Panting Ain't Just for the Dogs
You might be guilty of it. I am definitely guilty of it. Walking into class, sitting down; out of breath, out of a fresh smelling shirt and out of control of your sweat glands.
You try and cool down as fast as you can, explaining to those you sit with, you had a long walk. Typically it is understandable, relatable and totally acceptable. Yet, we still feel bad about ourselves.
Maybe we shouldn’t have ordered that pizza with our friends the night before…
Late night binge-eating isn’t the smartest. Plus, it’s very easy to get into bad diet habits in college. For students living on-campus, you don’t have much control of what to eat and everything is already made for you. It’s pretty easy to find yourself eating Chick-Fil-A regularly throughout the week. Off-campus, it may be inconvenient to cook due to time and the financial commitment. The prices of healthy food can add up.
But there are some changes you can explore, if you're willing to make it.
For those using a meal plan, explore your options. It’s often easy to overlook the salad bar when there’s a pizza booth right next to it. There are plenty of healthy meals to get and you can expand your palette thanks to the diversity of foods offered. The occasional fro-yo isn’t detrimental every once in a while though!
For the students living off-campus: plan! You’re an upperclassman, you’ve had experience planning all too much. Schedule time to cook in your planner. If time is not easy to come by, take one day of the week that is less hectic and meal prep. Get all your food ready for the week so it is less stress in the times you would need to prepare it.
Also, don’t fear the produce section of the grocery store. It might not be the cheapest option (ramen), but your body will love you for it.
A wise teacher of mine once said: “Shop the outsides of the store and avoid going into the aisles. The aisles are filled with the processed foods that will destroy you.” It was such a smart tactic to follow the dairy, meats and fish, grains, fruits and vegetables path. Of course, I sneak into the aisles for some of my favorites, such as pasta and peanut butter, but other than that I try and stick to the fresh, healthy foods.
While a healthy diet is the most vital part of our overall heath, it is still extremely important to add in that exercise. Believe it not, college is the best place to do it! Why is that, you ask? You have a free gym membership, that’s why!
Just wait until you get in the real world and you try and find a gym to join. $29.99 sign-up fees, along with $9.99/monthly membership fees. It adds up and can be difficult to make a part of your schedule when you’re just delving into the working world. It is still a great place to put your time and money into, but you don’t have to do that just yet!
I personally have come up with every excuse in the book to avoid the gym. Countless times I have forgotten my headphones, realized I made lunch plans with a friend or decided Netflix was more beneficial that day. I have talked myself out of the gym numerous times.
There were times when it felt like a workout just to walk to the gym.
However, I have never once gone to the gym, worked out and left saying “man, I regret that workout.” No, I feel amazing afterwards. Every. Single. Time.
Sure, I’ve hated my life as I got into that 3rd mile on the elliptical. My arms have given out on me by that last rep on the bench. My abs have screamed at me as I stay in my plank, staring at the clock, waiting for that minute to countdown into zero seconds.
But then I am finished and leaving, and my body thanks me. It’s filled with positive endorphins and great energy, which makes the day, the week, the month all go by better.
Sure, you still might sweat after a long walk to class, but at least you can justify that it was really hot outside and not that you’re out of shape!
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