Episode 13: Gym Culture Transcript
[00:00:04.265] - Ashley
Welcome to Nutrition Navigator's podcast, Bringing Nutrition and Wellness to You. Together, we learn from a variety of health professionals about their stories and how they contribute to the world that's wellness We are a monthly podcast where we interview health professionals in the field about health and wellness topics for college students. My name's Ashley Munro and I'm one of the nutrition counselors at Campus Health and the advisor for this program. I'm joined today by Samantha, one of our wonderful Nutrition Navigator volunteers.
[00:00:31.725] - Ashley
Samantha, hello. Can you introduce yourself to our listeners and just share maybe what got you interested in nutrition and wellness?
[00:00:41.345] - Samantha
Yeah, my name is Samantha and I am currently majoring in nutrition with an emphasis in dietetics. I join Nutrition Navigators last semester, this will be my first time recording an episode for the podcast. I was actually interested in learning more about nutrition since I did start weightlifting during college, and I believe nutrition has played a big role in supporting my fitness goals and my overall health during school. Interestingly enough, I was looking forward to helping co-host this episode, since I have often been the only girl in the weight room too. I am hoping that this will encourage more women to get into the weight room as well.
[00:01:19.145] - Ashley
Yes, great. Thank you so much for being here. Samantha, why don't you introduce our guests since today we're talking about women in the weight room. Why don't you go ahead and introduce our guests for us?
[00:01:29.045] - Samantha
On today's episode, we are welcoming back Leah from Campus Recreation, and she is joined by Marley, who is a junior majoring in nutrition with an emphasis in dietetics. Marley has been working with Campus Recreation Center since August of twenty nineteen as a staff member. She initially began as an F 45 instructor and then received her personal trainer certification. Marley is now one of the student coordinators for the fitness department and plans to graduate in the spring of 2020 and pursue PA school.
[00:02:00.755] - Samantha
If you remember, Leah Callovini has been working for campus recreation at the University of Arizona as the Fitness and Wellness coordinator for two years, which holds a bachelor's and master's degree in sports business. She's also in her first year of her PhD and healthy behavior health promotion here at the University of Arizona. Today, we will be discussing gender gaps in the weight room or in the gym in general. And we are excited for you all to hear what Leah and Marley have to share with us.
[00:02:30.575] - Samantha
And just to note that all the content on this podcast is for a general audience and is intended to be for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical or mental health advice. Now, let's welcome back Leah and Marley to the show.
[00:02:53.245] - Samantha
Hi, everyone, welcome, Marley and Leah. Can you tell our listeners who you are and what this topic of women in the weight room means to you? Hi, I'm Marley.
[00:03:02.425] - Marley
I am a junior here at the University of Arizona. I'm majoring in nutritional sciences with an emphasis on dietetics. I have been working for the fitness department at Campus Rec since my freshman year of college that began with F 45 and then a personal training certification, some group fitness. And now I'm one of the fitness student coordinators for the department. Women in the weight room is an important topic because when I was in high school I played sports, but I didn't have much experience with gym setting.
[00:03:31.825] - Marley
And so when I came to U of A, I was very intimidating because specifically the issue of weight room is kind of terrifying for people that have never been in the gym setting. It's very intimidating. Easing myself in the past couple of years has been a goal of mine. And the more comfortable I get with the weight room, the more I notice that there is not a lot of female presence in the gym. And that tends to be more isolated to smaller spaces that aren't as busy or as intimidating.
[00:03:59.635] - Marley
And now that I'm a lot more comfortable with it, I would love to see more women and females working out around me in the gym and stuff.
[00:04:06.955] - Ashley
I think the word intimidating, this is Ashley, I think the word intimidating is a very good, good word. And I remember that I went to the U of A as well when I was an undergrad and I identify with that word. What do you got, Leah?
[00:04:19.735] - Leah
Yeah, hi. So thanks for having me back.
[00:04:22.285] - Leah
My name is Leah Callivini, I work full time for Campus Recreation as fitness and wellness coordinator, but I moonlight as a PhD student in public health as well, with an emphasis focusing on lifestyle behaviors and their impact on mental health and disease prevention and everything like that. So super passionate about this topic. I live it, breathe it all the time. So my journey in the weight room is kind of similar to Marley's. I was an athlete in high school as well, but we did workout in the weight room in high school.
