Health Issues

So why is the Fraternity concerned about your health? Well, that's easy. A fraternity is still about brotherhood, and a concern about the physical well-being of our member is one of the basic aspects of brotherhood.

Also, as anyone who has ever been sick can tell you, without your health, you are not going to get too much done, especially working on The KEY or any other fraternity repsonsibilities. When you add the fact that colleges are a prime epicenter for illness, you have to ask the question, "How can the health of our member not be a concern for the Fraternity?" With this in mind, follow these principles and consult a physician before beginning any exercise program or taking any food supplement:

Know Thyself

• Take some time and answer the Health Questionnaire. Do you know your health history? How about your body composition, or body's performance level? Also, make sure that you are checking in with a physician regularly to check you blood pressure, cholesterol level, etc.

Stay Hydrated

• Simply stated, more than 75% of your body is made up of water. Any imbalance or deficit in water can have adverse affects on your body. For example, simple dehydration can allow the mucous membranes in your throat and nose, which catch debris, bacteria, and viruses before they can infect you, to dry up. If this happens, your body will be at a higher risk of catching all those colds and flus which invade college campuses. Dehydration results from inadequate replacement of lost body fluids. It will decrease your efficiency in doing even the simplest task, and it will increase your susceptibility to severe shock if you are injured. Proper health hinges on proper hydration of your body. Read more about water and other health concerns here.

You Are What You Eat

• Ever hear of the four basic food groups? Throw out that idea and start thinking about the food pyramid. Learn about it and other food concerns here.

Learn about the essentials

• There is a recommended daily allowance for vitamins and minerals. You should know what this is and if your diet includes them all. If not, you may want to look at taking vitamin supplements or a multi-vitamin.

Get Some Exercise

• Aerobic exercise is any repetitive activity that you do long enough and hard enough to challenge your heart and lungs. To get this effect, you generally need to use your big muscles, including your butt, legs, back and chest. Walking, bicycling, swimming and stair climbing count as aerobic exercise. If you hopped up and down on one foot long enough and hard enough, I suppose that wouldd be aerobic, too, though why you would want to do that is beyond me. Learn about what you should be doing here.

Start Lifting Weights

• Maybe you've never considered yourself the weight-lifting type. Maybe you suspect the size of one's muscles is inversely proportional to the size of one's brain. However, there is plenty of good, solid evidence that strength training will transform you into a healthier human being. Read about why here.