Squash Away the Calories

As spring peeks around the corner, you may begin noticing extra pounds you'd like to shed as warmer months approach. Fortunately, there's an old sport gaining new steam that will take you off the human hamster wheel: The calorie-burning game called squash.

If you've ever visited the Reily Student Recreation Center, you're probably familiar with the game of racquetball played behind the glass doors on the first floor, but an endorsement from Lance Query, the 2011 senior wellness ambassador for the TUWellness program, has put the competitive cousin of racquetball back on the map.

“Squash is to racquetball as chess is to checkers,” explains Query, the dean of libraries and academic information resources at Tulane, who admits a bias for his all-time favorite game of 20 years.

Although the sports look similar to the untrained eye, Query says that the two games are actually very different. For starters, the racquets and balls used in each are different sizes. There also are different markings on the floor of the enclosed courts for each game and the rules for each are (you guessed it) different.

If you want to pump up your workout routine, Query says squash is the game you want to try. All you'll need is a pair of protective glasses (those balls move at warp speed), a partner, a pair of non-marring sneakers, gym clothes and a racquet and ball, which can be checked out at no charge from the Reily Center front desk.

Psssst… Just so that you don't look silly when you try this out for the first time, I should tell you that all the courts on the first floor of the Reily Center are reserved for racquetball enthusiasts. The court located on the second floor next door to the spinning room is marked for squash.

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