[00:04:50.155] - Leah
I was a thrower on the track team, but it was all very performance focused and I kind of resented it because it was all about growing further and throwing heavy weights around and stuff. I just didn't like it. And so I when I went to college, I got into group fitness, I started teaching cycle, and then it was through taking body comp classes, which we no longer offer at campus rec. But it's a barbell workout that's focused on movements you would see in the weight room. So, I learn proper technique through that and gain some confidence. That then helped me move into the weight room space. But it was definitely a journey. And I agree with Marley. I think I can't imagine walking into campus rec here at the University of Arizona and seeing this weight room for the first time. I know how intimidating it was to walk into my university, which is a much, much smaller weight room on an urban campus. So we just didn't have as much space.
[00:05:43.015] - Leah
Walking into the vastness of the rec is just wild to think about. So I totally empathize and recognize that feeling of intimidation. It's been important to me through the duration of my career to help empower women and folks who just don't see themselves in the weight room. It doesn't even necessarily have to be women, but to help empower them with the knowledge and confidence to go in and occupy space in the weight room.
[00:06:09.685] - Ashley
I think the vastness like you described. It is it's beautiful, but it's big and it's sometimes like, where do I even start if I'm not as comfortable and as confident in some of these spaces. I guess, what do you think women folx run into when it comes to being comfortable in the gym and specifically the weight room?
[00:06:33.205] - Ashley
I guess just to kind of give that question context, I was researching before we talked about this and it was saying like globally, which I was kind of surprised. Women are less likely than men to get enough exercise. I think the comparison was forty nine percent of women versus fifty seven percent of men get movement in. I'm sure that's related to this comfort in the gym spaces and specifically the weight room. What specifically do we run into as women?
[00:07:03.385] - Leah
I think there's a lot here to unpack. One of the biggest things that I think Marley would agree with me, unfortunately, we hear from women a lot, is there's this misinformation out there about lifting weights or being in the weight room is going to make my body change in a certain way that I'm not comfortable with.
[00:07:20.925] - Ashley
Like I am going to get big.
[00:07:24.415] - Leah
Yeah, we hear that a lot. We hear the word bulky, unfortunately, which kind of breaks my heart, because then that kind of goes deeper into a different conversation about body image and what is attractive versus not attractive and our whole societal views on body image.
[00:07:41.695] - Leah
There's the science behind it, is that unless it's a very specific type of training and potentially "aided" with some kind of substance it's very difficult for women to look the same way men look, and I think that's the image that some women still have in their head that will happen to them if they go in the weight room when, you know, it doesn't have to be all about aesthetics too. One of the most gratifying things for me when I started lifting weights wasn't that I noticed my body changing, but I remember I was on an airplane and I had to use the overhead bins because I brought a carry on and I didn't need help from anybody.
[00:08:16.725] - Leah
It was so easy to just lift it with proper form and get it up there. No problem. And I was like, wow, wait a minute. This , my confidence is up so much higher because I can do this for myself. There's also an empowerment that comes when you feel, well, I don't need a man to open this jar for me like that. For me at least that's how I felt about it.
[00:08:37.135] - Leah
It was that like girl power sort of moment.
[00:08:40.795] - Leah
I think like knowing that it doesn't have to be aesthetics, your reasons for being in the weight room for both women and any other, I guess, person that doesn't see themselves in the weight room as much. You could be a runner and benefit from being in the weight room. But it might not seem that way because it seems like the folx in there are a certain type of athlete. So I definitely think that's a piece of it. And I also think that self efficacy and knowledge come into play too.
[00:09:10.825] - Leah
I didn't want to go in the weight room unless I knew what I was doing and I knew how to use a piece of equipment properly. And instead of going in and working to figure it out or asking questions, it was sort of like a shame that I didn't know what to do and I just didn't want to embarrass myself. I think that that's a very real issue, too.
[00:09:28.855] - Marley
Yes, I think a lot of feel like it'll change their body in a way that it's not desirable or they will still make them feminine.
[00:09:38.485] - Marley
I think that also it's a lot about the population that's in the weight room. If you walk in right now on any given day, at any given time, the majority of the population at the rec, or the weight room specifically is young males that are very in shape and very loud and chaotic. For people that aren't as familiar with the gym, once again, I think that that's very intimidating.
