Staying Healthy on Campus

Sometimes college can get very stressful, and instead of spending hours at the gym you’re spending them at the library. Although staying fit while maintaining a very busy academic schedule and a social life can be difficult, it is not impossible.

Because of this huge change in lifestyle from highschool to college, for many the freshman fifteen is a real thing, and if you’re not careful it’ll turn into the senior thirty. A study by Two researchers from the Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine proved that there is a significant decrease in physical activity when starting college, especially if you move to a new city for university.

Staying healthy will help you sleep better, increase your immune system, improve your cognitive function, reduce stress and make you feel better in general. Basically, why wouldn’t you want to exercise? There are very many simple ways that you can stay fit while on campus without even going to the gym.

  1. Walk Or Bike To Class: One of the easiest ways to stay active is to walk or bike across campus. While the college buses may be fast and convenient, try to leave a few minutes early to walk to class instead. This provides you with a little bit more exercise everyday without even breaking a sweat.
  2. Join A Sport: Join an intramural sports team that interests you to help keep you active a little bit every week. If you were big into sports in high school, this is a great way to continue that. You’ll be too busy enjoying the sport and being apart of a team that you won’t even realise it’s helped you to stay in shape the whole time!
  3. Fitness Class For Credit: What’s better than getting fit while getting college credit for it? Most colleges will require you to have a physical education credit before graduating, so why not take advantage of it sooner rather than later? These classes help to guarantee that you get a workout in at least on those scheduled days.
  4. Watch What You Eat: Splurging every meal can be easy when you have an unlimited meal plan to every dining hall. Take the initiative to limit yourself on the amount of sweets and carbs you eat a day as these really help you to master the freshman 15 if you so choose to do.

Now, if you finish your studies early and decide to actually hit the gym, there are many opportunities available to you while you’re there. Most universities offer a wide range of fitness classes for little or no charge. Find a schedule and choose a class that you enjoy such as spinning, kickboxing, or aerobics. Grab a friend or two, turn up the jams, and have some fun!

While going to the gym, especially alone, can be very intimidating, don’t be afraid to explore different machines and try different exercises. Confidence is key, so don’t be afraid to ask someone for help or try something new. You gotta fake it till you make it, and odds are, others are doing the exact same.

Whatever exercise you end up doing, from running to yoga, just make sure you do something!

Staying active on campus is not hard to do, it just takes a little determination as well as some time and effort. Anything is possible as long as you set your mind to it!

Check out our other content