Name: Salih Özçelik
Department: Chemistry
How often do you exercise?
Four days per week.
How has regular exercise affected your life?
I changed my daily diet to get more benefit from what I do in the gym. This affected both my mental and physical health, because I try not to eat sugar-based and fatty foods, which affect people’s physical health very negatively. Secondly, exercising regularly helped me to manage my body, because when I exercise in the gym, I have to focus on my exercises to do them properly. Otherwise, it can be dangerous. For example, if I lift a dumbbell at the wrong angle, I can hurt my arms or my shoulders, so I need to control my body during exercise. And I haven’t even mentioned the self-confidence part yet. It feels amazing. When I look in the mirror, I feel more proud of myself and become even more motivated.
What do you suggest to those who are just taking up a sport or starting to exercise?
If they want to begin exercising, they need to find out how to work more efficiently, because exercise takes a fair amount of time. Thanks to Bilkent’s assignment policies, most students’ lives are hectic and they can’t create enough time to take care of themselves. Therefore, they need a well thought-out exercise schedule. Additionally, they should be aware of what kinds of food they need to eat before and after exercising, because what they eat plays an enormous role in their physical development. Finally, they should consult a trainer to develop an appropriate program. They can find trainers at the Bilkent University sports centers.
What are the first three things that come to mind when you hear the word “sports”?
Perseverance, determination and Lionel Messi.
Which Bilkent sports facilities (Sports Halls, playing fields, tennis courts, etc.) do you use?
I usually use the gym, the tennis courts and the basketball courts. I’ve taken three tennis courses at Bilkent.