Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
Entering college life comes with significant changes in lifestyle, and staying healthy while adjusting to these changes is vital as it can help students set up for success.
Luckily, there are many ways a student can achieve a healthy lifestyle while balancing school life. Here are some helpful tips:
Finding healthy eating options around campus
It is not hard to find a place to eat when there are numerous dining spots scattered all around campus. However, not all of them offer healthy meal options.
Chick-fil-A, located in the Student Center South, might not be the healthiest but they do offer some nutritious meals such as salads, wraps and grilled chicken sandwiches.
McAlister’s Deli, located across the recreation center, and Einstein Bros. Bagels also offer numerous varieties of salads making them convenient options for health conscious students.
Dining halls on campus are another great resource that offers a large variety of different foods that change on an everyday basis.
Calories for any of the foods served on campus can be found online on the UH dining website and on the dining hall menu screens.
Cooking
While it can be helpful to have access to the nutritional facts of campus food, the most effective way of keeping a healthy diet is by cooking meals.
This gives a student the ability to control what is put into their diet and manage all kinds of nutritious needs. Most living spaces on campus are equipped with kitchenettes, allowing students to cook and prepare their own meals.
Cooking also allows for meal preparation which can keep students healthy on-the-go even on busy college days.
Working out
Working out at a gym or practicing yoga is another way to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Lucky for Coogs, the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center is accessible to all students with their Cougar card.
The CRWC offers a large variety of gym equipment that helps target all muscle groups.
The right tools can be easily found for every kind of goal ranging from lifting weights, walking on a treadmill to even strengthening their core.
Aside from traditional gym equipment, the rec center offers many classes and activities such as yoga, pilates and rock climbing that are free to students.
The building is also equipped with several indoor and outdoor pools that provide yet another way to stay active.
Manage stress
Students tend to feel overburdened by the fast moving pace of college life. Therefore, it is essential to manage stress effectively and efficiently.
Practicing mindfulness, meditation and deep-breathing exercises are the most common practices to relieve stress.
UH also organizes a bunch of events to help students manage stress. Counseling and Psychological Services is also a good resource for students to seek support.
Get enough sleep
While it is important to make sure that each student is living their college life to the fullest, it is equally important to have a good sleep schedule.
A healthy sleep schedule requires an adult to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night, according to research.
Being sleep-deprived will only lead to more tiredness, decreased levels of efficiency and a reduced information retention rate as well.
Students can create playlists with soothing songs to help them fall asleep early and more easily.
