Being in a demanding po­sition can be stressful, and when there are people de­pending on you, taking per­sonal time to maintain your well-being might be the first thing cut from a full sched­ule.

For the busiest person on campus, University of Sas­katchewan President Peter Stoicheff, there is no com­promise. Prioritizing regular physical activity each day allows him to be mentally present to oversee campus operations.

“I actually notice it up here more than anything,” Stoi­cheff said, pointing to his head. “And really, to be the right person for 26,000 stu­dents and everybody else, you have to be in a good frame of mind.”

He makes full use of the Physical Activity Complex and carves time out to go almost every day. As he sees it, having his office located about 100 yards away from the PAC leaves him no excuse not to go for a run.

“I’ve always been really, re­ally active. I would say two things: it allows me to drink a lot of beer,” Stoicheff said with a laugh. “And the other thing is that it is really good for my mental health.”

Whether it is going for a run, using the row machine or lifting weights, Stoicheff does a variety of activities, but enjoys the treadmill the most.

Being regimented, he fits it into his day by always add­ing it into his calendar. Even though his regular schedule is interrupted when he travels to represent the university, he manages to find a way re­gardless by using hotel gyms.

Another tip he has is mak­ing his workout plan easy enough that he cannot talk himself out of it. If the weath­er is nice, he will do a run on the campus paths.

Just as people need to eat, they need physical activity, Stoicheff says. Re-thinking it in this way means that it be­comes almost non-negotiable to sacrifice the crunches when crunched for time.

Carving out time for your­self is important; whether your preferred way to main­tain your mental health is physical activity or social activity, finding what helps you thrive is something that should come first for all stu­dents, faculty and staff.

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Nykole King | Editor-in-Chief

Graphic: Shawna Langer | Graphics Editor