By Evan Pliego
With college right around the corner for seniors, the idea of being independent and on your own can be pretty stressful. College can be (and for many people will be) a busy and congested time in your life. Juggling hobbies, classes, homework, friends, and even a job can seem impossible. So, how does one try and stay fit during those hectic times?
To start off, establish a good diet during your first year; experiment a little with your options. Try and follow the path of a balanced diet and getting a good amount of protein, carbs, vegetables, and fruits. Explore your options. Are you still at home? Do you have to buy your own food? Can you get food from a cafeteria? Do you have roommates that are willing to pitch in on food? All of these should be considered and figured out; talk with the people around you and get some advice from upperclassmen. A decent balanced diet is a good stepping stone to staying fit. You don’t need to follow an extremely strict diet 24/7, but keeping a good baseline is important. Make sure to also account for how much you should be eating depending on if you want to lose weight, gain weight, or just “stay fit”. Eating ONLY fast food and junk food can not only be bad for you, but also expensive.
Exercise is obviously important to stay fit as well, but it can be a time consuming activity, so where do you fit it in your schedule? To stay fit and active you don’t need to work out for an hour every single day. (Though, if you can, then you should!) Doing a decent 30~ minute bodyweight or low weight workout around 3-4~ times a week is a great start to keeping fit and active. These workouts can consist of varying forms of push ups, squats, planks, sit ups, flutter kicks, calf raises, and more. These are all great and simple exercises to stay fit. Doing these workouts before bed is a good way to get in the habit, help you sleep, and keep you from trying to squeeze in workouts in between classes and work, but do them wherever you see fit! It should only take a month or so of repeating this process for it to become a good habit. If you have a hard time getting into a habit, try adding exercises into simple tasks. For example, do 10 push ups between video game matches, or 15 squats during ad breaks while watching TV.
Cardio is also important when staying fit. Jump rope is a great and cheap way to burn some calories, and, according to some research, jump roping can burn up to 25% more calories than running. Even incorporating walks into your weekly routine is a good addition, like walking to the store instead of driving, or taking the scenic route with some friends in between classes.
Working out and staying fit during college doesn’t need to be a terrible and time consuming activity in your life. It can instead be a simple, benefiting, and healthy habit that your body will thank you for in your future.
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