[00:10:03.745] - Marley
I think also, though, sometimes being a female in the weight room sometimes feels like your workout is not validated, because it's not the same as the males that are in there. A couple of weeks ago, I was lifting and there was a girl on the squat rack next to me and all the racks were taken up except for two of them. And one was a little bit of a smaller one. And I was lifting my weights and I saw this guy come up to the girl next to me and he says, "hey, do you think you could move over to that squat rack? Because that's a feminine squat rack that for the girls and this is the only male squat rack that's left. So is it OK if you move on that one and I can use the one you're on?" And she said, "yeah". She said, "yeah, I'll move." And I just stood there and I didn't say anything to the guy or to the girl. But I just was like, that should not happen. That's not OK. And she I feel like she needs to know too, or maybe doesn't have the confidence to know or feel like she has the place to say "no you go use that rack, because I am using this one and when I'm done, you can use this one."
[00:11:18.475] - Marley
Just because she's a female who's lifting doesn't mean that her workout doesn't mean as much or isn't as valuable as the exercise that the "big jacked" males who think that they maybe take precedence in the gym. So that was an interesting exchange to see. Like, OK, there's issue with his point of view and thinking that his exercises take precedence over anyone else's, but also looking at her fitness level and thinking that, like, OK, well, yeah, he should deserve to use it over me.
[00:11:53.095] - Marley
So kind of some observations from both sides of the exchange.
[00:11:58.675] - Ashley
That's fascinating. And maybe this is a silly question, but is there such thing as like a rack being a different gender type of rack? I mean, I just feel like anyone can use that, like what's happening here.?
[00:12:15.985] - Leah
So from a competition perspective, if there are barbells that are designed for women's competitions that are, I think, slightly less weight. So there are differences in barbells, which I have an issue with, too, because it's not that much different of a weight to pick up one versus the other. In powerlifting and everything like that. Women are still competing against women. Men are still competing against men, I don't quite get having two different bar sizes. So there is an argument with that, but it's still just how egregious and overstepping it is for somebody ask you to move when you're in the middle of a workout. When Marley told me the story, I was livid. And that girl, I mean, I can't imagine being purchased just a guard like that because, you know, you don't want to start something necessarily. But it's an uncomfortable situation to know how to respond.
[00:13:07.175] - Ashley
Super uncomfortable.
[00:13:08.465] - Ashley
OK, people, when we when we're getting exercised, when we doing our movement choices of the day, like everyone's movement is valid, you know, offering people help and empowering people. Sure. But let's not not invade each other's spaces and like, make us feel like less than just little PSA. Oh, my goodness. OK, thank you for that.
[00:13:33.455] - Samantha
So it seems like weight stigma is more targeted towards women and that can even further widen the gender gap in the weightroom. What would help with this?
[00:13:44.525] - Marley
I'm not sure how recent y'all have been to the gym, but we have kind of transformed one of the downstairs dance areas into a little free weight space that's a little more secluded with a lot less of the intensity of the main weight room. Some observations, as I've been to the gym lately, is that that room specifically is all women, all females, girls.
[00:14:12.545] - Marley
I've never actually seen a guy in there. There's also not a lot of equipment. So me and Leah were discussing this and looking at people who or individuals who don't feel as comfortable in the traditional gym setting, but maybe they still want they still want to lift. They still want to use machines. They still want to learn. But they're having a hard time or not feeling comfortable doing that in an aggressive setting and feeling like I mean, when I first went to the gym, I wouldn't go because I didn't know how to use the leg-press.
[00:14:43.905] - Marley
I didn't want to stand there and try to figure it out as there's people waiting in line for me or looking at me like, what is she doing? Why she at the gym if she doesn't know what she's doing. If there had been maybe another opportunity that was a little more of a comfortable environment where I didn't feel so rushed or so judged to take my time and learn how to use machines or learn how to use to weight train and experiment with bad form and not feel like I have to perform for everyone else when I'm in the gym.
[00:15:13.475] - Marley
I know that that would have benefited me too. So looking at the spaces that we had just because of covid and how the population that has chosen to occupy those spaces, I think that that speaks volumes about being able to offer maybe smaller rooms that have the machines and have some weight training equipment. But they're set away from that super intense environment that is the weight room.
[00:15:41.105] - Marley
I think that that would draw a lot of those individuals that don't feel comfortable in the weight room, but feel like they really want to learn how to use all of that equipment and maybe give them the opportunity to to play around with it, experiment, figure it out all the quirks, get their form down and then feel like they're out of space where they want to enter the weight room and they feel like they're more confident with their equipment, knowledge and their exercise knowledge and the confidence of like I'm occupying the space, this is my machine.
