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
