We all know that exercise is good for our bodies, but did you know about the brain benefits of regular exercise? Doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity workouts 3-5 times a week as a way to ensure optimum cardiovascular health, and you know that you feel better when you’re getting your body in motion.
In addition, you might use exercise as a way to tone or build muscle, increase strength, flexibility, coordination, and endurance, lose weight, or even address the symptoms of chronic illness (like pain or arthritis).
Depending on the type of activity you choose, you could gain a wide variety of physical benefits from your exercise routine. But for college students enmeshed in their studies, the pursuit of physical perfection can be a hard sell.
Luckily, exercise also provides plenty of advantages on the mental front, as well. And for students seeking ways to boost brain power, the brain benefits of regular exercise could be a major boon.
There is still a big misconception that a healthy diet – and a healthy lifestyle – is expensive. For many, buying organic food, high-end supplements, and maintaining a gym membership is not always an option. Students in particular often struggle with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, despite the fact that students diet healthy on a budget all over the world.
Students tend to stay up late and engage in activities that are not necessarily good for the body and mind. The same problems are seen among online students, especially since they have more freedom with their time.
Whether you’re pursuing your bachelor’s degree or taking an online degree while working a full-time job, these healthy diet tips will help you maintain a healthy body on a budget.
College can be an amazing time for young adults, but it can also be extremely stressful. Instead of turning to healthier solutions for stress like exercising and eating well, most college students resort to negative coping habits. These habits typically involve drinking alcohol, choosing greasier and more calorie-dense meals, and neglecting physical exercise altogether. These factors combined explain why 70% of students gain weight during college. This phenomenon commonly referred to as the ‘Freshman 15’ is very real. When the Freshman 15 sets in, it becomes harder to stay healthy in college, so best to squash that 15 before it accumulates.
If you want to be the exception and stay fit throughout college, here are seven effortless ways to incorporate healthy habits into your student routine.
Students have different talents and passions. As much as getting good grades is concerned, some students are gifted in other sports. Are you as a college student aspiring to become the best athlete?
As a college student you might scoff at the mere mention of any kind of physical fitness routine.
With all the studying, late night cramming sessions, paper writing and exams, you might find it difficult to even walk to the other end of your apartment or dorm. However, physical fitness is crucial in college, because research shows that it will better regulate your sleeping habits, help you retain more information for studying and even give you more energy.
As a college student you might scoff at first, but as soon as you start experiencing the benefits you will realize what you’ve been missing all those groggy mornings and afternoons where all you want to do is crash.
With time and experience you’ll learn that the things you end up getting done are the ones you assign priority to. While you can certainly say that health and fitness are priorities, the truth is that actions speak louder than words. And if you’re sleeping all morning, attending class in the afternoon, and then partying all night with your friends, it’s pretty clear where your priorities lie. That said, it’s never too late to start putting your money where your mouth is, so to speak.
Freshman 15
If you’re upset about the freshman fifteen you’ve packed on, not to mention the fact that you battle fatigue, anxiety, a lack of focus, and other obstacles related to your poor diet and nonexistent exercise regimen, then perhaps you’re ready to make your health and fitness a priority so that you can get back to looking and feeling your best. For most college students this won’t be easy, but with a few tips and tricks up your sleeve you can definitely reach your health and fitness goals.
Kinesiology is ostensibly the study of human movement, but there’s a lot more to it than looking at variations in gait or the way people tilt their heads. In fact, kinesiology, as a science, tends to be far more concerned with how an in-depth knowledge of movement, including the interdependent roles of physiology, psychology, and body mechanics, pertains to the study of human health, including applications for physical therapy, rehabilitation, and orthopedics, just to name a few areas of potential benefit.
So why might someone be interested in obtaining such a degree? And how can you go about getting one that is the most likely to net you your dream job?
Here are a few pointers to help you obtain the degree in kinesiology that’s right for you.
If you’ve ever wondered just what it is that makes humans function the way they do, what keeps our bodies and minds up and running, then you might take a shine to the academic field of physiology, which is basically the study of living systems.
Human physiology, in particular, focuses on the physical, mechanical, biological, and chemical makeup of the human body, including cells, organs, and the body as a whole. You might think this sounds an awful lot like anatomy, and truly the two fields are closely related in that they both study the human body.
Whereas anatomy is largely concerned with the form of the human body, including how all the parts are laid out and interconnected, physiology is more interested in the function of these parts and how they work together in a living organism. Most medical fields require the study of both, but if you’re a lot more interested in the function than the form of humans, a degree in physiology is what you’re looking for.