[00:16:12.005] - Marley
I know what I'm doing. I can be here. So, yeah, I think a wider array of spaces and equipment.
[00:16:20.075] - Ashley
It sounds like those are a bridge, too, right? That's a good bridge to getting someone comfortable for deciding to like us, but getting to be the decider of what areas do I like the most to move, because maybe this is my bridge to get into kind of a bigger weight space, but maybe I don't really enjoy that space as much in my movement and enjoyment lives in this space
[00:16:44.495] - Ashley
I think it kind of opens the door almost to letting people decide what really works for them, which I that's really a good strategy. It sounds like that you guys have implemented.
[00:16:55.205] - Leah
I think you hit the nail on the head there. It's health equity and it's making sure that it's not that you feel confined to one space, you feel locked out of the weight room. It's you having the choice, like, you know, that you're empowered to be in the weight room.
[00:17:09.395] - Leah
But maybe that day you just don't want to deal with the massive amount of people in the weight room. And you go and Room A, it's like we don't we want to have Room A available. We want to have that space that set aside for folx that are transitioning or just want to be away from others. But we don't want them to feel like that's the only space that they can be in and that's something that we have to address as a community.
[00:17:30.335] - Ashley
Maybe the the more uncomfortable part of that question is like this discussion of body size and women being kind of more subject to kind of bias around whether that be like personal internal bias or just outward bias of body size and feeling not represented and or being in a bigger body and feeling judged. I mean, I know all bodies feel and have days where they're uncomfortable in their bodies, but I think there are some preconceived notions or there are ways that I've talked to folx who are in larger bodies and feel like going into a workout space, going into the weight room, being someone who is in a larger body, it can be uncomfortable.
[00:18:14.165] - Ashley
And how do I navigate that? How do I want to move. And that feels so good. But I'm in this body that's either under represented or is judged for moving in a certain way. How do we make spaces more representative or more inclusive to diversity in body size, too?
[00:18:33.515] - Leah
Yeah, I think that's a super important question as well. And what comes to mind with me and what we talk about a lot in my work, my research is cultural humility. Right? So it might be that I don't feel a certain type of way about my body. I may not be able to understand what that person is going through. But can I empathize? Can I be willing to learn and be receptive to then help them adapt to their practice, their exercise in the way that will best serve them and their needs in their body? I can understand that. Representation is so important and there's just not enough diversity in the types of people that you see in fitness and also in the weight room space, too.
[00:19:14.315] - Leah
I think we're talking a lot about women and absolutely it's a problem with women. But I think we do have to have the conversation, too, about men and other genders too and not see themselves represented in the weight room and in those spaces. I think a big way that we can get through it and I think Marley could speak to this, too. She has some experience with this, but I think allyship is such a huge piece of fitness as a whole.
[00:19:39.815] - Leah
Right? Can you identify somebody who can kind of support you and empower you starting off and then maybe take the training wheels off and you're able to then go off on your own. I think when I was training full time and trying to get women more comfortable with the weight room, that was my goal. It wasn't like keep making money off of you forever, so you're dependent on me as your personal trainer.
[00:20:02.135] - Leah
I'll probably move on at some point. I don't want to feel like I'm abandoning you. I want you to be able to go out and do it yourself. Right? That's a huge piece of it, too. With men, I think it can be really hard there's a lot of mental health stuff with men that isn't talked about. And I think, you know, body image and the lack of self-confidence in the weight room and with your body in men is kind of silence in a lot of them.
[00:20:30.665] - Leah
What makes me really happy and personal anecdote, when I was at another gym working years ago, there was this group of guys that would come in and left together. Three of the guys were like very in shape, clearly, like a lot of experience lifting. The last guy, the fourth guy, he was very slender in his frame and clearly didn't have as much experience, but they were taking him under their wing and working with him every single week is just like a group of friends. Right?
[00:21:00.815] - Leah
It wasn't a big, you know, personal training, intimidating situation where you have somebody yelling at you and pushing you, which is not a personal training is anyway,but still. It was just a group of friends that were working out together. I'll throw the caveat out there really quick before I turn it back over to Marley. Unfortunately, right now, I think that's a wonderful solution. The campus rec is not permitting partner work out and hopefully that will change soon.
[00:21:25.895] - Leah
But with social distancing being strictly enforced, I know that's the right answer and all other times. But right now, unfortunately, that's the easy answer. We just throw that out. There is a disclaimer.
