So obviously college is a time of new life changes that I was personally ready and not ready for at the same time. I was expecting to not get enough sleep and I was expecting a lot of stress. I was even expecting to eat more unhealthy food than I usually do. But what I wasn’t expecting was how much of a toll this would take on my body. I definitely gained more weight than I wanted to but it was hard to start exercising regularly in the middle of the semester.
I obviously don’t want to gain the freshmen 15 again during my second year. In addition, there are many benefits to exercise that improves productivity and learning. I been using the summer to get fit and try to build up exercise habits that will carry on to next semester. So here a some of the habits that I have been doing over the summer.
- Waking up early and going to the gym
- Whenever I go to the gym, I tend to feel a little bit insecure going to the gym because there are always so many guys (and some girls) who know how to use the equipment and knows what they are doing.
- So I found that going to the gym in the morning (if I don’t have morning classes), is nice because there is not that many people there and I feel less insecure. In addition, I feel great afterword and feel ready to study and take on the day.
- Doing cardio and weights
- I used to go only on the elliptical because I was always just focused on losing weight. However going to the elliptical gets really boring especially if there is nothing good on the TV. So I try to do weights to change up my fitness routine.
- This makes working out more fun and more rewarding afterword.
- Getting 7 hours of sleep
- Obviously during college, getting 7 hours of sleep can be difficult. But sleeping honestly helps me stay alert, aware and happy throughout the day.
- Eating more fruits/vegetables and protein
- My diet usually consists of cereal for breakfast, rice for lunch and dinner, and some random thing in the kitchen for snack. But lately I have been trying to eat much more vegetables and fruits for all my meals and some protein for energy. And surprisingly I have not been getting hungry. Ever since I started this, I have been feeling very fresh and healthy.
- Listening to body
- Your diet is so important to your mental and physical health. It’s important to fuel your body and mind with the right products to live healthy, to be productive and to feel happy.
- Personally, my body doesn’t digest carbs or gluten very well which is the main reason why I started eating more fruits and vegetables. I also found that when I start eating a lot of junk food, I have been feeling very ‘gross’ the next day. The sugar makes me feel happy in the moment but not overall.
- So when I am presented with options either at the dining hall, students centers, or stores, I try to remember this when I want to avoid the tempting ice cream and cookies and pizza.
While it’s unrealistic to do everything when the school year begins I definitely want to be healthier and stay fit during next semester. It is important to treat your body right because it can have a major effect on your emotions, your work, and obviously your health. So try to hit the gym every once in awhile and try to makes healthier choices for yourself.
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