The dreaded freshman 15, feared by all college freshman at some point in their first semester of college. I've been there myself, and I've seen the chances that occur when you stop taking proper care of yourself. So, I'm here to help all of you current college freshman who may be struggling and the high school kids that will someday be a college freshman.
Though it may seem difficult in college to keep a routine of taking care of yourself, it's not impossible. With a little bit of time and dedication, you can easily keep off that freshman 15, and here's a few easy ways how.
1. Find a workout buddy
I find working out more fun when you have someone to go with, and sometimes they can be your motivation to get through a work out or simply start one. My friends and I often go rollerblading around town and campus, and afterwards we do ab workouts.
2. Try to pick healthy options in your food court
This is something that all of us college students may struggle with. Those brownies and that pizza might sound and look amazing, but getting it every single day isn't the greatest idea. Try to go for the more healthy options like a soup and salad, and avoid drinking pop every day.
3. Keep healthy foods in your dorm room
This is easily what I struggle with the most. I tend to go for more unhealthy foods when grocery shopping, especially since they tend to be a little cheaper. But, in my opinion, this is one of the leading contributors to the freshman 15. So to avoid buying all junk food all the time, make a little budget for yourself so you know what you can and can't afford. Put your week or months worth of spending towards some fruit or healthy granola bars. It will help a lot more than you think.
4. Take advantage of your resources on campus
On my campus we have a weight room and a fitness center. The fitness center is my favorite because it has treadmills, small weight lifting machines, and more. Learn to take advantage of these if you have them on your campus because, technically, they're free and the they're usually open pretty early and late in the day. Hurry before all of the treadmills are taken! And if you aren't comfortable going by yourself, bring that workout buddy that we talked about earlier!
5. Start doing small workouts in your dorm room
It may seem too small, but that doesn't mean you can't do a little work out every now and then without even having to leave your room! Start with a simple ab workout followed by some squats or wall sits. There are plenty of workouts that you can find online to start doing, so get to it!
6. Drink a lot of water
This not only helps with your fitness, but it will keep you hydrated and focused in class. Drinking a lot of water everyday is one of the best things you could be doing for yourself.
7. Lay off of the alcohol
This is something I've heard my friends complain about all the time, and you can even see it in movies or TV shows. It's that simple, if you don't want to gain the freshman 15, lay off of the beer.
