Rachel’s Blog

  Exercise and the Brain     So I've just started this 8-week class and it's a kinesiology class. This is the book we've been assigned to read for the class and take notes, etc. So far I have learned that exercise affects more than the body's health. A video we watched about Naperville Central High School and they had proved that with mid-high intense workout everyday for 30 minutes improved the students grades. They had done a test for math and science and were one of the top ranked schools for best scores. Then another school that had students who were failing and not participating began participating in putting their students through more exercise, and then the students were able to focus in class and also began to become more motivated. Also, Naperville Central High School's students were fitter and had fewer obese students than the population's average.      I never actually thought about how exercise could affect the brain so drastically. I knew ...

  Fall and Why I Love It     I've always been a "spring girly" not too cold, but not too hot. Honestly, fall has turned into one of my favorite seasons. It is not too hot, but not too cold. I love how the sunsets are easier to see now that the sun goes down earlier and how the leaves change. Recently, the leaves have changed but there are always a couple trees on certain blocks that are a little more "matured" in their leaf change than the others. I love how these trees stand out, their fiery orange leaves next to the green ones in front of a bright blue sky. It's really amazing. Also another thing that has happened recently is that the fall weather has been very skewed. Some days it almost reaches 80 degrees while others barely reach 50 degrees. I think these differences in temperatures are funny because once I "get used" to the colder weather, it's hot again. I like it when it's cooler especially since I'm naturally warm but I like to...

  Self-care and what it is     A lot of people are advocates for self-care. I never realized it but there are so many ways to do self-care. Many say they don't have time or know what to do. But honestly, so many small things in people's lives are self-care and they aren't aware of it. I wasn't aware that I did self-care because sometimes it just feels routine. But anytime you're consciously thinking about yourself and putting time into your self whether that's health, looks, personality, school, or athletics, it is self-care. I had a meeting with one of my coaches and she had asked me if I put time aside for myself. At that moment I didn't think that I did. I felt busy and overwhelmed with school just starting and then lacrosse. I thought to myself for a moment after she asked me this question. I replied back to her that I wash my face and have a little skin routine that I do. I never realized that this part of my routine was self-care. I felt like I just di...

       Rainbow Falls     I feel like everyone had those memories or certain fixations from their childhood. These remind me a lot of the movie "Inside Out" and how the main character Riley has her core memories. These memories usually shape you as a person. But, these memories I'll write about aren't that important .  Some of my fixations I don't think shaped me into who I am. But, they're just very vivid memories that I still have retained since I was five to ten years old. I think what I find so interesting about these memories is the fact I still remember them. So, what makes them so important that I remember them? I'm really not sure... the brain works in amazing ways and keeps the most "random" memories. What if they're not random at all?     On a warm summer day, my mom took my older sister, Jocelyn, my older friend Amber, and me to a water park called Rainbow Falls. This park was my favorite water park at the time. They had a lazy rive...