[00:21:37.595] - Ashley
I think that speaks to humans gravitating towards things that build community and that allyship in partnership. It makes a lot of sense that if you're feeling hesitant about anything or not feeling as confident in something, having someone there as a guide or as a support system or as this community can, and that's empowering and not yelling at you. Right? Can be really great. Like, I know I'm in a running community and it's never been about like, who's faster? Who's this? Who's that? It's always just about like, come on. Like, some people walk, some people run walks, some people run. You can always find somebody to run with, kind of like no one left behind situation. It's really welcoming and it gets people wanting to go because it's the social aspect to which, again, I know at the moment is not our reality at the moment, but it will be because it will be again.
[00:22:31.655] - Ashley
Marley, did you have did you have any thoughts or such good stories? Did you have any good thoughts on people and different kind of shapes and sizes feeling comfortable in the gym?
[00:22:42.425] - Marley
Leah touched on with this and this kind of leads into the next question.But trying to find one that you feel comfortable being in the gym with. It doesn't always have to be a group or, you know, a trainer or an official situation like that. I know when I was a freshman and I stuck to group fitness classes, I had a group this pass. I have forty five pass. I did all of that because I wanted to be active. For me it was like, OK, I go into the gym and I'm going to go to the cardio equipment because I know how to use anything else.
[00:23:13.745] - Marley
This is what I feel comfortable doing and this is what I'm going to do. Then some group fitness classes. But, I kind of found an ally, my boyfriend currently, he was very experienced with the gym, had lifted his entire life, was big into that. It was someone that I felt comfortable saying, I don't know how to use gym equipment. I'm going to tell you, I don't know what I am doing. You do. So will you help me?
[00:23:38.045] - Marley
Going into the gym with someone who knew I didn't feel embarrassed sitting there being the student, being shown how to use a leg-press. But if I was on my own, that's I never would have done that. I didn't want to stand around by myself. I mean, Greg, he's a big experienced and male, but it doesn't always have to be like that. That's just my situation, you know. But finding someone who is super knowledgeable, who has that confidence made me not embarrassed to be there and I don't care if I'm the student because he knows what he's doing and people aren't going to look at me as much because I'm here with someone who knows what they're doing.
[00:24:17.885] - Marley
That kind of helps to ease my, I think, anxiety about learning how to use equipment. Like I said, I mean, it doesn't always have to be that specific demographic that I had. Finding someone that or even in a group or someone that that's comfortable and is willing to show you and feels confident in this, for me, I think that was the biggest thing. I don't know if I hadn't had that much, I eventually would've gotten into the gym setting, but I don't know how long it would have taken me before I felt confident to go and do that.
[00:24:53.555] - Ashley
You said the word anxiety, which is kind of like what we're bridging into, right. Like decreasing folx anxiety for showing up in these spaces. I think that allyship sounds like it's so good. Having someone, again, who is comfortable in that space kind of be supportive. Are there any other ways that folx can decrease? They want to go. They want to move. The rec is such a great place to kind of experience on a college campus. How do we bridge that gap?
[00:25:21.935] - Marley
I think some time I mean, the rec is packed all the time, but there's there are certain times of the day when it's a little less intense. So finding morning times are usually those awkward morning times when people have class and stuff like that.
[00:25:37.445] - Marley
So it kind of experimenting and finding like at this time is there's not that many people, I feel comfortable going and there's not as many people, or the lines or the equipment lines. Which I think is very frustrating when it's busy and you feel like people are waiting for you to finish using a piece of equipment so they can use it. Finding times where maybe you feel a little bit more comfortable going in there and not as pressured or watched stuff like that.
[00:26:05.165] - Ashley
Maybe you're just not even doing anything. Maybe you're just going around and doing some recon and just looking what's there and almost like making a plan before you actually go. I don't know if anyone ever does that.
[00:26:16.865] - Marley
That's sometimes have a plan before you go to the gym and knowing what equipment you're going to use is very helpful because you don't feel quite as lost. That comes with the knowledge empowerment too when I got my personal trainer certification, I know it was kind of night and day for me. I didn't have years of experience. I just had the certification. All a sudden I felt like because I did that and I studied and I took my test and I was like certified that I had this confidence going into the gym.
