on campus recreation facilities visit the Recreations Services website at http://blogs.rrc.ca/rebels/.