Staying Healthy In School

Whether you’ve been in college for a few years or you’re just starting out, staying healthy during school can be a bit of a challenge. Eating healthy and exercising regularly are important parts of maintaining a healthy physical lifestyle as well as an academic one. What you eat, how often you exercise, and how much sleep you get can affect your grades, relationships, and many other facets of your life. Here are four areas that typically give college students the most trouble when it comes to staying healthy in school. 

Exercise

If walking up the hill on Park Street leading up to campus is giving you trouble, you aren’t alone. Between homework, work, and classes many students have a hard time making it to the gym. However, exercise doesn’t just have to include going to the gym, there are other forms of exercise that are equally as rewarding. Simply taking 20-30 minutes every day to go for a walk is a great way to stay fit, and when it’s bitterly cold outside you can even walk around the halls of the HPER complex – the number of laps you need for a mile is written on the wall. Many gyms around Butte offer Zumba classes and there are always Intramural sports you can get involved with at the HPER. Taking the time to exercise will not only help you burn calories, it can also help you sleep, the next major area that college students have trouble with. 

Sleep 

Burning the midnight oil is an age old saying for staying up late to get things done, but doing so usually means sacrificing precious time to sleep. Typically you should get between 6-8 hours of sleep every night, but this varies by each individual. Do you get cranky when you get less than 8 hours of sleep? Are you ok when you only get 6 hours of sleep? You know what your body needs more than anyone else, so listen to it. The experts say to make time to finish homework earlier in the day, go to bed before 12, and set your smart phone off to the side at least 30 minutes before you sleep. 

Eating 

You are what you eat right? Well, not exactly, but what you eat can have a big impact on your weight, mood, and overall health. Loading up on chips, pop, and a candy bar may seem like a great way to get through a study session, but unless you plan to burn those snacks off with exercise, you are asking for weight gain. According to the Mayo clinic, what you eat also affects your mood. Picture yourself eating a green salad with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, with a cool glass of water with lemon in it. Feel a little relaxed? Now picture a gas station coffee cup and a bag of powdered donuts. Feel a little stressed out? Taking the time to eat healthy can boost your mood simply because you know you are taking the time to take care of yourself. 

Alcohol 

Hanging around with friends and having a few drinks can be a fun experience and a much needed break from studying. However, drinking can also interrupt your sleep, cause you to gain weight, affect your school performance, and hurt your relationships. Before you go out, take a second to visualize and plan your night. Do you have homework that needs to be done the next day? Plan to have only 1-3 drinks. Have you been fighting with your roommate? Resolve the conflict before you get “liquid courage” and accidently bring the subject up. Do you want to stay out dancing until the bars close? Plan to have someone you trust walk you home. Not knowing your limits with drinking can be a dangerous thing. “Black-outs” occur when your drink to the point of losing the brain capacity to create and form memories. These occurrences are not only dangerous for your brain function; they can also put you into dangerous situations. If you are struggling with knowing how much to drink or if you “black-out” frequently, talk to a friend you trust or seek help from the school counselor.