Mental Health Tips and Tricks Part II

by FAU Students | Thursday, Apr 20, 2023

Seconds Interval Timer

Reviewed by Ashley Bobnar

This is a timer app designed for physical health and fitness workouts. It is similar to the 'clock' app on an iPhone, where you can run a timer and keep track of laps. The difference between this app and the standard one on smartphones is that this is an elevated version, designed specifically for physical training, like HIIT (high intensity interval training) and circuit workouts. Within the Seconds Interval Timer app, you can create or use provided 'sample timers' specific to your workout to keep track of or time yourself during exercises and movements. There is also a 'countdown' feature similar to a timer, where you can select a specific countdown and it will alert you once time is up. There are more advanced features where you can save workout information or connect an Apple Watch for physical stats too. The app uses colors like red and green for extra reinforcement of when to stop and go. This is useful if your phone is placed on the ground and you can't see the numbers, since the screen is lit a specific color for direction.

Ashley’s Review: I personally like this app for the use of HIIT or circuit training. An example of a HIIT or circuit workout may be a compilation of five different exercises, where you perform the exercise for 30 seconds on and rest for 10 seconds off, for four rounds. The app comes in handy as you can customize the amount of exercises, rounds, and time you would like to perform them. It tracks and alerts you when to perform an exercise and when to rest throughout the entire workout. I find this app and this type of training the most useful when I'm in a time crunch. It helps me get a good workout in a short amount of time because there is no time being wasted or extended periods of rest. Additionally, I personally find that boosting my heart rate and producing a sweat during a workout is a really good way to relieve stress and frustration. I always feel better after a workout, and the time I'm using to focus on exercise gives my brain a break from thinking about homework or other worries. Even just a quick exercise leaves me feeling refreshed and able to return to what I was doing beforehand with more energy and less anxiousness.

Map My Ride

By Marissa Lippinkhof

The app "Map My Ride by Under Armour" is a workout app that allows you to track your workouts. It has a GPS feature to track your running, biking, and walking exercises. You can use the GPS feature to find other nearby places to bike and/or run and it allows you to save your favorite trails, add new ones, and share with your friends. The app includes detailed stats about your pace, distance, duration, caloric burn, elevation, and much more. You can set personal workout goals and view your progress. It also allows you to choose over 600 different activities to track all of your exercise routines. 

Marissa’s Review: I really enjoy this app because I am the type of person to do multiple different exercises, while most apps only track one kind of sport. With this app, I can not only track my jogging but I can also track my swimming, weight lifting, and biking. I also enjoy how it can track the speed I run and bike. I especially like using the app to track my progress on my running. I used to just go for a run, not tracking how much I ran, and would think I barely went anywhere. As a Map My Ride user since 2020, I have since been able to see how far I ran and my progress over the years. What I don't like about the app that needs to be removed or changed is the calorie burn section. Realistically, everyone burns calories at different rates so I believe the measure is wrong. The app should either remove this or add a questionnaire about physical body characteristics (ex. BMI) to better enhance this feature and get a more accurate number. 

Physical Fitness Strategies & Tips

By Calyssa Setterberg

I have never used a specific fitness app, but I do know a few good strategies and resources for your physical health.

One BIG piece of advice I have: find a workout buddy! It really helps to have someone else that you are comfortable with while you either go to the gym, on a run, or just doing YouTube dance workouts. For one, the gym can be pretty intimidating. But, if you have a friend, you can navigate it together–it makes the journey even more fun. Plus, you have someone else to hold you accountable for keeping up with your physical health and support you along the way. Another piece of advice I have is to make a high energy workout playlist that you  want  to listen to. Everyone has different music tastes, so choose the songs that you enjoy and make you want to move.

An important thing to remember is to maintain your physical health in a way that you enjoy. I personally love to dance, but someone else might enjoy playing soccer, and another person might be an avid swimmer. However you get up and move is great! Plus, everyone progresses at different speeds, so keep in mind to not ever compare yourself–all that matters is keeping up with your physical health and having fun while doing it. If you are looking to become a gym rat, there are great resources which help to make the journey entertaining. A website called “Superhero Jacked” has many workout routines to follow that correlate with specific movie and anime characters and different celebrities. You can choose your favorite characters and follow a workout inspired by them! It helps when you are starting out to follow pre-made workouts since equipment can be quite daunting. (Plus they have built in rest days, which are so important!) As you can see, there are many ways to keep up with your physical health. Try new things, whether yoga or ultimate frisbee, and remember to have fun!

2 Minutes Every Hour

By Rebecca DiCicco
As a student, it can be tempting to not leave your computer or work once you “get into the groove.” However, light walking for two minutes every hour can make a huge difference in your health. It sounds small and can be annoying if you are in the middle of something, but walking or doing some other light activity has been seen to offset the effects of sitting for a long period of time in scientific studies. According to Beddhu et. al (2015), mortality rates decreased by 33% with two minutes of light activity every hour for the entire cohort and improved even more for the chronic kidney disease group.

Rebecca’s take on it: I did not know about the importance of getting up every hour until I got a smartwatch that gave me a reminder to move. At first, I wondered why light activity every hour was important if I had just gone to the gym three hours ago, but when researching why movement every hour was important, I was shocked. I also didn’t realize how long I was sitting for until I got reminders, because an hour could turn into two very easily when I was working. Personally, I try to follow this strategy as much as I can, but when I am in class that is over an hour, I stay in the room to avoid missing something. However, I think just walking for two minutes an hour is definitely overlooked when it comes to what is considered important exercise, and hopefully it can be incorporated into classrooms in the future.

Source:

Beddhu, S., Wei, G., Marcus, R. L., Chonchol, M., & Greene, T. (2015). Light-intensity physical activities and mortality in the United States general population and CKD subpopulation. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 10(7), 1145-1153.

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