College and the Struggle to Maintain Healthy Habits

Health. What a complicated topic. Health is determined by a number of different qualitative and quantitative measures, making it hard to define using less than holistic terminology. Not only that, but health can mean a vast array of different things depending on who you ask. Medical health, mental health, physical health… the list goes on.

How do you define health as a young college student and what qualifies as a ‘healthy habit’? The number of hours you spend in the gym? How much sleep you get per night? How many trips to your favorite take out place you’ve talked yourself out of?

For me, being healthy means getting three meals a day, at least 7 hours of sleep a night, and physically feeling my best. I’ve found that when I feel my best physically, it’s easier to follow suit mentally as well. Unfortunately, the past few semesters I have noticed that my healthy habits have taken a seat on the back burner for a little too long now.

In true ‘new years resolutions’ fashion, this winter break I am attempting to curate a plan to prioritize my health. I want to bring my health to the forefront of my priorities as it really is something that only you, the individual, can take charge of. So, here is a list of things I plan on doing (in no particular order) to motivate me and keep me consistent.

Staying fit: run with runners

My organic chemistry II professor, Brent Iverson, was a true inspiration for me to start up my running journey. Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘Diana, I absolutely hate running. It is the bane of my existence. I would rather dunk my arm in HCl than start up running!’ To that, dear reader, I would tell you that I too was once in your shoes.

Growing up I always hated running (I was a chunky kid, I’ll spare you the evidence). I hated running so much that in seventh grade during my first ever soccer practice, the coach started practice off by saying, “everyone interested in being a goalie follow me. The rest of you, start running laps,” and you know what? Being a goalie sounded reeeeeally interesting to me if it meant I didn’t have to run. So, I became goalie of my soccer team to avoid the dread of intensive cardio.

That all changed last semester when I was inspired to start running. My professor, Dr. Iverson, was a huge spokesperson for the importance of physical activity, specifically running and endurance training. He shared a story with us about a friend of his who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and beat the odds his doctors gave him, all because of running. This friend, determined to make the most of his life, continued his training regimen, winning a marathon while pushing his daughter in a stroller. You can read the full story here.

Not only did the man, Iram Leon, win the marathon, but medical imaging also showed that his brain tumor stopped growing. Hearing Iram’s story was truly moving, and it was the catalyst for my running journey. Additionally, a phrase that continues to ring through my mind is something Dr. Iverson would always say during lecture, “No matter how rich you are or how successful you are, when you become old it will all mean nothing if your health is compromised. Your health is something that no amount of money will truly let you buy, so take care of it now.”

I was determined to take charge of my own health, so my friend Joel and I started training for our university’s 5k race together. To seasoned runners, that may not sound like a big deal, but to Joel and I, it was a big deal. Sure enough, with lots of hard work, we crossed that 5k finish line and became better versions of ourselves on the other side. Thank you Dr. Iverson.

This coming April, we plan to tackle the 10k race.

How did we do it?

Some advice I would give people just getting into running is to not do it alone. It’s so much more fun and motivating to have a run buddy by your side. It’s harder to skip runs when you have someone counting on you to get out of bed and on to the trail with them.

If you don’t have someone willing to run with you, another great tool to keep you motivated is a running app. Personally, I like using the Nike Run Club app. It’s a free app that helps you train for your running goals as a beginner, intermediate, or even advanced runner.

My favorite features of the app include their training schedules and their guided run features. Especially as a beginner runner, it can be daunting to figure out where to begin. Thankfully, the app makes it so easy to follow a plan curated by professional running coaches.

When I’m out on my runs, I always choose to follow guided runs. I like to hear the coach’s advice. It’s a good reminder to keep pushing hard and to do my best.

Another popular running app is Strava. Personally, I have not tried this app but I have heard great things from lots of my friends who use it.

Staying fit: fitness classes

Another great way to stay inspired to follow your fitness goals is with fitness classes. As college students, we don’t all have the disposable income to spend hundreds of dollars on classes every month (another reason to love running- it’s free)! However, I have found some cheat codes over the last few semesters on how to spend virtually zero dollars on fitness classes.

1.) Find free classes in your college town.

One of my favorite ways to find free fitness classes is by scrolling through the Eventbrite app. If you are unfamiliar with Eventbrite, it’s an app that showcases hundreds of different things happening in your city at any given time. You can sort by price, type of event/activity, and location.

Personally, I have attended numerous free yoga, pilates, and run club events that I found through the app.

2.) Become a ClassPass user

Option two is for those of us who have a little more money to dedicate to our health plan. ClassPass is a new development for me. From what I know, it’s an app that you pay for monthly and it gives you access to an array of different fitness classes in your area. The upside to ClassPass is that it gives you the opportunity to add variety into your workout routine, without having to pay for multiple different memberships.

