Staying Healthy in College

Sometimes college students have trouble keeping themselves healthy. The “freshman fifteen” is just one of the many health problems that can become prevalent in college students. Many other less obvious problems can become trouble in the future, but there are ways to keep yourself healthy throughout your college experience.

Eating: The first and most obvious step is to avoid junk food. “But pizza is quick and cheap!” Sure, but so are a lot of other things that are a lot healthier for you. Check the grocery store for frozen meals. Some of these meals can cost you only $2.00, but they are much healthier than the pizza you may be tempted to eat. Lean Cuisine even offers a line of individual pizzas that are filling, flavorful, and cheap. Trying alternative foods like this can help you to avoid the freshman 15, and maybe even help you to lose a little extra weight and feel more energy.

Partying: The occasional party is fine, but sometimes the constant partying may be tempting. Choose to go to a party once a month, and do not drink yourself into a stupor. For one thing, alcohol is high in calories and will pack the weight on you extremely fast. Plus, partying all the time will zap your energy and possibly lower your grades. If you treat yourself every once in a while, instead of constantly, you’ll have more fun.

Exercise: It may seem hard to exercise in your small door room, but a few moves are easy to accomplish and can keep you toned in little time. Try hooking your feet under a shelf or your bed and do sit-ups. Also, lay on your side and do leg lifts. If you walk around your campus on top of this, you can feel very healthy and look healthy too.

Sleeping: Don’t stay up late every night, especially during the semester. If you make sure to get rest, you’ll have more energy to do the things that you need to do. You’ll also have the energy to do the things you WANT to do. Without that rest, you’ll slowly deteriorate and lose the energy that you need to survive college.

All in all, a few simple changes can keep you healthy and make your college experience much more enjoyable. Don’t take yourself for granted, and make sure to take your studies seriously too. Your brain is just another part of your health, so your shouldn’t take it for granted either.

Yoga Benefits Both Mind And Body

If you are looking for a new way to increase your fitness or add diversity to your exercise routine, you may want to consider yoga.  Through body poses, controlled breathing and meditation this ancient practice strives to connect the mind, body and spirit.  Yoga has recently grown in popularity in the western world.  There are many physical and mental benefits to be gained by practicing yoga, a few of which we will touch on below.

Physical Benefits
•    Circulation-  Yoga practices can improve the health of your organs, skin and brain by improving blood circulation which is vital to the delivery of nutrients and oxygen throughout your body.
•    Higher Pain Tolerance-  People who practice yoga regularly tend to have a higher tolerance for pain.  In some cases back pain or other chronic pain is lessened through yoga.

•    Lowers Blood Pressure-  Frequent yoga practice can lower your blood pressure by improving circulation and flow of oxygen throughout the body.
•    Improved Posture-  The practice of yoga and the poses associated with this practice teach participants how to hold and control their body.  This results in better posture.
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