Everyone's heard of the Freshman
15, that little extra pudge people seem to come home with after being off at
college and being responsible for their own health and well-being. It can be
tricky to stay in shape and keep you body running at 100% with the craziness of
classes, homework, meetings, and everything else going on in your new college
life. Here's a couple things to keep in mind this semester so you don't get an F in health.
1. Keep priorities straight
YES
you are here to get a great education, and you will, but you have to keep
yourself healthy to get the most out of your days. If you are coming down with
the flu, sleep deprived, mal-nourished, or stressed all the time, it will be
hard to concentrate and keep yourself motivated and thinking positive. From
there it's a slippery slope to Lazyville :(
Keeping
yourself healthy doesn't have to take extra energy, just a little prioritizing.
Keeping a good balance of exercise, sleep, and nutritious food in your crazy
schedule will pay off when you have the energy to do your best. Take care of
yourself first, and then you'll be able to take care of everything that comes
your way.
2. To get a gym pass, or to pass
on the gym?
Speaking
as someone who did a semester without a gym membership, and one with it, I'd
say it's worth the extra money. My first fall semester I figured I would just
run outside to keep in shape, which I did, until it got cold and gross outside.
My roommate practically lived at the gym, so I gave it a shot spring semester
and definitely got my money's worth. Some friends and I went to a lot of the
classes together (kickboxing, and calorie killer were our favorites) , and it
was nice to be able to go de-stress at the gym whenever I wanted no matter what
it was like outside.
P.S. the best hours to go are
early morning when it's not crowded!
3. Hit the gym while you hit the
books
Sometimes
people get a gym pass and then hardly end up using it because they have too
much work to do and not enough time in a day. Well guess what, you can study
and work out at the same time! My roommate and I would often read for chem
while on the stationary bikes, or go through flashcards while we did the
treadmill or other cardio equipment. When my body is focused on pedaling or
running, my mind can focus on what I'm studying so I don't get as distracted,
and end up getting a work out too. It doesnt work for everyone; Some people
would rather just dedicate a certain time every day to exercise, and that's
great too! But if you are a multi-tasker or can't stay focused at the library,
try this. Everyone else at the gym is in the zone and getting something
accomplished, so you will feel motivated to do the same.
4. Take advantage of the nice
weather
As
you may have heard, the nice weather won't last forever around here in PA :( So
while it's still nice (and especially at the beginning of the year when you're
not swamped with work yet) get out and explore! My favorite way of getting to
know my way around campus and downtown was to go running, but you can walk
around with the roommate and explore the
Arboretum and the woods/trails behind it too before the cold sets in. You may
find some really cool places, and get exercise while you're at it!
5. Walk to class
This
goes along with the previous tip. Penn State is a big, beautiful campus... use
it to your advantage! Even if your class is all the way across campus, it
probably won't take more than 15-20 mins to walk depending on your pace, which
really isn't that bad. Leave a few minutes early and enjoy the walk, solo or
with a friend; getting fresh air always cleared my head before or after a rough
class or quiz. Some days I would walk almost 5 miles without even realizing it.
Save the CATA busses for a rainy day; you can walk to Thomas or Hammond faster
than the bus gets there anyway!
6. All You Can Eat ≠ Eat All You Can
The
dining commons at PSU are buffet style, but beware of overfilling your tray
just because you can. I liked going to the commons with a group of friends
because it was a good way to see each other, I don't like eating alone in my
room, and it felt more like family dinners back home. You spend more time catching
up with people you care about than wondering if you really want to go get a
third helping of soft serve and a West Cookie for the road... It's better to
keep some snacks around for late nights and long days than it is to stuff
yourself at the commons anyway.
7. There's an App for that
If
you've got a SmartPhone, hit up the App Store to help you keep yourself
healthy. Here are my recommendations (all free of course): Dining@PSU has the menus for all the commons, and calories for each
thing being served that day. Speaking of which, if you count calories, use Lose-It to list out whatever you've
eaten that day, it can be surprising!
When you want to burn off some creamery ice cream, use iRunner or Run+ to keep
track of how much you have run or walked. The CATA app shows where all the busses are so you know if it's worth
waiting 15 mins for the next blue loop, or if you should just walk. And at the
end of the day, SleepTime monitors
your sleep so you know how much good rest you're really getting and will wake
you up when you are in light sleep mode so you're not as groggy.
