YOUTH ARE AWESOMEA PROGRAM OF YOUTH CENTRAL

Exercise three days a week, and feel like a boss. This year, you’re going to be the one with a healthy body and a blissful mind. And, of course, envious abs. If you’re short on time, but still want the most out of every workout, this is tailor-made for you. Without a doubt, it’s going to be intense and thrilling. Grab a water bottle, and let’s get going.

Oh, push-ups, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.

Although many of us hate them, we can’t deny their effectiveness. I’m not telling you drop down, and give me one hundred. We’re going to start off with a set of thirty reps every day, and then by the third week, increase that to two sets daily. If you can do more, by all means, you’re welcome to. If you’re not there yet, you can always perform modified pushups instead. What’s so great about pushups is that any level of exerciser can perform them. Work slightly out of your comfort zone and pace yourself, but pay attention to your form, and listen to your body! I can’t repeat this enough times: form, form, form.

1, 2, 3, GO!

Easy, eh? Our next exercise is the front squat. Challenging, yet fun, an enticing combination that pushes us to do more than just 30 reps. Get moving!

To keep it interesting, we’re going to stay away from the treadmill and the elliptical. Bicycle crunches are my absolute favorite. We’re zooming in on all of our abdominal muscles, and strengthening our core. Your rectus abdominus, your external oblique, and surprisingly even the rectus femoris in the upper thigh are engaged. The pain will make you fully aware that the bicycle crunch is ten exercises in one. Nonetheless, believe me, the results are phenomenal. You’ll be thanking me later.

Already done? I bet you didn’t feel anything. Remember to stay hydrated!

Image

If you Google the term “gender roles”, here’s what you will find.

A gender role is a set of societal norms dictating the types of behaviors which are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their actual or perceived sex or sexuality.

Wikipedia

Take a moment to think about one of those old, black and white films — you know, the ones where the husband comes home from work with a briefcase, to find the wife cooking and taking care of the children. For years, this is what was considered socially acceptable for women. This is what women were expected to do.

To many, discrimination by gender is considered nonexistent. Sure, the stereotype of the wife who cooks and cleans has changed a lot, but gender roles still play a huge role in society. They’re still very much present in today’s day and age.

No, I’m not “another angry feminist” (also, feminists have a reason to be angry. But that’s a topic for a different post). Let me tell you that gender roles don’t only exist for women. Men are affected by it, too.

Think about this for a second. Women can easily walk outside wearing jeans and a shirt: apparel that was once considered mens wear. But would a man wearing a skirt be socially accepted?

I won’t even answer that one for you.

And before you dismiss the idea as silly and unrealistic, look at these pictures of men rocking skirts.

Why do gender roles still play a role in our day and age? Why are people expected to act a certain way because of a biological factor?

We need to start raising boys and girls the same way. We need to stop associating minuscule things like colour to a gender. Let people be who they want to be!

University.

It’s the next step for many of us after primary and secondary school. University is the goal for many of us. I finally reached it, after many years, along with millions of other students this year and the years before. This period can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time.  During high school there were days that I couldn’t have waited to get out of those four walls. Then there are some days like today, where I asked myself will I be able to do it, what if I’m not cut out for it? I still tend to have panic attacks occasionally about going to university, although it’s starting in three weeks.

I can’t speak for everyone but I have been looking forward to university, a lot. Especially “freshers” week where everyone gets to meet everyone and have a good time all week. I think going into university, this big transition shouldn’t be worried about, rather celebrated! We’ve made it this far, we don’t have much further to go, its just more school and then our jobs and thats all we need to see right now. I think if we look too much into the future, we won’t be able to enjoy what we have now and what we have coming for us in university — the learning, the fun, the parties,  the mistakes we are yet to make, we must look forward to those most of all. We finally get to learn what we wish to, subjects we always have enjoyed and loved, I think that is the biggest reward of all.

It’s intense — what happens in the one year and summer that passes by without us realizing before one of the biggest chapters of our lives. In between maintaining our averages, or upgrading our skills, filling out applications, planning for dances, and sorting the how and where you’re going to live for university, with the anxiety of waiting for the admissions letters and celebrating graduation at the same time studying for the immediate exams, it flies by. Most of my friends this summer spent their time with friends, going to new places, to festivals, just on adventures, and having fun getting lost in the moment. But I spent the summer job hunting, upgrading courses, seeing old friends, celebrating new ones and volunteering for the last time with the Calgary Humane Society.

I guess what I’m trying to say with this article that seems to be all over the place, is take a breather.  I know plenty of you are heading to university, many different ones in a few weeks, so what I am trying to say is just take a breath. Just take the breath and celebrate and just try to enjoy this in between stage where we have no impending homework, or due dates for projects or big exams as scary as diplomas. I think it’s important to right now even if you’re working, or buying stuff or moving in, just take a breather and enjoy it. Because from what I hear, this is the last time we get for just kicking back and relaxing without much stress or any for some.