College can be a really tricky time for people. You have more freedom than high school, which can leave you with more free time. You have more studying to do than ever. You have a social life that keeps growing the more people you meet. Working out usually falls to the bottom of your to do list when you see all the tasks on your plate. If you truly want to stay fit and feel good when in college, you can make it happen! Read more to learn a few tips on how to stay fit while in college.
Walk to Class
Depending on how far away and the timing of your classes, walking can be a fabulous option to keep you active. Sometimes you don’t have the time to workout because of how chaotic your class schedule is, but walking to your classes can become your workout! For example, my first classes are in a building that’s 1 mile away from where I live. I leave about 30 minutes in advance so I have 10 minutes to find a seat, maybe use the restroom, and get settled for class. After these classes I have another class that’s 0.6 miles further from where I live, so I walk to that class as well. Once all my classes are done I walk back home, which is now 1.6 miles away. The whole journey of getting to my classes and back home racked up 3.2 miles. That’s a whole workout when you think about it! If you’re running late and didn’t leave yourself enough time to walk, then walk when you can. This should allow you flexibility within your schedule and you’ll feel like you’re multitasking because you’re working out while getting to class!
Take the Stairs
If your classes are held in large buildings that have an elevator, consider choosing the stairs instead! I know this might sound silly because you may only walk up one flight of stairs to get to class, but that’s one more flight of stairs to help you stick to your goals. If you’re walking up and down a flight of stairs everyday to get to class, imagine how much flights that adds up to at the end of each semester or year! This can also help you build some leg strength and balance. Don’t underestimate the stairs!
Find a Schedule for Meals
College is full of chaotic schedules and activities that might throw your diet off schedule. The timing of meals is thrown off and you don’t have school stopping for lunch, so you need to find time in your schedule to eat. Eating an odd times in the day can cause you to miss meals, which later on may cause you to snack on less healthy choices. When you don’t have a consistent eating schedule, your body struggles to give accurate hunger cues. You might miss a meal, but later on eat a family sized bag of pretzels instead. Missing meals often leads to over-snacking, which is way less nutritious. Meals contain protein, carbs, and fats which are the nutrients that your body needs. If you are reaching for a snack, consider choosing something more nutritious.
Snack Wisely
College is often when people reach for snacks because of missed meals or because they’re the cheapest and easiest option. This is a time where you might choose the cheaper food option over something more expensive. It becomes real when you feel like a broke college student surviving off of ramen noodles. This can make it difficult to choose healthy food when a lot of the options are a bit more expensive. Consider purchasing a few fruits, vegetables, or protein snacks along with some of your less nutritious food. When you feel like having a snack, grab a fruit or vegetable before you dig into a popcorn or pretzel bag. This will help you realize your hunger levels and potentially choose a meal instead of a snack or realize that you’re not really hungry but snacking out of boredom. You don’t need to only eat fruits and vegetables when grabbing a snack, but being conscious of what you’re eating will help you make smarter decisions.
These 4 tips are simple and allow you to not be overwhelmed with choosing healthier options everyday in college. Some tips might be the basic idea of “just workout and eat healthy”, but that’s not truly realistic. College is chaotic and you’re trying to find a work life balance. Sometimes healthy options fall through the cracks because you have other things to get done. These tips are created on the basis that small changes and choices everyday lead to an attainable healthy lifestyle. There are plenty more tips out there to stay fit while in college, but these 4 tips can be used right now to reach your fitness goals!
