A Simple Guide to a Healthier Life

As a college student, living a healthy lifestyle isn’t as hard as some may think. We all get caught up in the mix of long nights, busy days filled with stress and managing a social life.

There are many excuses for students not to live a healthy lifestyle but there are also plenty of reasons why some do.

Not only does eating healthy and exercising make you feel better physically but it will boost your mentality as well.

As I was browsing online, I came across this article, 13 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise.
The article provided great insight on why being active is so important for living a happy and healthy life.

From my own experience, I have made a list of what you can do to stay healthy both mentally and physically.

1. Get enough sleep:

  • 7-9 hours is the average for college students

2. Manage your time wisely:

  • Make a to-do-list at the beginning of each day

  • Create a routine for each week to get homework done

  • Find your most productive time of the day (ex. morning vs. night)

3. Exercise:

  • Choose days during the week to go to the gym (or on a run, a hike, etc.)

  • Incorporate different workouts weekly (run, bike, weights, yoga, etc.)
Healthy Eating
Enjoy a meal at TBar! A fusion bowl filled with greens, brown rice and tofu. A delightful lunch filled with nutrients.
Photo Credit: Natalie Norris

4. Eat healthy:

  • Create a meal plan every week

  • Have 3-4 servings of fruits & veggies a day

  • Avoid snacking at night

  • Never skip breakfast: most important meal of the day

  • Always stay hydrated (8 glasses per day)

Of course, we all have those days when we don’t feel like doing anything but lounge on the couch.

Though these days are wonderful because everyone needs a break once in a while, consider doing yoga to relieve some stress. It is a great way to relax and be active at the same time.

There will always be alternatives to meals and workouts, all you have to do is make sure you find what will work best for you.

Check out Lauren Conrad’s blog for useful workout tips and simple, nutritious meals!

Snapping Back Into School Mode

As we creep into September, it becomes evident that summer is coming to an end and fall semester is in full effect. Considering it is the second week of school, we should all be in school mode, right? Well, not exactly. In case you aren’t completely prepared for what lies ahead, I have a few tips to help you get there. It can be easy if you do it right. In fact, it can be kind of fun.

Make time to eat!

After a summer of spoiling yourself with delicious homemade food and restaurant meals, it can be hard to stock your own fridge again, let alone make meals. With schedules jam-packed with classes throughout the day, it can be hard to even find time to eat.

Here are some tips:

1. Try to buy snacks and small meals that are easy to bring to school or work. Vegetables, fruit, crackers, Trail mix, salads and small sandwiches are all great foods that you can grab-and-go.

2. If you are on campus all day, try using Wildcat Dollars to purchase food! By clicking here, you can add money to your student ID card and use it at any of the campus food stations.  They carry items such as fruit, sandwiches, salads, snacks, drinks and much more.  It is a quick and easy way to fill yourself up.

wildcat-dollars

Find time to exercise

With a busy schedule, adding exercise into your daily routine can seem like a tough challenge.  Even though exercising can be a drag, especially when you’re tired, it can be a great way to de-stress, clear your mind and remain healthy. Here are several ways to get a workout in during the week.

1. Attend classes at the WREC Center:

The WREC Center is open every day of the week and offers over a dozen group exercise classes.  Each class ranges from 30 minutes to an hour and focuses on various aspects of the body.  A list of class descriptions can be found in the WREC section of the Associated Students website.  Make sure to check out the schedule to see which classes best fit your busy day.

2. Try exercising at home:

If you can’t make it to the gym, try simple exercises that you can do in a few minutes at home. I use the Nike Training Club app.  It serves as my personal trainer that is available at my convenience.  I can choose workouts that meet my needs, listen to audio instructions, track workout results and share workouts with friends.   The workout section of Pinterest has great workout routines as well.

nikeapp

Stay Organized & use apps!?

School calls for serious organization skills. Having a planner is the first step to organization. However, sometimes organization doesn’t seem like enough. Here are two apps that I have found extremely helpful.

1.Snap2PDF: I love this app. You can take pictures of anything, handouts, a page in a textbook, etc. and turn it into a PDF that you can then email to yourself. You can also create multipage documents that you can convert into one PDF instead of having a bunch of separate ones.

2. IStudiezPro: This app is great because it is tailored toward students and you can use it to manage your classes.  The app allows you up upload your entire schedule and then add individual assignments and notes into each class section.  It is a great way to stay organized and ensure you don’t miss assignments.