Stay Healthy and Active
Floyd Colon provides advice for students on how to stay healthy and active at university.
Taking care of yourself is important at any age, whether you are studying or not. However, during our student years, we have a chance to establish healthy and useful habits, making it a good foundation for a healthy lifestyle.
By a common misconception, people think that taking care of yourself is eating well and exercising, but our emotional well-being is as important as the physical one. Learning how to listen to yourself and react to your real needs is indispensable if you want to lead harmonious life on the outside and within.
We have selected a few practical tips to aid students seeking a healthy lifestyle.
Eat
In certain situations, a snack that is not time-consuming is justified. However, can you remember the last time you were eating without browsing your smartphone? Careful choice of food, the ability to taste it without rushing, and gradual saturation not only increase the chances of choosing healthier options but also allow you to distract from the problems and get a bit of rest. This is very important when you are overloaded with studying and balancing your life.
What is less healthy for our body: fats or carbohydrates? The truth is that there is no right or wrong here. It is all about the number of nutrients you get.
For example, carbohydrates are an important source of energy, and insufficiency of such microelements can lead to heavy stress on the kidneys and liver, as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
There is no need to be afraid of fats either: in moderate amounts, it is an integral part of a balanced diet. Being an essential source of energy, they are necessary for the absorption of specific vitamins and minerals. The key is to have a balanced diet, and not in fear of specific microelements. To stay healthy as a student, you can prepare meals beforehand. Also, think about healthy snacks ahead to avoid impulsive eating. You can look up some ideas on Pinterest.
Rest
Everybody has different ideas about the perfect weekend. Someone dreams of spending the whole Saturday and Sunday on the sofa watching Netflix. Someone has a busy schedule with several tasks or meetings for one day. However, no matter what choice you make, it is essential to avoid extremes.
An attitude like "a change of work is the best rest" could be dangerous. All of us need to relax from time to time, ignoring the ways of rest imposed by our surroundings or society.
Our nervous system needs proper rest, and any activity requires resources. That is why it is so important to give yourself time to restore your strengths by resting passively.
Another popular option for a weekend is not to plan anything at all or plan to do "nothing". It is a legitimate desire, but doing nothing at all will not work as well. Most likely, you will end up browsing Netflix trailers or will be going through a Facebook marathon. That is why you should plan a relaxed weekend.
Think about what you would like to do, so you do not find yourself spending two days on something that does not bring any pleasure. It is not about choosing the right things to do. It is about listening to your needs, whether it is a long leisurely walk in the park or an afternoon nap.
In case you have an assignment and had no time for proper rest, you can order coursework online or any other paper, so you can enjoy your deserved rest and not fall behind the academic schedule.
Move
You are active means many things. For some students, it is a gym membership, some adore yoga, and others love a good morning run. Suppose you would like to start exercising but have no idea where to start, (especially if you are on a lockdown). In that case, you can begin with stretching and static exercises to strengthen your muscles before doing dynamic exercises known as cardio.
If you are not into some ‘exercises’, but you would want to become more active due to your sedentary lifestyle, you can take breaks every hour to warm up or take a slow walk or go for a bike ride to keep moving. Any aerobic exercise would be excellent for beginners.
Feel
An enormous part of a student’s general well-being is emotional health. Students face various challenges all the time: an extremely competitive environment, often matched by pressure from parents, backed by a lack of financial stability.
To stay grounded and resist stress, you need to find your way of dealing with troubles. It is different for every person. However, there are common ways to calm down, get distracted, and recharge like a sense of humour, focusing on your strengths, and putting yourself first.
Find sources of emotional support in your environment. Create sustainable friendships that make you feel safe. Feel free to share your worries and experiences with your friends. Build stronger connections with your family.
Everybody feels more confident and stronger when they know that there are people on their side. Make sure that you always have someone to turn to.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- COLON, F. (2020) Stay Healthy and Active [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article610.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Floyd Colon is a professional freelance writer with many years of experience across many different areas. When not at work, he enjoys reading, hiking, and travelling as much as possible.