[00:26:45.935] - Marley
I know what I'm doing more now and I can back that up, actually. I feel a little bit better. I'm not as anxious. It doesn't have to be a certification. I mean, watching videos, asking friends, looking into stuff, maybe watching a YouTube video, how do you use a piece of equipment before you go will help you feel less anxious when you get there on using it for the first time or stuff.
[00:27:07.685] - Ashley
That's a great idea.
[00:27:09.965] - Leah
I was the first person who I kind of probably creeped some people out when I first started using the weight room because there'd be a piece of equipment I'd want to use that I'd maybe like watch somebody out of the corner of my eye to see what they were doing. I think some things that helped me, too, was I did have a personal trainer for a little bit when I was first starting to lift. Again, that's a privilege that I know a lot of folx, it's not cheap. It is an investment. Absolutely. We understand that. But that did help me know how to do things like as simple as like using clips and stuff on the bar, and how to set up the proper height for your bar if you're going to squat, stuff like that. One of the things that because we understand, cost is a factor for some folx, or maybe they don't have somebody in their network that is able to be their ally immediately at the rec.We offer a program called Strong Women.
[00:28:01.635] - Leah
I know it's called Strong Women. Anybody that wants to go of any gender can absolutely register for the class. That's something that we want to throw out there. Just make sure that we are fully inclusive to anybody that wants to register. Part of that class, we talk about technique, we talk about the science. But a big chunk of it is we just take the folx in this group. It's a one time workshop and we put you on the floor and teach you how to use some of the pieces of equipment, like some of the barbells and stuff.
[00:28:31.755] - Leah
You understand more you're more empowered to go in there yourself and start occupying space. Some resources like that are available to there's good apps. Like Marlee said, absolutely like having a plan and you touched on it too, Ashley. Going in with no intention to work out, just to kind of explore and get the lay of the land. Nothing wrong with that, too. We're happy to give you a tour. The facility staff is, happy to give you a tour.
[00:28:57.855] - Leah
If you go in and you ask for a piece of equipment, is there something like that we're here to help? Of course, it's awesome.
[00:29:03.855] - Samantha
What are some resources that students can access if they're looking to have a better understanding of this topic?
[00:29:10.245] - Ashley
I know, Leah, you touched on stronger women, which I will link to that in the show notes, because I think that I didn't know that that was a thing. But other things, I guess.
[00:29:21.235] - Marley
We talked about that. Like she said, obviously personal training is not realistic or accessible for everyone, but is there a great personal trainer? That's always an option. Then resources that may be, if you are individually looking to expand your knowledge, there's lots of great apps out there. Exercise demos. Then always, just YouTube. I think looking up if it's just exercises or form or stuff like that, that's like, OK, maybe the equipment that you want to use and you know what you want to do, but you've never done it before. Maybe you think "I don't need someone to make a plan for me." I know what I want to do and what I want to work. It's finding the technique or how to use those things so I can experience that equipment.
[00:30:16.435] - Ashley
I Google the other day, because I was I was confused on what do you want to work out? You do arms, you do legs. If you're going to kind of split up your workouts throughout the week, like I kind of. What did I Google? I just Google typical workout schedule or typical lifting schedule. Like Google has a wealth of knowledge. YouTube came up with lots of videos like, know the form for a slot or there is this cleaning movement that they had in one of the YouTube videos that I was looking at. I said I don't want to throw my back out. I was curious on the form on that. And it was really it was good.
[00:30:51.645] - Ashley
They go slow. I think that kind of idea of having demonstrations in the privacy of your own computer can be really nice before you go, put your feet in the water.
[00:31:01.485] - Marley
Yeah, for sure. Being able to look at some other things.
[00:31:03.705] - Leah
That's something we're working on it rec too.
[00:31:05.475] - Ashley
Like you guys providing kind of forum videos because I know you have online stuff.
[00:31:09.525] - Leah
We do have online stuff, but we're working on editing a bunch of videos that one of our former student coordinators who graduated, who is wonderful. He, before he left, filmed probably forty or fifty exercise videos with the intention of us creating an online library as well.
[00:31:24.825] - Leah
We know, obviously, YouTube and Google and everything. There are gems of resources out there, but sometimes it's hard to discern what is good, what is that? So we figured we would for the UA community as well, make sure that we provide something solid. I mean, that is a good resource for you, too. There's, of course, great videos out there, so obviously we encourage you to use Google and YouTube. Use your best judgment.
