My husband Shaun and I will be celebrating our 8-year wedding anniversary this summer, and we have been dating for nearly fourteen years. So I can safely say that I know a thing or two about marriage and relationships in general. The key to a healthy marriage is sharing the household chores, and trying really, really hard not to keep score (the one who comes up short on the scoreboard, namely me, will also be the one to invent this rule).

Click here to read this feature article and learn how Maria’s lessons in lawn care can help you become successful leaders both inside and outside of the classroom. Plus, you get to laugh at Maria…

Summer’s coming and with it bring lazy days at the beach, dangling legs over wood-planked piers, spitting watermelon seeds over juice-soaked paper plates and (hopefully) applying and reapplying sun screen across sun-kissed, not sun-baked, skin. Summer is also a time for reconnecting with family over barbeques, working to pay for next semester’s books or tuition, or even adventuring to a new location. Wherever your summer takes you, I hope you allow yourself time to recoup, recharge and reflect how you can reinvent your high school, college or grad school experience. Here are some tips to help you out!

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10 powerful words to say to your boss

By Nancy Barry
Speaker and Author of When Reality Hits: What Employers Want Recent College Graduates to Know

At a recent speaking engagement, a young professional asked me a really great question. “What is the best way to develop a great working relationship with my boss?”

It is a question every employee should be asking! Before I tell you what my answer was, let me share a piece of advice with you. Your number one goal should be to make your manager look good. The quicker you figure that out the better off you’ll be! When you’re the boss, won’t you want a team of people who make you look good? Always remember, when the boss looks good, you look good.

So, what’s the best way to develop a great working relationship with your boss? Every now and then, walk into their office and say these 10 powerful words, “What can I do to make your life easier today?”

When I was in the corporate world, I had an incredible team. When they would ask what they could do to help me, there were times I was so covered up with projects for my bosses I couldn’t stop long enough to think about what they could take off my plate. But I always loved that they offered to help.

Ask your manager what you can do to help. If she doesn’t give you something right away, it’s not because she doesn’t need or want your help. When she comes up for air, she’ll think about how you can make her life easier. In the meantime, she’ll be thrilled you proactively offered to help her and it will be a great way to start building a wonderful relationship.

~ Nancy Barry, Recent College Graduate Expert, Campus Calm

The facts about metabolic training

Recently there has been quite a bit of talk about metabolic training and the effectiveness it has on your body. While metabolic conditioning may be an effective form of training your body, it may push the envelope on effectiveness and safety, if not done correctly.

Metabolic conditioning includes consistent movement with, or without resistance. The intensity varies according to the individuals fitness level. What might be metabolic for one, may be recovery for the other. Itʼs important that a progression is used in each instance, and that a knowledgeable fitness professional is guiding you along the way. The goal is to perform as many good quality repetitions as possible, without incorporating momentum, or using weight that is too heavy for you to control.

The concept of metabolic conditioning has been around for many years, but the newest trends have people confused about what exercises should be performed, how challenging the movements should be in order to be effective, and what “props” should be utilized.

First, recognize that with any program you should be under the guidance of a knowledgeable fitness professional. They should know what your personal goals are, as well as your strengths, current weaknesses, and injuries. There is no one size fits all program that should be applied for everyone. Each persons fitness level is unique, and your body is different every day, so varying the intensity of the exercise, and the weight or resistance of your props is required. Also recognize that this isnʼt about how many poorly performed movements you can do, just to complete your workout. This is about maximizing your potential, with the highest quality exercise you can do for each rep. In other words just like in Yoga, or Pilates, there must be a mind/body connection to reach your true potential, and ultimate goal. There is no need for bizarre props or enormous weights, to get a great workout within a short period of time, but your routines will be much more challenging than walking on a treadmill at 4.5, adding in some light lunges, or biceps curl with minimal weight.

To give you an idea of how to plan your metabolic workout take the following components into consideration, cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. Each of these components should be addressed throughout your program. When creating your program first you need to recognize your overall workout goals and remember that each set should contain functional movements for your upper and lower body, core, and cardiovascular function.

Try the following moves in your routine:
Squat with a biceps curl to overhead press. The squat incorporates your legs, back, and core. It increases your heart rate, and challenges your entire body. Upon standing perform a biceps curl, and then transition to an overhead press. Make sure each movement is performed with precision, and use a weight that is challenging, but doable.

Reverse Lunge with rotation. As you lunge back, youʼre challenging your balance, using your core to stabilize your body, increasing your heart rate with every movement, and of course working your legs. Add a twist of your torso, and this rotation works your obliques.

Amy Lademann-Fitness Expert Campus Calm
Founder-Beyond Motion
For more information please contact Amy at info@go2beyondmotion.com

Are your friends costing you money?

When I was in college, it was tempting to go out with friends to restaurants and bars. But, as important as it is to maintain a budget to figure out what you can afford, it is important to surround yourself with friends who don’t pressure you to spend more than you can afford. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals can be important to staying within your budget. It’s tough enough already to fit in and have a good time without also worrying about whether or not you can afford it.

I remember when friends would invite me to go to expensive restaurants and fancy bars where dinner could cost $20-30 and drinks would cost $10/each – a sum that can easily add up over a few nights. Instead, I would hang out with friends who would rent a movie at home, have potlucks and parties with food from the grocery store, and other methods of having fun in cost-efficient manners.

When considering your financial situation, ask yourself whether you are hanging out with the right group of people who are supportive of hanging out in low-cost manners. If not, surround yourself with friends who don’t pressure you into spending more than you can afford. Beyond having fun, ask yourself if you are around people who are ok with the way you dress and the things you own. Beyond finances where you buy designer clothes and high priced things to fit in, surrounding yourself with friends who are supportive of you is extremely important. If not, ask yourself if you need to find yourself a different set of friends to associate with.

~ Monte Malhotra, Student Investment Expert, Campus Calm