The Importance of Fitness and Nutrition

The Importance of Fitness and Nutrition

[author image=”http://echo.snu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/gladephoto-7773.jpg”]
Glade Pittenger, Staff Contributor
Glade Pittenger is a senior at SNU majoring in Sports Information. He hopes to become a commentator for NBA basketball, and loves health, fitness and nutrition. He also enjoys Herbalife because it helps him stay active and reach his goals. [/author]

Most college students, unless they are seeking a science degree or in athletics, do not know much about fitness and nutrition. To find out more about why fitness and nutrition is important, I sat down with Professor Lee, a Health and Wellness instructor here at SNU, and my personal trainer from high school, James Davis, who was a strength and conditioning trainer for the NBA team the Philadelphia 76’ers.

After asking Prof. Lee how important exercise and nutrition is, he responded, “The importance of the synergistic effects of proper nutrition and fitness can not be overemphasized. The assimilation, not the ingestion, of the proper nutritional components are what determine whether or not we survive and thrive. Without the fuel and building blocks provided through nutrition, we are unable to reach any significant level of fitness.”

He then went on to talk about how his ex brother-in-law healed faster from a bad injury because of he paid attention to exercising and what he ate.

“About 10 years ago, my ex-brother-in-law, who is a mature (older) bodybuilder and “health nut,” fell 40 feet from a ladder while cutting trees. He broke his back in three places,” said Lee. “The surgeons said that the only reason he survived the fall was because of his excellent state of fitness. Fortunately, he suffered only minor spinal cord damage because his core muscles kept everything in alignment. He recovered in about half the time as other men his age. In considering the importance of nutrition and fitness, it meant the difference of living out the remainder of his life in a wheelchair or living life in optimal health. “

He also talked about how his health conditions used to be, and where he would be today if he hadn’t changed.

“For myself, [fitness and nutrition] may possibly mean the difference between life and death,” Lee commented. “Had I remained on my old trajectory of poor eating and being a couch potato, there is a high probability that I would have had to take an early retirement due to poor health.”

Davis explained how exercise and proper nutrition enhances people.

“Exercise and proper nutrition greatly enhances your general sense of wellbeing. A good workout releases endorphins and gives you a boost of energy that makes you feel good throughout the day,” said Davis. “Regular exercise also greatly reduces the harmful effects of stress, which can wreak havoc on your mood and your immune system. A daily exercise regiment makes you feel better literally and figuratively. Combined with exercise, healthy eating keeps all of your body’s system functioning properly.”

So, don’t forget to exercise daily and eat properly; it may not only help you feel
better during the extremely stressful weeks of college, but also may save your life.

The photo above is used under Creative Commons License. To see the full license, click here.