It’s not just about what you eat! What you drink has a lot to do with unhealthy weight gain, and being sedentary and sleep-deprived just pack on the extra kilos. Due to the myriad of social and academic obligations of university life, the variable schedule of the average student can wreak havoc on one’s diet, sleep pattern, and exercise regimen. Staying healthy, however, will boost your mood and energy levels, which will bolster your academic performance and help you to maintain a positive mindset. Here are some basic ways to stay healthy at university:
Food
Put the pot noodle down and walk away from the microwave.
Microwave meals might seem cheap, but you don’t get the goodness or the value for money you can get from buying and cooking big, bulk meals of freshly cooked food.
Cook for the week ahead. Buy some meat and lots of vegetables and make a stew that can be refrigerated and used all week. Cooking a whole chicken is cheaper than you think and it can last a couple of days.
Alternatively, make a large meal with your housemates. The ingredients might seem expensive, but once the cost is split between all of you it will probably be cheaper than a sandwich, and you can make it a lot healthier.
It is always a good idea to do a big shop, and not just live day-to-day. It saves a lot of money and buying quick meals day-to-day will mean you miss out on a balanced diet.
Exercise
If you are into exercise and sports there will be plenty on offer for you, whether that’s a union sports team, running club or sports centre. They will be easy to join and welcome new members.
There are still lots of ways you can maintain a healthy lifestyle without turing to sports. Instead of taking public transport every time you head into town or get to campus, why not try walking?
Get a bike and explore your city. Not only are they a really good idea and get you some well needed exercise, they are also environmentally friendly. Plus they help you explore your new home with ease.
If you do want to join a gym to keep up with your fitness, your campus is likely to have one, and students will be able to join for reasonable prices. Why not also try attending some yoga or pilates classes, joining an active society, or taking dance lessons?
Sleep
It’s important you maintain a healthy mind whilst amongst the intense combination of work and play that comes with the territory of being a student. One important factor of this is sleep.
Students can get into quite irregular sleeping patterns, whether that’s due to staying out all night, doing an emergency all night study session, or simply staying in bed all day after an early lecture.
It’s understandable to have such odd sleeping hours as a student, but it will make the world of difference if you manage to get a good night’s sleep consistently.
Try using black out blinds to keep the light out, turning off all your TV, laptop and electrical devices to reduce noise and light, and potentially using ear plugs if your housemates are being too loud.
There are also apps for iPhones and Android mobile devices to help you analyse and regulate your sleeping patterns.
Not only will you feel mentally refreshed, you will look a lot healthier and happier.
Originally published in NUS
