The college years are some of the most exciting times in every man’s or woman’s life. New academic surroundings, new people, and gaining new knowledge are nice and all. But if you are not careful, you are in serious danger of sidetracking your level of fitness. A busy schedule can easily result in less time for exercising. You’ll need to find innovative ways to stay on top of fitness in college. We offer the following 6 helpful tips.
Traverse the campus on foot
College campuses are usually quite large in size. Sometimes covering several thousands of acres. Although you might have access to public transport, or perhaps you own a car, a healthier alternative is to travel campus on foot. Since you’ll need to go from one building to another, don’t opt to get into a vehicle, but perhaps walk instead. In addition, wherever you see an elevator, it’s always a good option to choose the stairs instead.
A salad is a great meal
Ordering pizza kind of belongs to the whole college folklore. Now you don’t necessarily have to ditch fast food altogether, but you should look for healthier alternatives as often as possible. You don’t want to graduate with an extra 20 kilos after your freshman year. Your diet must feature an abundance of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Don’t forget, you have the option to combine healthy food with your favorite dishes like mac and cheese. After all, you are in college.
Learn to multitask
In college, your days will seem like they become shorter, and you feel like you are lacking enough time to complete all academic tasks, and have time to party at night. That’s why multitasking is basically a must.
When it comes to working out, keep in mind that you can listen to anything you want while running through the park or on a treadmill. In most cases, people listen to music but you can record audio lessons and play them while you jog. Strangely enough but physical activity will actually help you focus better on learning.
Plenty of running partners
Life is easier in pairs, and in college, you’ll have an endless pool of people you can exercise and run with. Whether it’s your roommate or people you take classes with, you are bound to find another running addict to go for a jog with.
When you find your running partner, you two can meet up, plan out what days work best in your schedules, then agree on times that will work consistently for both of you. If you are short on running gear, there are plenty of online websites like Walk Jog Run to help you find the ideal pair of running shoes. After other students see your determination, you might even be able to soon form a running party.
Adopting a healthier lifestyle in general
A good bodybuilder will tell you that muscle growth is 1/3 dieting right and exercising and 2/3 sleeping long enough. This means that the actual time you exercise during the day is not as important as other factors, seemingly unimportant.
Make sure you go to bed as early as possible, even if you have extracurricular activities; they can wait until the morning. We’ve already mentioned that eating healthy is important, which includes going easy on sweets and sugary drinks. Basically, think about what your mother would advise you and actually start listening to her.
Snacking smart
You are going to spend hours learning for countless exams so you’ll feel famished all the time. Instead of reaching for a bag of Doritos or similar unhealthy snack, opt for more health-conscious food options. You can eat an apple or eat a handful of nuts (almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, etc.). These snacks will make you full without running the risk of increasing your body weight in unhealthy ways.
Getting a university education is an excellent move in life, just make sure it doesn’t turn into a health hazard by not taking the time to exercise enough. Remember, dieting right and sleeping 8 hours a day are more important than the physical activity itself.
For more great college tips, check out the other blogs on College Basics.
