College can be a stressful experience, whether you’re an incoming freshman or a rising senior. I fell to the college weight gain before I realized just how easy it is to stay fit in college. Seriously, people think it’s hard or something, but it isn’t. To fight this stigma of always gaining weight in college I have come up with a list of a few things that make it a million times easier to stay healthy in a busy college life.

1. Drink lots of water

Easy, right? Wrong. It can be so difficult to drink a lot of water when you’re running from class to class and then the bar, but it can be done. The best way to make sure you’re getting enough water is by keeping track of your daily water intake. I do this by drinking out of a 1-liter bottle and then pushing myself to drink two a day. So, put down the beer and pick up a vodka water…I mean, just regular water. No vodka.

2. Push yourself to walk as much as possible

Do you know what saved my life? My Fitbit. I hardly go a day without wearing it, and I’ve gotten to the point where I try as hard as possible to get my 10,000 steps. The point is, I’m much healthier for it. Instead of being a couch potato, I’m walking in place during my favorite show to get those final 200 steps. I walk to class as much as I can. I park farther away at the grocery store. Even those 10,000 steps a day can make a huge difference in health because when you’re body is moving, your heart rate is up and you’re feeling less groggy and fatigued.

3. Healthy snacking

Don’t reach for those chips when you’re on a late night food bender, but instead reach for hummus and veggies or a piece of string cheese. Did you know that you’re not supposed to eat anything after 9 P.M.? Well, during late night study sessions we are starving, so it’s better to at least snack smart. You don’t want to wake up the next morning all bloated and cranky — that's never good.

4. Fitness classes/ clubs

Most colleges offer free fitness classes or clubs that meet once or twice a week. Not only that, but most colleges have a free student gym on campus. It is super important to utilize these assets that your school offers you because not only does it help you stay active, but it also helps you meet new people that are also working to stay active through college. Not to mention those clubs are super fun!

As you can see it isn’t hard to at least put forth some effort to stay healthy while in college. Yeah, school and work keep us busy but there are ways around that. We each get 24 hours in a day to make it our best and setting aside a few each day to help improve ourselves is worth it in the end when people ask you how you didn’t gain any extra pesky weight in college. And then all your friends wonder "How did she do it?" which is also a plus.