Set the Tone for a Healthy Lifestyle During and After College
When it comes to health and fitness, many college students are too wrapped up in the demands of their academic pursuits to pay much attention. Even those that have been athletic in the past or are currently members of sports teams on campus might neglect their nutrition when they’re in a rush to get to class or they’re cramming for a test.
In case you hadn’t heard, unless you are practicing Intermittent Fasting, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The reason for this is that it sets the tone for your metabolism, your satiety, and your level of energy throughout the rest of the day.
What you eat (and how you go about eating it) could have a major impact on your overall health and vitality. Keep in mind on test day, that your brain operates on carbs. Having some fruit and oatmeal before a big exam is scientifically the best way to exam prep.
As you can see from the picture of the girl on the right, breakfast does a college body good.
Here are just a few breakfast dos and don’ts to observe in college if you want to optimize health and fitness during your time on campus. Practice these tips now, and you will be more likely to carry them through the rest of your life.
If you’re interested in studying the effects of exercise on the body, including how people respond and adapt to the physical strain of exercise, as well as the role different types of physical activity may play in harming or helping the body, then a degree in exercise science, sometimes known as exercise physiology, may be just what you’re looking for.
Certification or Degree?
Many folks intending to get in to the physical fitness field, opt to get certified or licensed instead of acquiring a college degree. While a personal trainer or sports nutrition certification will give you a strong background in that particular field, most of those classes are either online or studied from home, and do not garner the same kind of respect in the industry as a college degree.
In fact, a master’s degree will give you the best education and will put you on the fast-track to the top in your chosen field.
I recently told you how to make time for fitness in college, but still the majority of college students are not overly concerned about their weight, at least not when they first enter the vaunted halls of learning. And it’s really not that surprising considering that young adults tend to enjoy a speedy metabolism.
Unfortunately, the high stress, lack of sleep, and unpredictable eating habits of college students can quickly wreak havoc with an otherwise healthy and functional metabolism, leading to the dreaded freshman fifteen. And when you’re studying abroad, the unfamiliar surroundings and generally overwhelming experience could make it difficult to devise a plan for improved fitness.
However, it’s not so hard to stay in shape, and college kids are bound to bounce back more quickly than older adults. So if you happen to be suffering from this all-too-common issue, here are a few tips to help you stay in shape during your time on campus, even if you’re in another country.
Most students suffer not only from a lack of disposable income during their time in college, but they are also decidedly short on time. Some can chalk it up to bad time management skills, but for others, attending classes, studying, and holding down a part- or even full-time job makes it nearly impossible to find a few spare moments in any given day to sleep, eat, join clubs, or socialize.
For this reason, it can be difficult to stick to a fitness routine, as well. But four years of poor eating habits and a lack of exercise can turn the freshman fifteen into a much more significant weight gain, leaving students unhealthy, unhappy, and ultimately worse for the wear.
So if you are a student that wants to maximize energy, focus and retention, and overall fitness levels, here are just a few ways to make a little room in your busy schedule to squeeze in some exercise.
You might think that the notorious freshman fifteen is nothing more than a fairy tale, but consider for a moment the contributing factors. For one thing, most college students are away from home (and the watchful gaze of mom and dad) for the first time in their lives. And without parents around to make sure you’re getting three square meals a day, you might fall into bad habits like scarfing pizza and burgers at the cafeteria for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, skipping fruits and veggies, and snacking from vending machines the rest of the time.
Pile on top of that plenty of stress, a distinct lack of sleep, a lot of high-calorie alcoholic beverages, and likely, little to no exercise. The true surprise is that the standard fifteen pounds are not double that. So if you’d like to avoid the unwanted extra pounds that plague the average student, here are just a few strategies to maintain your weight, keep your energy levels high, and ultimately look and feel as good exiting your freshman year as you did going in.
Many people are interested in finding a career that allows them to combine their love of health and fitness with a desire to help others. But aside from becoming a doctor, a nurse, or a P.E. coach, many students have little knowledge of suitable fields of study they might pursue. So here are just a few majors that have the potential to meet the needs of a compassionate individual that wants to focus on health and fitness.
Physical therapist
All kinds of people will need physical therapy at some point in their lives. It’s not just professional athletes that take advantage of these specialists. So if you want to help people regain physical functionality after an accident, injury, or illness and get back to their normal lives, then this is a great option for a major.
Nutritionist
Modern man is plagued by food-related issues, from obesity and resultant disorders (heart disease, diabetes, joint issues, etc.) to digestive problems like dairy and gluten intolerance, IBS, and Crohn’s Disease, just for example. And considering the vast array of processed foods available in supermarkets, it’s not surprising that few people even know how to feed themselves in a healthy and nutritious manner anymore. As a nutritionist you can help to guide people towards targeted diet plans that help them to feel better and lead a healthier life.
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