Tips for Staying Healthy as a College Student
By Caroline Patafio
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle in college can be incredibly overwhelming. Between staying active, being able to register for a time at the gym, getting enough sleep, and eating nutritiously, the battle for finding the perfect routine can feel impossible. Over the past few semesters I have tried to master my own routine and through trial and error have discovered a few things that have helped me stay healthy.
To start, I have always been a picky eater, so coming to college was a bit of a struggle. I ended up snacking a lot more than I was eating full meals. To try and turn things around I focused on including protein in each of my meals and keeping snacks in my room that were nutritious. For instance, I have always loved eating oatmeal so by adding some nuts, peanut butter, and fruit to my oats I found I stayed full for much longer. In addition to adding different forms of protein to the meals I was eating, I also found that keeping more filling snacks in my room greatly improved my energy levels. A few of these foods are:
Hard boiled eggs (from any dining hall)
Yogurt (Greek nonfat yogurt from Trader Joes or Chobani from Belle Air Terrace)
Nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts)
Nut butter (Trader Joe’s Crunchy Unsalted Peanut Butter is my personal favorite)
Veggies (carrots, bell peppers)
Fruit (bananas, blueberries, clementines)
String Cheese
Multigrain cracks (Mary’s Gone Crackers is a brand I really like)
After conquering finding foods to fuel my body with all of the proper nutrients, I started to focus on my workout schedule. Since the pandemic started, going to a gym was not really an option. Even when the gyms opened up on campus, it was hard to find a time that was available and worked with my schedule. Rather than give up, I turned to YouTube and fitness apps to keep me active on days that I couldn’t get to the gym. There are hundreds of fitness instructors that have apartment friendly, low impact, equipment free workouts that are free to watch on YouTube. Even the app store has fitness apps that you can use to track your runs or find quick ten minute strength exercises. A few YouTubers I like are…
Blogilates
Chloe Ting
Yoga with Adriene
Boho Beautiful
Madfit
Kayla Itsines
A few apps I have used are…
Map my Run by Under Armor (app store, free)
Sworkit (app store, free)
Peloton (app store, free 30 day trial, $12.99/month subscription)
Nike Training Club (app store, free)
Equipment I keep in my room (totally optional)...
Yoga Mat (Guiam 6mm thickness)
Two 3 lbs hand weights
1 Resistance Band
There are also a few workout classes near Villanova that are always fun to go to with friends…
Soul Cycle ($34/class $3 shoe fee)
Orange Theory (first class is free, membership prices vary depending on package)
Being a college student and staying healthy does not need to be time consuming or expensive. There are so many ways to keep your body healthy in a manner that fits your schedule and is delicate on your wallet. These are just a few ways that have helped me to stay healthy while living on campus, but everyone is different, so try different things out to find the perfect routine for you!