[00:31:54.555] - Leah
Look at the folx that are doing the video, see what their credentials are and stuff. There are wonderful resources out there. We're trying to also give you a one stop shop to so that you can really know is a safe option because all of our staff are really wonderful and amazing and super helpful in that way. But, yeah, I love that you went and did some research, Ashley, because that's a good way to do it.
[00:32:17.665] - Leah
Start asking questions. Right? Don't just resigned to the fact that it's not for you. Do a little bit of research digging. It's again, an investment in yourself. The other thing I'll say to you again, I know I'm biased because this is sort of how I figured out the weight room, but group fitness is not a bad way to get started too. Go into space. You have an instructor there. You can learn some proper forum at forty five especially.
[00:32:39.675] - Leah
It's fantastic for that because the movements are what we call functional. A lot of those movements that hit multiple muscle groups, multiple joint movements at the same time, that transfer nicely to the weight room, to the other equipment that's available out there.
[00:32:53.585] - Ashley
I don't know if we said this, but we are our own best experts. I think that element of like listening to our bodies and not subscribing to that, no pain, no gain.
[00:33:01.805] - Ashley
I love when instructors say this should feel challenging, but it should not be painful and just reminding ourselves to kind of listen to what our body is and kind of meeting our body where it's at. Movement can be this thing we do forever and can be this lifestyle so we don't have to kill it day one and then be out for the next five days. You can kind of build on it, which I think happens when we listen to our bodies.
[00:33:28.925] - Ashley
I think we all alluded to that somewhere in this conversation, but they're just throwing that out there. Thank you all so much with such great information and also these topics that I think need to be out there. I still am ruminating on my story of this person telling this gal to move. I think that those conversations around how we all are worthy, our bodies are worthy, our workouts for our bodies are worthy. I am supposed to be here.
[00:33:58.205] - Ashley
I'm supposed to take up space. I think that just needs to kind of be broken, record hammered over and over and over again, because those kinds of things don't really need to happen. If they happen to you, like, that's not OK. We all deserve to feel comfortable in the weight room and do kinds of movements that bring us joy and make us feel strong and wonderful. I don't know. That's my two cents.
[00:34:18.695] - Ashley
We appreciate your expertise for sure. I think we have one final question. I'll let Samantha ask you all are our rapid fire question.
[00:34:28.565] - Samantha
Do you prefer hummus or guacamole?
[00:34:31.445] - Marley
Guacamole.
[00:34:32.195] - Leah
I second that definitely guacamole.
[00:34:35.345] - Ashley
My daughter agrees with you.
[00:34:37.395] - Samantha
What about chocolate candy or fruity candy.
[00:34:37.665] - Marley
Chocolate.
[00:34:44.015] - Leah
We are twins today, yeah, absolutely. Chocolate. I do not need Skittles or any of that. To me, I chocolate all day.
[00:34:48.995] - Ashley
I love this because I just want to say in episode nine where we had Leah and Jakon together, we did Rapid Fire. If you guys go back and listen to that episode, they were complete opposite. So far, this is a very different situation, though.
[00:35:03.845] - Leah
That's funny.
[00:35:04.475] - Samantha
What is one favorite meal you know how to cook?
[00:35:06.635] - Marley
I'm a big fan of homemade vodka sauce pasta. I love vodka sauce but not store bought. I figured out how to make my own and I'm a pasta person.
[00:35:17.765] - Ashley
That's amazing.
[00:35:20.675] - Leah
Are we twins Marley. I'm not a great cook. I would be honest with you. I feel like a fitness person is always like a meal prep or something. I'm not great. My dad's Italian, so I have inherited the pasta sauce thing.
[00:35:35.285] - Leah
A good marinara, like an all day kind of simmer or pasta is my other favorite thing to make with. I love using kale instead. I think it gives it a different kind of flavor and texture.
[00:35:48.995] - Leah
We didn't talk about these ahead of time, by the way.
[00:35:50.975] - Ashley
Oh, I love that. Have any of you watched on Netflix? It's a four part series. It's salt, fat, acid, heat, like a food series on Netflix. Well, I highly recommend. It's so good. Each episode has a different element. It's kind of said if you master these four elements, anybody can be an amazing cook. In the fat episode, they go to Italy and they make pesto like from scratch, when you use like a mortar and pestle and it is just you want to like jump into the screen and just eat all of the things that they're making.
[00:36:24.245] - Ashley
It's so beautiful. It just makes like food this beautiful experience. You see where my love life.
