By Kelsey Caudill

With March right around the corner, many UK students are hitting the gym and cutting the calories to put the finishing touches on their spring break physiques.

UK health consultants offer advice to students in an effort to curb crash dieting and overexertion in the month before spring break.

Erica Dhuy, a certified athletic trainer at UK Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, said the most important thing to remember when training is to work out in a way that prevents injury.

“A lot of times people will start out not having any conditioning,” Dhuy said. “It’s better to start out a little bit slower.”

Dhuy said students aiming to tone up before spring break need to target opposite muscle groups by cross training. She said students can build muscle and avoid injury by alternating between weight lifting, running and swimming.

“Whenever you strengthen one body part, you want to make sure you’re not neglecting another,” Dhuy said.

Dhuy’s other tips for an effective workout regimen are stretching before and after exercising, drinking lots of water and increasing daily activity. Dhuy said it is not necessary to work out five days a week, but for students who choose to do so need to follow these rules in order to prevent injury and overexertion.

“It’s really unhealthy to work out and then stop. A lot of times if you lose just five pounds not only will you gain it back, you’ll gain back more,” Dhuy said.

Consistency is the key to seeing results, she said.

“More consistent activity throughout the entire day will increase your metabolism and your calorie loss,” Dhuy said.

Dhuy said that eating balanced meals is also crucial to maintaining an effective fitness regimen.

“Whenever you have a meal, you want have a protein, a complex carb, a vegetable or fruit, and a low-fat dairy product.”

Registered Dietitian Jill Kindy said students should focus on achieving steady weight loss.

“One to two pounds per week is appropriate,” Kindy said. “Don’t plan on losing more than five to ten pounds by spring break.”

Kindy said students can cut calories by using the palm of their hand to measure most meal portions.

She also advised students to avoid fried foods, to leave food on their plates and to limit liquid calories—sodas, energy drinks, lattes, punch, lemonade and alcohol.

Beth Atnip, campus recreation fitness director at UK, said that the Johnson Center staff offers a “Get Fit for Spring” eight-week fitness challenge. Sign-ups run through March 11 and are free for UK students.

The Johnson Center hopes that students will want to maintain their fitness after the break, Atnip said.

Atnip said the Johnson Center also offers a variety of group fitness classes for students who want to lose weight or get in shape.

“We know students want to get ready for spring break, but the goal would be for students to continue on their fitness afterwards,” Atnip said.

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