Staying Healthy on Campus

The “freshman fifteen” can sometimes be the scariest part of college for some students.  I was really active in high school and love to workout, so exercising wasn’t too difficult for me.  However, I definitely have the biggest sweet tooth and really love basically any unhealthy food, so that was my struggle.  For students who don’t enjoy working out, it can be difficult to find time or just the motivation to exercise.  And with the thousands of options at the dining halls, it’s so easy to sit for 2 hours with your friends and go back for seconds and thirds and fourths.  However, use this advice for staying healthy on campus when there are so many temptations for the alternative.

Get outside when you can.  Running on the treadmill or using the elliptical or bike for 30 minutes every single day can definitely get boring.  I love to run, and even I can get really bored with the gym machines.  If you want to run, definitely get outside and run a loop around campus or downtown.  Of course, this only works when it’s warm outside, which is only for a couple months out of the year.  The gyms on campus provide maps with running/walking loops and their distances.  It’s a good way to switch up your workout, and it will definitely keep your interest more than staying in one place on a treadmill.  When it’s cold outside and running on campus just isn’t an option, go to the gym when your favorite TV show is on.  Most machines have TVs, and watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy or Fresh Prince of Bel Air (a nice throwback) while you workout will definitely help pass the time.

Don’t be afraid of the weights.  I know, it’s intimidating when all the guys are lifting and you don’t want to be that one girl that’s over there pumping iron.  Get a group of your friends to go and it won’t be as scary.  At the intramural fitness center, there are weights upstairs too with all of the cardio equipment, and there is a good mix between girls and guys.  Using weights still gives you a great workout, and it’s a nice break from cardio, so definitely look up some exercises and try it!  Plus, who doesn’t want to show off their muscles?  GIRL POWER.

Play intramural sports.  It’s fun and you can do it with all of your friends.  It’s even a great way to meet new people!  If you played sports in high school, it’s a great way to continue to play them at a not-so-intense-level.  Even if you’re not the best at the sport, it’s still so much fun to just get out there and try it.  There’s an intramural team for basically any sport you can think of, so there’s bound to be something you find fun!

Have will power at the dining halls.  Trust me, there are so many options at the dining hall that you’ll be tempted to try one of everything.  DON’T.  You’ll soon realize that you’re eating WAY more than you did at home, which is totally unnecessary.  Plus, if you go to the gym right before dinner, everything will look 10 times more appetizing and it will be 10 times harder to resist (this was always my issue).  There’s an app that you can get for your phone that will have the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu for each dining hall.  My advice is to look at the menu ahead of time and pick out a few things you’re going to get and only go to those lines.  It will help you to avoid going into every line and getting more food than you actually need.  If you keep your portion sizes in check, staying healthy will be that much easier.

Don’t get dessert every night.  Cookies in the West dining hall could seriously be the death of you.  They’re so soft and warm and delicious (my mouth is watering just thinking about them) but you don’t need one every day.  Treat yourself every once in a while and they will taste that much better when you do get to have them.  The same goes for ice cream.  Passing up Creamery ice cream in the dining hall takes some serious will power, but trust me ladies YOU CAN DO IT.

Try not to snack too much and/or stress-eat.  When you have an exam coming up and you’re really nervous and stressed out, sometimes all you want is a half galloon of ice cream or a chocolate cake or a candy bar to make you feel better.  Trust me, I’ve been there, and like I said before, I have probably the biggest sweet tooth EVER.  But don’t give in, especially when you’re up late studying.  If you have to, lock away your snacks or have your roommate hide them for you (I’ll admit I’ve done both of these).  When you’re stressed out, you tend to not be as conscious of what and how much you’re eating, and avoiding this behavior can really help you to stay healthy.

If you make exercising fun and really be aware of what you’re eating, staying healthy will be a breeze.  And before you know it, you will have conquered the “freshman fifteen.”   

Christina Cianciarulo is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!