
NARP Life: Staying Fit at Dartmouth
As a non-varsity athlete – lovingly dubbed a NARP (non-athletic regular person) – I don't have an 8 am lift session, nor do I commit basically all of my extra hours to a sport. As a result, for us NARPs, those extra hours can frequently get filled with Foco cookies and naps. So, to help us maintain our glorious high school bods while enjoying all of the extra cookies and naps we desire, Dartmouth offers a slew of options to get in some exercise.
These are things I personally do to stay healthy at Dartmouth (there are many more, but there are only so many hours in a day):
- No. 1
Sports Clubs!
Joining the Dartmouth College Fencing Club has been a highlight of my college experience. I've already listed why in this previous post. My training has kept me on a fixed schedule to anchor my life around, and it's kept me with a set fitness goal to do well at competitions.
Club sports are a great way to not only get fit on campus, but also get more involved in campus community.
- No. 2
Attend Fitness Classes
(Pictured) Post workout facemasking with my roommate!
Since fencing is less consistent and demanding in the summer, I signed up for two fitness classes to fill the gap (and finish my PE credits!) — zumba toning and spinning. I've been attending these classes for an hour Monday-Friday for four weeks now, and I feel so energetic that I've actually reduced my coffee intake. I've found them to be pretty challenging workouts (in a good way), and they've also been a great way to meet new people.
These are also just a couple of the classes offered by Dartmouth, you can also sign up for sailing, kayaking, hiking, yoga, rock climbing, etc., and also go on DOC hikes and other adventures with friends on free weekends.
- No. 3
Take Food Pics
I love taking aesthetic food photos so much that I have a food Instagram entirely dedicated to the art. But this hobby actually began because I took photos of all of my meals as a way to prevent myself from overeating. Over time, I thought that if I was gonna take so many photos of my food, I might as well make them look good. Taking food pics has been one of the most effective ways for me to control my food consumption and avoid the freshman fifteen. It's also allowed me to contribute photos of beautiful food to the world!