WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2008
News
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
23
Summertime Pool Floaties
Summertime and pools go hand-in-hand. But when venturing out to your favorite aquatic lounge, it's
often difficult to decide which pool floatie to bring. A bad decision could leave you drowning.Here are the top 5 pool floatation devices.
5.
The
Classic
Noodle
The
most
compact of the five. Its smaller dimensions can crunch into any back seat. It also requires no assembly. Don't plan on getting too far out of the water, though.
Sitting on this will only land your head above water line.
than comfortable after 30 minutes. Keep in mind, users of this chair are highly recommended to dip the chair
4. The Doughnut
in water before getting on. Pool-goers are looking for sunburns, not plastic burns.
Whereas pools of water can collect on all plastic floaties and turn pockets of water into oil hot tubs, the net chair allows a filtering of pool water. The pool chair is not awkward to get in and out of. You also have the opportunity to get an even tan, well on your front side at least.
1. The Net Lounge
To order your floatie of choice I suggest these sites:
www.intheswim.com
www.poolrafts.com
— Christine D'Amico
Fitness: Stretch for daily health
Melissa Caywood, physical therapist at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that stretching was beneficial before doing any sort of physical activity, such as gardening, washing a car or other recreational activities.
"Stretching increases blood flow, increases length and maintains your mobility," Caywood said.
Chances are, if you camped out at the Wakarusa festival, you didn't get in a good workout. However, no matter where you are or how little time you have, you can do an exercises that improves your body's health every day: stretch.
"I tell my patients to stretch in the morning after they get out of bed" Whitlock said. "They usually feel better afterward."
Angela Whitlock, physical therapy assistant at Therapy Works PA, 1112 W. 6th St., said stretching kept your muscles elongated so joints don't get stiff, which could limit your range of motion. Even if you're not exercising, Whitlock said stretching was good for your body because it keeps the body's muscles and joints from tightening up and becoming sore.
was extremely important before and after the workout to decrease the risk of injury.
If you are able to get in a good workout, Whitlock said stretching
"If you stretch with the exercises you do it will help decrease the risk of tearing the muscles," she said. "If you exercise with tight muscles, you could really hurt yourself."
Deepa Sampat/KANSAN
Deepa Sampat
A true classic, even used by my own grandmother in her family "pond." While the rubber tire has been traded for a more colorful plastic creation, the doughnut is great if you want to feel like you're standing in the pool. It also makes a great conversation-starter for why you are sunburned from the shoulders up only.
Kaitlyn Weatherford, Coppell, Texas, senior, stretches after she exercises. "I don't want my muscles to get stiff or cramped," she said.
Music: Architects need to rebuild
Since the mid-'90s, the Architects have made albums fans love and ventured on tour on a bus of rock and soul. It's only gotten better as they continue to pump out albums. But this recent album, released this year, fell off the bus of rock, soul and possibly thrill.
The Phillip brothers, three of the four band members, don't bring much to the table in the album "Vice." The songs have a similar sounds in the first few tracks, "Cold Hard Fact," "Hard Times" and "Continental." After the first three tracks I expected to hear the same opening sound, and I wasn't disappointed.
In songs "Pills" and "Drop in the Bottle," the lyrics and hooks were catchy and could surely get a crowd hyped, but those were the only songs I liked.
3. The Inflatable Lounge
In the slower songs like "Oklahoma," the lyrics and music were just as boring as the title.
Overall, this album was quite boring. The production was boring and the songs lacked energy that they are known for. In the words of Architect's song "Pills," "This isn't what I asked for, this is what I get."
If your lungs are up for the battle, this "bed" takes the pool chair from the concrete to the pool. It is more of a struggle to get onto, especially if your body has been thoroughly dowsed in tanning oil, but it provides entertainment for fellow pool-goers to see you struggle into a comfortable position.
For Christine Peterson, Topeka senior, the inflatable lounge is her top choice for summer pool going.
Brieun Scott
"I like floaties that don't sink too far into the water," Christine said.
2. The Inflatable Chair
My favorite feature of the chair is the cup holder. Finally there is an end to the awkward paddle to the shore for a refreshment. However, its posture-perfect form was less