Fitness: Staying Fit in College Vol. 1

Maintaining a Healthy Life Style 

Lets face it.. maintaining a healthy life style in college is one of the toughest things to do. As a college student I look at 40 hr work weeks just in attending classes, studying, and doing my homework. That is on top of the my 40 hr a week work schedule! This often times doesn't leave much time for self care and nutrition. It becomes easy to just go to the quickest food place we see just out of convenience. Making trips to the grocery store becomes tougher to do as the semester progresses. College is a very fun time in our lives, but it can also be one of the toughest from a health and fitness standpoint. According to the cdc 23% of young people between the ages of 18-24 are obese! This is completely unavoidable. It all comes down to the choices we make.

Here are some healthy habits that I have found to be helpful during this college time. These tips will keep you healthy, looking great, and performing well in school. 

1) Fitness

According to the cdc the average adult needs at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of exercise a week. As college students we often find a hard time justifying spending time at the gym when we have a paper due the next day. Just keep in mind that taking care of you is important too! Many colleges have a Rec center that either offers very low rates for enrolled college students or that includes the Rec center in the student fee's. This is great because a lot of the rec centers are on campus. You can just keep some spare running shoes and athletic wear in your locker and go in between classes at your convenience. One of my favorite things to do is meet up with my gal pals at the gym and work it out. That way we would get our socialization and fitness in for the day!

2) Groupon 

Its good to change it up sometimes with fitness. My friends and I troll Groupon sometimes looking for  good deals for yoga, zumba, spinning,and crossfit classes.This provides for some new fitinspiration! Places like Corepower offer lowered student rates on yoga classes. It is always a good idea to shop around and look into various studios. Make sure to ask if they offer lowered student rates for their classes!

3) Plan it out

Tasks like going to the grocery store and packing a lunch can be very daunting for a college student. Especially the drastic changes from moving from home to a college dorm or apartment for the first time! Fear not and have a plan! I always make a  grocery list of all the items I need and plan out my meals ahead of time. I have this neat little calendar where I write down what I'm cooking,and what ingredients  I need. I shop on a specific day of the week and have my little list handy! As difficult as it is sometimes to drag myself out of bed at 5:00 in the morning to get my meals packed, it is so beneficial in the long run! I save lots of money and keep myself away from the terrible cafeteria options ( Mc Donald's yuck!), and have brain food to keep me powered through the rest of the day. Through planning it out I can budget, make good food choices, and keep my tummy happy. 

4) Hydration 

This is something I cannot stress enough! Our bodies are made of 70% water and often times we do not drink enough water to support that. It is a good idea to buy a water bottle  a B.P.A. free one would be great if you could swing it. Target has some great Camelback ones that would be easy to put in a purse or backpack! This way the earth is happy (less plastic water bottles yay!) and your hydrated. Best part... There are water fountains all over campus to refill your water bottle. In the long run saving you lots of money from having to purchase water.Keeping hydrated helps you have more energy, helps to keep your immune system up, and keeps you from overeating! WIN WIN& WIN

5) Portion Friendly 

As tempting as it is to get a second portion of carbs at dinner it might be a good idea to wait 15 minutes before you do. As college students your body needs the best, varied, and nutritious fuel you can get. The cdc has a great little refresher on the basic food groups and how much of what you should be consuming a day. The lovely LC Team visually illustrated portion sizes in an easy and fun way to understand. 
Be wary of beverages! As good as the rush from a Grande Camel Frappuccino may be  up to 400 calories! Be wary of different beverages. Hydration is important but water is the best choice for hydration.  

There are so many different ways to approach health and fitness. Only you can decide whats right for you. Change doesn't have to be drastic it could be as simple as purchasing a water-bottle to drink more water,  to inquire at your school's rec center what its requirements are, or keeping spare gym shoes at your locker to encourage you to go to the gym more often. 

As a college student myself I am interested in learning more about staying fit. What are some ways you like to stay fit and healthy? 

Join me next week on next Fitness Friday for tips 6-10 !
As always thanks for reading.. 

XOXO,
Zelda

Confessions of a College Senior Nerd!

Senior year : how the heck did that occur? While most of us picture the average Senior college student traveling for graduate school or job interviews. Taking last minute courses such as Yoga, Pilate's and "Underwater basket weaving". Well the truth is that is one big fat LIE.
The truth is Senior year at a college level is not like that at all. If you are anything like me you have left the toughest courses for the very last semester. You are currently swamped, overwhelmed, and consistently tired.

This semester has truly been the mother of all semester's. I am consistently arguing with my professors over one point just to have that dream G.P.A so I am able to get into the medical program of my choice. When I am not watching Pretty Little Liars on the treadmill and reading for my class the next day you can find me in the Library defending my two white boards full of chemical reaction's  by the window's from all the other nerdy kids who want them. 
Meanwhile all you carry with you is that anxiety in your heart with questioning all your choices you have made from day 1:  Will I graduate? Am I making the wrong choices? Did I choose the right internships?
The worst questions Will I able to get a good job with my chosen degree? Will I get into the graduate school's of my choice?

Be warned, I do not intend to scare anyone away, but I am being realistic. Now don't get me wrong, I do have day dreams about my perfect graduation dress, and my graduation photo's, and parties. In the mean time I just feel imminent doom until I march down that stage anxiously waiting to receive my hard earned degree's (there's 2).  The funniest thing is in my mind once I have that piece of paper in one hand I fantasize about the dream life I lope to have.. If only I had my B.S in Biology I could become a lead researcher at NIST in Boulder and buy that cute Mountain Home, wearing only Free People, and being able to binge on yoga because I can finally afford it. I was just telling my Fiancee about how if I had a job at NIST I could pay off my student loans and buy the most adorable of vintage cars. I am sure once I get there it won't be as I imagined but I cant help but be excited for all that is to come.