With so many basketball courts here on campus and recent editions to State Gym, pickup basketball games have become much more popular, said Tianna Allen, personal trainer at ISU.

“Before there was hardly anyone here in Beyer area, but now basketball has become so popular that even the Beyer courts, which are a little bit older, have started to be used more,” Allen said. 

When getting students to do cardio, the goal is to do it every single day, Allen said.

“In basketball, theres always stop and go’s which is like the best cardio workout for a lot of people.You’ll get the amount of cardio you need, and if someone is bigger you’ll definitely get a physical workout in,” said Ronel Parayno, freshmen in pre-business.

Parayno said with a family history of heart problems, engaging in a high intensity workout such as basketball is his way to maintain proper health.

“It’s very important to get people to engage in physical activities that they enjoy, and basketball is definitely one of the top enjoyment activities,” Allen said. 

Allen said people want to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, which should be divided into approximately 30 to 60 minutes of exercises most days of the week.

“If you’re doing vigorous intensity exercises instead of moderate, you can drop your time of exercise down to 75 minutes per week, according to ACSM [American College of Sports Medicine] guidelines,” Allen said. 

When students jump into these high intensity activities that require a high level of coordination, movement and even cardio respiratory fitness, they should start slow and ‘build up’ to that level, Allen said. 

“Maybe we start by going to the gym and doing something a little bit more moderate for thirty minutes, and then we build up to engaging in a little bit more high intensity,” Allen said. 

Once a base line cardio and further developed coordination are established, a person can jump into a more intense game, but should start at their own level, Allen said. 

“When I first got here I wasn’t as in shape, but when you play more, you clearly get better at it in all aspects, including endurance.” said Alex Short, sophomore in aerospace engineering.

Competition can provide a social foundation that helps motivate somebody to achieve new sets of goals and push themselves a little bit harder, Allen said. 

“It definitely relieves stress when you come out here and play a competitive sport,” Short said. “Unlike running or anything like that where it’s just yourself that’s pushing you.”

Allen said pickup games can be a mood booster and even just a stress reliever, especially this time of the year with dead week and finals coming up.

“Getting a little bit of physical activity even in the form of basketball can be a great way to reduce that stress and keep a higher mental sense of well being,” Allen said.

Allen said the No. 1 cause in death is sedentary lifestyle, which is having no or irregular physical activity.

“This is above smoking. It’s above obesity. It’s above any other cause of disease,” Allen said. “Getting out and getting active is highly important. It doesn’t have to be basketball, but it can be any sport.”

Staying fit is a lifestyle. Everyone needs to find how it can work into their life in their own individualized way, Allen said. If it’s something he or she doesn’t like, chances are it won’t work into the individuals day. 

“If they don’t enjoy the physical activity that their selecting, they’re not going to do it, period,” Allen said. 

Short said that pickup games are a fun way to clear your mind and get a work out in at the same time.

“It’s fun to play in the first place, and coming out with people gets you motivated to get out here and workout,” Short said.