In order to stay in shape, Loyola athletes put a high priority on maintaining a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise.

Psychology senior and women’s basketball team member Amy Sprout said she works out five to six days a week, focusing on cardio and lower body exercises.

“As a basketball player, cardio is extremely important. We also do a lot of agility and plyometric work like lunges, lunge jumps, squat jumps, hurdle workouts, etc. to help with jumping and leg strength,” Sprout said.

According to Sprout, the team weight trains three times a week, especially during preseason. Sprout said that some of the most consistently used moves include bench presses, dumbbell squats, seated rows and lateral pull-downs.

Sprout said she sticks to a healthy diet by eating plenty of protein, avoiding fried foods, and choosing to snack healthily in between meals.

“Apples and peanut butter are my favorite,” Sprout said.

Working out is something that Sprout said has become part of her everyday life.

“Just like anything else, health and fitness is about the habits you form, and I’ve just made the effort to make them part of my daily routine,” Sprout said.

Philosophy senior Royce Stuteville is a member of the intramural football team Goon Squad. Stuteville said that one of his reasons for working out is his father.

“He’s been able to face aging well due to his fitness,” Stuteville said.

Another reason for working out, according to Stuteville, is to avoid long-term injury.

“I haven’t had any serious health problems, but I know what it’s like to have aches and pains, and staying physically fit is one way to help ensure I won’t have chronic pain or injury,” Stuteville said.

Stuteville said that he likes to incorporate sports into his workout while also focusing on cardio and weight training.

“I enjoy playing football and basketball for a workout with the occasional run,” Stuteville said.

Stuteville said that while weight training, he prefers to select a lower weight with more repetitions. To maintain his arm strength, Stuteville said he turns to push ups.

According to Stuteville, he tries to maintain a diet rich in protein from sources like chicken, tilapia, pork shoulder and turkey. He said he loads up on carbs almost everyday, which he tries to get from whole grains.

“I love pasta and couscous,” Stuteville said. “I also try to eat an apple a day.”

Caitlin Spieker can be reached at [email protected]