Reset your resolutions over spring break

By: Brooke Foundas, Columnist

Just like most college students, my New Year’s Eve resolution was to visit the gym frequently and eat healthier. Now two full months into 2020, I am proud to say I have stuck to this invigorating goal for the first time in my life. Over the past few years in college I have personally struggled with balancing classes, my social life, relationships, the gym, and eating healthy. But being able to find the time for your friends and family while also taking care of your body is something that should be essential for college students. 

Here are some of my tips and tricks to stay on top of your nutrition, maintain healthy relationships, and mold your soon to be “beach bod” from the exercise science major herself:

  1. Plan your meals. Being a student, know that the “Freshman 15” is a real thing. It is not as easy as it seems, but there are some ways to prevent the curse! I lived on campus for two years but recently moved into an off-campus apartment. Seeing how different the lifestyle is, it helped me realize what I could have done differently. The best way to start is by envisioning what you want to eat throughout the day and plan it out. If you start your week or day with an agenda of your meals, it will give you structure and hopefully encourage you to eat healthier. 
  2. Change up your diet a bit. For the past year and a half, I’ve been vegetarian. Well, technically the term I use is pescetarian, which means I only eat seafood. I can say, I’ve never felt better! No one is expecting you to change your diet as drastically as I did but you could slowly begin to do so. Start this cycle by incorporating healthy options into your meals for a day or for the week. You can do this by trying a veggie or black bean burger, a side of fruit instead of fries, or no queso in your chipotle bowl. Even just these small changes can show positive effects on your body.
  3. Make time for your friends. Add a time in your schedule specifically for you to bond with your friends. My friends and I look forward to Monday nights. If you’re a Bachelor fan like we are… you’ll understand. As we all gather around the tv and eat popcorn, we realize that this is a time we look forward to every week. Talk to your friends and find a certain time in the week where you are all free, even if it’s as simple as meeting at the West Village dining hall for dinners on Wednesdays. Get it? West Village Wednesdays!
  4. Plan your workout. The hardest thing for me when I go to the gym is trying to plan what I want to do. Is it a leg or arm day? Should I just stick with cardio? This was my biggest mistake. Plan your workout ahead of time! Once you’re at the gym it’s likely you can lose motivation, therefore decide to skip the weights and only do 20-30 minutes of cardio. Of course, it’s always okay to skip a portion of your workout occasionally but it should not be everytime you go. Pinterest can be your best friend when it comes to designing custom workouts for you. 
  5. Head to the gym when it’s slow. When I first started going to the gym a few years ago I was always intimidated by the strong muscular men and women lifting weights and grunting while doing it. At Burdick Hall, I’ve noticed the busiest times are 5-9 p.m. on weekdays. I gradually learned that the best workout I’ll personally get in is when there are less people. So likely around 8-11 a.m. during the weekend days and just about all day on Saturday. 

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