Since school has resumed in Jan., there is a daily exodus of students that journey to the Harold J. Callais Recreation Center to get their daily workout with a towel and the wrong intentions.
Spring break is weighing down heavily on everyone’s mind and self esteem. Most students are much more concerned with their appearance in a bikini or the size of their biceps in a tank top, instead of what actually matters in regard to heath and wellness. Skinny and buff do not necessarily correlate to a healthy lifestyle. If someone strives to get fit, they should focus on their dietary intake.
Considering the average Nicholls student is 20-something years old, we should be concerned with the dangers of breast, lung and prostate cancer. Also, heart disease is a leading killer in our country and particularly in the “deep-fried” south.  
The average gym-goer is exercising to look good in that first Instagram beach selfie, not to lower the risk of heart disease.
This narcissism creates a problem when the fall weather returns late next year because the same iron-pumping, treadmill-running enthusiasts will no longer be working out. I assume the majority of the aforementioned caravan is heading to the rec center because they are attempting to fulfill their most recent New Year’s resolution. I am not a gambling man, but I bet some of those resolutions will end quicker than the Kardashian-Humphries marriage.
As a result, gyms nationwide become ghost towns. The machines are nothing more than obsolete bulks of metal that collect dust.
College students are much more aware of measuring protein scoops than cholesterol levels. Typically, the same gym rats that bench-press and eat salad all spring in preparation for beach season are the first to be spotted chain-smoking and funneling beers. If you are one of the pseudo-fitness extraordinaires, please be aware you are not doing your body any good by doing an extra set of curls if you pound down some Brewskies a few hours later.
I would be lying if I said that I did not want to look good naked. Naturally, everyone wants to be fit and beautiful and there is nothing wrong with that. However, do not be naïve and think bulging muscles and a flat stomach epitomize health despite how appealing they look. Beauty and wellness are two separate entities, although today’s culture has slowly blurred that distinction.
Sure, some people working out during this time of year are in the gym for the right reasons. Exercising is the impetus of healthy living but should not be used as a way to sculpt your body to attract drunken members of the opposite sex on a beach for a week.
You should love your body no matter what, for it is the only one you that you will be given unless these are drastic advances in the world of biological science. However, be mindful that every decision you make, every cigarette you smoke and every late-night Taco Bell expedition influences your overall health.
Having the slimmest waistline on the beach this year for spring break will not be beneficial years down the road if you do not educate yourself on the importance of living and eating healthy.