As most college students know, New Year’s resolutions are a bit like parties: they’re fun to plan, but difficult to maintain.
Each January, millions of Americans make plans to better themselves in some way throughout the course of the year. However, only a small percentage actually stick to it and make good on those resolutions. As such, most people end up disappointed, and often times forget their resolution by the time Valentine’s day rolls around.
Fortunately, institutions like the University of Oregon are helping students not only strive to get better grades, but to maintain a better lifestyle, as well, when it comes to health and fitness. With this in mind, here are a few resolutions that can help students achieve the fitness goals they promised themselves on New Year’s Day.
Be Realistic: The biggest reason why people fail their New Year’s resolution is that they don’t set realistic goals or aren’t sure how to achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves. For example, it can be difficult to plan on running a marathon while managing class, work, and projects – especially if you don’t exercise on a day-to-day basis. Although it is possible for someone to get up and get in shape to run a marathon, the process doesn’t happen overnight. It can take months or even years – depending on the number of miles being ran – to be physically fit. Instead of setting your sights on a marathon, practice jogging five days every week. In return, this will help prepare your body for that 10K run you plan on running someday.
Find Time to Walk: Whether you’re walking to class or walking to the cafeteria, getting the recommended 30 minutes of exercise, a day can as simple as walking around campus. If you’ve got a busy schedule (like most students), then try taking three 10-minute walks around campus throughout the day. For instance, you can walk 10 minutes before class, 10 minutes after class, and then 10 minutes in between classes to grab a bite. Make the process fun! Grab a classmate or close friend to help get you through the routine.
Manage Your Time: Although most people might view time management as a study skill for college students, in this case, it can be used as a way for students to implement those healthy lifestyle choices. Think about it, time is something we all wish we had control of. This could actually be the reason why so many people fail when it comes to getting the ball rolling after New Year’s: time commitment. However, if you resolve to time management to help you include exercise and meal preparation into your busy schedule, you’ll be much more likely to achieve your goals.
Make It A Learning Experience: When it comes to changing up your routine to fulfill your New Year’s resolution, learning about other food alternatives is vital. Something as simple as eating more vegetables, for instance, requires students to learn about nutrients that make some food products healthier than others. For students who might struggle during this stage, no need to fear since most universities offer nutrition tips to their students. In fact, these tips can help students sort out facts from fiction according to the Health Center at the University of Oregon. This means that students will be able to learn how to read food labels and, most importantly, learn how to cook and prepare healthy meals.
So, if your plan is to live a healthier lifestyle, be sure to go through your pantry, cabinets, wooden lockers, refrigerator, or anything you use to store food and get rid of those toxic snacks. After all, living a healthy lifestyle starts by putting the right kinds of food in your body.
