~Making Fitness Fun~

College—where we experience freedom and take on new responsibilities, where we learn how to fully enjoy life. However, college is also where we discover the difficulties of time management, retaining relationships, and, unfortunately, maintaining our health.

It is essential for students to maintain our health, not just for medical reasons, but because it is a crucial component to our livelihood. Having an unbalanced lifestyle—eating an unbalanced diet or not moving regularly—will decrease your body’s and cerebral performance. Eating foods high in sugar and low in essential nutrients, such as junk food, will cause your body to suddenly drop in blood sugar levels, causing you to feel lethargic. Lethargic feelings will, consequently, lead you to becoming inactive, which will lead to an unhealthy, unbalanced lifestyle. (Find out more at http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/fast-food-nutrition-junk-foods-effect-on-your-body.html#b)

Not only will foods loaded with nutrients increase energy levels and bodily performance, but they will also maintain brain functions as you age. These foods, often referred to as “super” foods, such as blueberries and nuts, should be included into your daily diet. (Find out more at http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eat-smart-healthier-brain) Along with these “super” foods, a balanced diet of foods rich in nutrients, consisting of mostly carbohydrates and proteins, provides you with a sufficient amount of energy to last you through the day.

~Freshman 15~

The countless stories of the undesirable weight gain that became all too real for many of us students in our first year of college. We commit ourselves to finding ways in eliminating our unwanted pounds, ranging from extreme diets to strict lifestyle regiments. But…none of these really work, maybe for a few days or weeks; depending on how committed we are to the dramatic lifestyle change. Yet, if the world is continuously revolutionizing, if people are continuously evolving, if trends are continuously changing from one fad to another, then why force ourselves to stick with just ONE health regiment?

~Spice It Up~

            Our bodies aren’t meant for routine dieting and exercising suggested by other sources on the Internet—all of our bodies are different, and all of our interests are different. In order to lose weight and adopt a healthier lifestyle, you need to first consider what you do enjoy. What types of foods do you find delectable? What activities do you enjoy engaging in (identify more than one!)?

            Once you know your personal preferences, build your health regiment around them. If you like dancing, go dance! There are numerous places where you can dance: Zumba classes, clubs, in your room, anywhere you feel the need to dance! If you don’t enjoy doing a lot of strenuous exercises, walk to places, the grocery store, down the beach, hiking trails, to your friend’s house. If you enjoy the crunchiness of chips, substitute it with the crunchiness of a variety of nuts. With the addition of dried fruits, the trail mix of nuts and dried fruits becomes a healthy, sweet and salty substitution to chips. Instead of French fries, cook potatoes in different ways: baked, sautéed, or mashed (add spices to add flavor).

There are endless healthier and delicious substitutions to the foods that are harming our body, and exercising wouldn’t be so bad if we were active in the activities we enjoyed.

~No Excuses~

Money Should Not Be An Excuse!

You don’t need to invest money in order to workout. For college students, most schools provide a Student Recreational Center for its students where students can exercise for free—take advantage of this! The Student Rec. Center provides a variety of opportunities for students to be active, such as a weights room, cardio room, Zumba classes, and other specialized classes—and all of this is for free! So, there shouldn’t be any financial excuses for not working out.

                                                                                                 (California State University Fullerton Student Recreational Center)

            Those of you who do not have this opportunity or prefer being outdoors, the world is your gym. Utilize the jungle gyms at the local park, run to the beach, swim in the ocean or a pool, or even bike around the city. There are endless opportunities in the world for exercise—you just have to get up, go out, and be active in the things you love.

CSUFitness Team