I’m currently doing the one month free trial and using my credits to morph into a pilates princess. I’m soooo excited to finally try reformer pilates. Euro summer here I come!

Healthy eating to nourish the mind and body

Fun fact about me- I’m a nutrition major! Although I don’t plan on being a dietitian post grad (I want to be a doctor) I am a firm believer that nutrition is the most important element of healthy living. As a college student, it can seem difficult to maintain a healthy diet due to monetary and time constraints. However, I want to reassure you that it is possible to do so.

If time is your concern, consider meal prep. Now, I’m not talking the meal prep where you prepare the same boring plate of chicken and rice for an entire week. Personally, I need variety because eating healthy does not mean sacrificing taste and excitement. Consider preparing ingredients instead. Pre cook your grains for the week, pre cut your fruits and vegetables a few nights in advance, make your breakfasts the night before, etc.

Prepping ingredients in contrast to meals lets you mix and match so each meal is something new! It prevents boredom and promotes food variety, which is a very important aspect of a healthy diet. Grains that I love to prep include quinoa, brown rice, and oats. I also love making a whole pot of pasta at the beginning of the week that I can customize to my liking.

Below are examples of meals you can make with pre prepped ingredients.

For this meal, you can pre marinate the chickpeas at the beginning of the week and use them as I did above, or in a pasta salad, or as a topping for a DIY Cava bowl.

Lentils are another great food to pre cook. They are so nutritious and so easy to customize.

If money is a concern to you, I have a few tips on how to eat healthy without breaking the bank.

#1: Buy grains/legumes in bulk

Buying in bulk is always cheaper, especially if you go to stores like Central Market where they let you bring containers to fill up. Like I mentioned before, some of my favorite grains/legumes to purchase are quinoa, brown rice, oats, lentils, and various different beans.

#2: Purchase frozen fruits and vegetables

This is a great way to minimize food waste because fruits and vegetables tend to go bad very quickly, especially if you are the only one consuming your groceries. Contrary to popular belief, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying frozen fruits and vegetables. In fact, it helps bring variety into your diet because it gives you the opportunity to purchase produce that may not be in season. Frozen produce has all the nutrients preserved, so you are not losing out on that front either.

Of course there are a few exceptions with buying frozen produce, especially for foods that have a high water content like tomatoes and cucumbers.

#3: My tried and true, Trader Joe’s

Many people consider Trader Joe’s to be a “bougie” grocery store as it often gets grouped in with Whole Foods and Sprout’s by the fitness forward moguls. However, it’s actually quite cheap in comparison to other grocery stores.

Trader Joe’s is noticeably cheaper with great quality products because they typically only sell products under their own private label. This allows them to buy directly from the supplier, allowing them to avoid cutting a check to the “middleman”.

So before you jump to conclusions about my favorite grocery store, take a look around and see how many great deals you can find. I’ll provide a link to my post where I talk about some of my favorite products in case you need a guiding light. Read about it here.

Practicing mental prosperity

If you are anything like me, you base way too much of your personal value on your grades. Personally, this was what facilitated the downfall of my healthy habits. I neglected so many of my other priorities to ensure perfect grades and an undeniable resume.

Please, you are so much more than a student in college. College is not only a place to study, but it’s a place to discover who you are as a person, find new hobbies, and a time for growth. You cannot hyper fixate and put all your energy into being the perfect student because news flash, you are human, NOT a robot (thanks for reminding me of that Emilia).

When I feel myself getting a little too crazy about my future and my grades, I turn to a few outlets that help ground me back to Earth.

#1: Journaling

Writing how I feel has always helped me. You can opt in for a digital journal or a more traditional paper journal. You can even get really fancy with it and find a super pretty book to write in to elevate the experience. Whatever helps you stay motivated and consistent.

#2: Go on a walk

This one is my personal favorite. There is nothing like going on a brisk walk while listening to your favorite album or podcast to elevate your endorphin levels.

#3: Meditate/listen to ASMR

This is a great way to unwind from a long day and help ease you into a great sleep. Sleep is so important for mental clarity and health promotion overall.

#4: Join clubs at your university

Social isolation does nobody any good, and I understand that it can be difficult for some people to make friends in college. School clubs/orgs are a great way to meet people who share similar interests as you. I always recommend joining at least one school organization that relates to a hobby of yours. It adds a fun element to your school week and introduces you to a ton of cool people that you can lean on for support.

Clubs are a great reminder that grades do not have to solely dominate your university life.

What will you implement into your weekly routine?

Now that you have read some of the things I plan on implementing into my routine, I hope you feel inspired to do the same. Your health is important, and you should start taking charge of it as soon as possible. Thanks so much for reading this post, and I will see you soon my dearest reader.