Just because you are a student, doesn’t mean you can’t stay in shape. Haley, our Canadian and IT Sligo Ambassador shares five ways to keep healthy and happy…
Walk
Yes, there is a bus or there is a taxi, but you can walk too. Heaven forbid it isn’t raining, and maybe there is even a big hill to help develop those hamstrings, and burn off that Guinness from last night!
Make your meals
Sounds simple but it is effective for both maintaining weight and keeping money in the bank. By preparing lunch and snacks at home before you head to school will save you from your stomach growling mid-class and leave you splurging on a 700 calorie sugary cake at the canteen that will spike your energy and leave you crashing in your 4pm class. Here are some sample snacks:
- Hummus and carrot sticks
- Hardboiled egg and mixed nuts
- Apple and peanut butter
Yoga or “Me” time
This is your mental health you are taking care of too. Pop on a 15 minute YouTube yoga class to help ease your way into or out of your day. Your mind will be fresh and ready to take on that exam or that 8 hour sleep you deserve. “Me” time can be mindful meditation where you have a seat on the park bench or you simply have a chance to close your eyes and thank yourself for all you have achieved.
Drink
As a student, we get a stigma that we all drink too much. But hey, who said this had to be alcohol! green tea, lemon water, black coffee, kombucha, fresh juice can all be alternatives to sugary pop and fizzy alcohol. Staying hydrated will help your mind and body function at its optimal level.
Smile
A simple smile to someone at the gym will create a friendship. The next time you enter, they might just smile at you. Cultivating a gym friendships is the best because you then have someone with similar health goals or someone who you can learn from or someone you can cheers a protein shake with. You start to look forward to that endorphin release when you smile, and you start to pick up the habit – smiling to your one on the street, smiling at your lecturer on a Monday morning, smiling at your job interview or smiling on FaceTime with your family. This habit is simple but the effects it will make on you and ones around you will surprise.