I don’t know if everyone is like me but when school begins it seems almost impossible to get everything done. From completing my assignmnets, working, hanging with friends and exercising it all gets very overwhelming and I feel like I can’t do it all. In the past, working out and being healthy would of been the first thing to take a back seat, however now I have put many things in place to make it a priority in my daily routine. This has benefited me not only physically but mentally as well. By changing and implementing simple tips into my daily life I have lead myself to live a much healthier lifestyle and as result preform better in school and be happier over all.  After discovering some tried and true ways to stay healthy while in school I thought I would share them with you all. I hope you all find this helpful and give them a try!

1. Be Committed

My first tip is to be committed. You need to be ready to make the changes that are required to live a healthy lifestyle while dealing with the stresses and challenges of school. It will be a lot of work and will take some getting used to, however if you are committed then the changes in your mind and body are garunteed to happen. There were many times where I wanted to skip the gym or order fast food when I was stressed and short on time but I just remembered the goals I set out for myself. If you can stick to incorporating the tips I am going to mention below than you will be able to reach the goals you have for yourself while still dealing with student life!

2. Set realistic goals

My second tip is to set realistic goals for yourself. Challenge yourself to make working out and eating healthy a prority in your day. I reccomned planning out your week to block out time to workout in addtion to what you are going to eat each day.  This helps to avoid skipping workouts and choosing unhealthy alternatives. Setting realistic goals for youself means that you understand what you are cabable of and don’t try and over do it.  If it’s most realistc to work out 3 days a week then go for it. If you can commit to 5 days, even better, but do what is managable to you. Also keep in mind that being physically active can take on many forms and can be done for any duration of time. If you find that you are really busy one day squeeze in a 20 minute workout, something is always better then nothing.  By setting realistic goals as to how many times, how long and what type of workouts you are cabable of you are more likely to stick to it. Before you know it being active and eating healthy will just become part of your routine. 

3. Meal Prep

Meal prepping is a tip that helped me immensly over the course of the school year. I would choose a day of the week, usually Sunday, and pre make a large batch of healthy food that I could easily grab and take to school. This saved me from choosing unhealthy options that inevitably would make me feel worse. Having healthy meals ready for me each day meant I stayed accoutable and fueled my body rather then having processed fast food. It also meant I didn’t have to think about what I was eating or rush to make something before I left which in turn saved me so much time and stress. It also ensured that I was having a balenced meal at each point of the day which meant my body was getting the nutrients and power it needed. Simply plan what you are going to make for the week, get some containers and choose which day of the week you are going to meal prep. There are many healthy meal prep recipe ideas on Pintrest as well!

4. Make a workout guide

I used to go to the gym without a plan which lead me to waste so much time trying to figure out what to do next rather then actually working out. When school started my time got even more limited and wasting time at the gym wasn’t an option. To combat this I began creating a workout schedule which outlined what I was going to do each day. A lot of my inspriation came from fitness accounts on Instagram or Pintrest. My workouts became much more effective and less time consuming, leaving me with more time for other things like hanging with friends and doing assignments. It also ensured that I was working each part of my body equally, maximizing my results and therefore keeping me motivated. This tip is also great becuase you don’t  have to think twice about what you are going to do in the gym that day, making you less inclined to skip a workout or waste time. At the beggining of the week simply create a workout plan on a blank calender template so you can easily organize that you should do each day.

5. Drink lots of water

I love this tip because it’s so easy to implement and has so many benefits. The first benefit being that it maximizes physical performance. Remaining hydrated improves your performance becuase it keeps you motivated and decreases fatigue, allowing you to get more out of your time spent working out. The second benefit is it increases brain function and reduces fatigue making it easier to get everything done. In addition by simply drinking water you are flushing out toxins in your body and de-bloating which will instantly make you look and feel better. I used to have energy drinks packed with processed sugars that where not benefiting me in anyway.  I started bringing a giant waterbottle to school and challenged myself to drink the whole thing by the end of the day. This is such an easy tip that will allow you to get instantly healthier without much effort and I promise you will notice a big difference in how you look and feel.

6. 20-30 minute daily run or walk

Another great tip is to make the effort to have a 20-30 minute walk or run each day. This would be on top of or in place of your daily workout. The reason why I love this tip so much is becuase it adds an element of physical activity to your life even if you can’t commit to going to the gym for a full workout. It is also so great for your mental health because you can clear your head and take a study break while also doing good for your body. Getting some sort of movement into your everyday life is going to make such an improvment on your phyiscal and mental health.

7. Get to 10 000 steps!

The average daily steps a person should get each day is 10 000 steps. By simply walking 10 000 steps each day you can tone muscles, improve flexibility, increase energy and burn fat. It’s been found that walking 10 000 steps a day can allow you to lose up to 2 pounds a month, which over the course of a few months can lead to big changes. I know for me personally I do a lot of walking while I am on campus to get to each of my classes. This allows me to get in lots of steps during the day and I always challenge myself to do something to get to the 10 000 step mark by the end of the day.  I noticed such a big difference in my health once I started walking more and it’s such an easy tip to implement. So I encourgage you to walk to class and reach your daily goal of 10 000 steps!

Those are all the tips I have for staying healthy during the school year. Being realistic with yourself, making a workout plan, meal prepping, increasing your water intake and incorpotating some sort of physical activity into yout life are all going to make such a difference. Getting into the habit of doing all these things may seem impossible in the begining however once you do it for a couple weeks you will notice the changes in how you feel and it will soon become part of your routine. You will be able to be healthy while still juggling all aspects of student life.