Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle at School

“Good luck at Penn State, and good luck avoiding the freshman fifteen!”  If your summer before freshman year of college is anything like mine was, this is something that I heard over and over again. I thought, ‘I sure hope this doesn’t happen to me!’  But after listening to everyone repeat the same thing all summer, gaining weight my freshman year of college seemed inevitable.

Well, I am here to tell you that it is not.  Penn State has many options to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle at college and maintain a healthy weight.  In particular, I am going to give you the low-down about how to stay physically fit and burn those extra calories you might eat in the dining hall (Creamery ice cream was my downfall!) during your time at school.  Mental, physical and emotional health are all equally important.  Exercising has been proven to have positive effects on all aspects of health.  Making healthy choices in the dining halls along with a little exercise can do a world of good.  One of the biggest benefits that exercising gives me at school is a chance to relieve my stress from homework, exams.

The first and most obvious option is to get a gym membership.  If you are new to working out and are not sure if the treadmill and elliptical will be the thing for you, then you can just choose to purchase a semester membership instead of an entire year.  The membership is not free, but is relatively affordable. Penn state has two main fitness center/gyms on campus with cardio equipment, basketball courts, and weights: the Rec and the White Building. The IM building is in the course of being remodeled, and will also be a nice option once it is finished.  https://fitnessmembership.psu.edu/cgi-bin/fitness.exe/launch/FitnessMembership

If you are not the best at self-motivation, then it would be in your best interest to try to find a workout buddy.  A workout buddy will help you keep the commitment to exercise instead of saying, “I’m a little tired, I will just go tomorrow.” Another great option that you can do with or without a friend is a fitness class.  Penn State has a very wide variety of classes ranging in intensity, cardio, lifting, and fun.  I regularly attend the cycling classes and boot camp.  Yoga, pilates, zumba, and calorie killer are a few more popular fitness classes on campus.  To get a complete list you can go to http://www.athletics.psu.edu/fitness/classes.html.

Aside from the fitness centers, intramural sports are a great opportunity to play a sport with your friends and have a good time.  Every fall my friends and I get a co-ed flag football team together and have a blast. To check out all of the IM sports that are offered you can go to http://www.athletics.psu.edu/recsports/.  Right now only summer sports are listed, but this link will be updated once fall semester begins!

Last but certainly not least, there are numerous club sports at Penn State.  Some of the clubs are pretty competitive and can be a time commitment, and others are just for fun.  Field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, cross country, and salsa dancing are just a few of the many (yes, I consider dance a sport!).  Be sure to visit the involvement fair during the first week of school to explore your options and check out the website below for a list of club sports! Club sports are a great way to stay active and meet new people at the same time! http://www.athletics.psu.edu/recreation/csindex.asp

Aside from regularly planned fitness classes and team practices, always be on the look-out for great 5K opportunities such as the THON 5K! I am confident that with all that Penn State has to offer, you will find something that will work for you so that you can stay active and healthy!

Emily Clark is a junior in Chemical Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13!  To read more about Emily visit her WEPO Profile: http://raindancer45.wix.com/ladyengineers#!emily-clark/c1arv