[00:36:33.575] - Marley
Pasta sauce is one thing. I tried to make ravioli, though, a couple of months ago. Never happening again. It was not very good, experience.
[00:36:43.085] - Ashley
Do you have like a pasta machine that you rolled it out and everything.
[00:36:46.745] - Marley
I just three hours trying to roll out my pasta. That was probably my first mistake. Yeah, it was bad.
[00:36:57.035] - Ashley
I love that you gave it a go though. That's OK.
[00:37:00.065] - Samantha
What's best for getting started with movement?
[00:37:03.845] - Marley
I think for me, I would just say finding a way that you feel comfortable starting, whether or not that group fitness or a personal trainer or a friend. I don't think it has to be something you will see like I'm going to start if I can lift or I can do this. Sometimes you have to work up to get there. I think taking an area where you feel comfortable, it could even be outside.
[00:37:30.365] - Marley
It doesn't have to be in a gym setting. I'm going to start running before I start. Figuring some form set thing or is that you feel comfortable doing and just going forward and then going from there and progressing into many different settings or different types of exercise. You can set a goal and get there eventually, but starting in your comfort zone, I think is a good place to start.
[00:37:55.315] - Leah
Yeah, I echo everything Marley said. Try a lot of different things that you never know what you're going to like. One of the rules that I hold to myself, but I've also tried with my clients to encourage them is give something to try three times before you decide it's not for you. My personal anecdote with this is that I am a two hundred hour registered yoga teacher. I'm working on my three hundred hour. The first time I did yoga, I hated it.
[00:38:24.625] - Leah
The only reason I went was one of my friends in college, she was a yoga teacher and she really wanted me to go. It just was not my style of yoga. There's so many different types of subtypes of different exercises, too, that I tried other forms of yoga and I found that like her type maybe wasn't my thing. I still kept going, though, because I didn't want to hurt her feelings and I love her. Now, if I could take her classes, I absolutely would, but she's on the other side of the country. Within not all yoga is the same.
[00:38:52.225] - Leah
Not all lifting is the same. Not all types of running it's the same. You may just be like I want to do high intensity interval training sprints rather than running long distance. It's slow running, but it's just try different things within the broader, I guess, bigger umbrella types of exercise too, to see what you like and what works best for your body.
[00:39:14.215] - Ashley
That's such a good point. Try something three times before you kind of. I don't know if I've ever heard that. We say sometimes in running in like distance running, like don't believe the first one to three miles because they're lying to you because like the first one to three miles in distance running they don't feel really great. You're still warming up. I think that speaks to just that instant reaction might not be the truth and to kind of try it out and to kind of give different ways of doing it a chance.
[00:39:42.655] - Ashley
So, yeah, I love that so much.
[00:39:44.605] - Leah
With the caveat though, don't hurt yourself. Something like physically. It's not like aggravating injury or a joint. Don't come back. That's OK. Doing plyometrics maybe is not going to be good for everybody's ankles, knees, hips.
[00:39:59.155] - Leah
If it's just something where you were like I don't know, try a different instructor, try a different trainer, try a different workout plan. There's so many. It's not all created equal.
[00:40:11.605] - Ashley
That's a really good. Yes, absolutely. We are very much. Listen to your body. Don't work out on injury. Very good caveat. Leah, thank you. Thank you all so much. This has been lovely. And Leah, thanks for coming back on the show with us again.
[00:40:27.715] - Ashley
Marley, it was so good to meet you and to talk and all of your wisdom and information about women in the weight room and people in the weight room. I think it can be a space that we occupy and feel really good about it. Sounds like. So thanks. Thank you for having us. It's great.
[00:40:44.125] - Marley
Thank you, guys. My first time on a podcast.
[00:40:46.705] - Ashley
That's our show. Thank you so much for listening. Please share with your friends and connect with us on all our campus health social channels. Email us here at CHS-nutritionNavigators@email.Arizona.edu to submit your questions and comments about the show. We're excited to be bringing you this content to spark curiosity and further empower you to feel your best. We are sponsored by Campus Health and our program in health promotion and preventive services.
[00:41:14.485] - Ashley
We want to thank Leah and Marley for coming on the show today and taking the time to explore gender gaps in fitness. It was such an interesting conversation and hopefully makes you want to redefine how you show up in these spaces, feel welcomed, empowered and compassionate for others as well. All right. Until next time. Be well Wildcats.