By Nykolas Psychoyos

It’s about that time of the year again, when mid-semester vacation rolls around to drive the masses of spent minds to the beaches. Of course, we’re talking about spring break 2010.

For some, it becomes a time to relax and to reflect upon the semester’s material. For others, it serves as a period to make some money and save up for the rest of the semester’s spending. And for others, it becomes the vanity driven beach scene where all gather to admire other people’s chiseled appeal.

For these people, their preparation for the college holiday ahead has already begun. Many have been working on their spring break bodies since Christmas. For men, the arms and chest portion of the body becomes a concern that is dealt with immediately with some heavy weight lifting. And for women, strenuous cardio for toning and definition becomes a daily ritual.

Everyone has already seen most of these people practicing their daily exercise regiment. Be careful to not be drawn to do the same vigorous exercises as them. Everyone’s body is different.

Leave the heavy lifting to the Olympians at the gym; their bodies have been worked on since birth. Others need to start out light and slowly rise to “Schwarzeneggerdom.”

This may take a long time so just be patient. Sometimes others see results sooner, so just stay calm.

Now ladies, cardio is important, but probably not as important as you think. Running, skating, and cycling are all great. However, keep in mind that as calories are being burned as a person’s legs are being exercised the rest of the body might feel left out.

Try to get involved in a beach sport, like volleyball. Volleyball is practically a spring break tradition. Aside from being a great way to make friends, volleyball is a series of endurance exercises. Serving the ball requires a certain amount of arm strength that is  acquire over time and practice. There still is a fair amount of cardio involved, and I believe that it’s more intense because of the sand.

You may feel a bit hesitant to try it but after you do, it turns into great fun with a healthy side effect. These are only two suggestions for you, but there are many more great workouts floating around out there. Engage yourself to try new things this spring break.