By: Deshala Wilkins
Running towards great health and a great semester through health and wellness practices.
As college students, we put a lot of things before our health and wellness. Getting up early in the morning to attend classes, staying up late at night to finish homework, studying for quizzes and exams and trying to keep up with life on campus begin to become a main priority in college. Often, we get blindsided by all the positive and negative glories that college has to offer. We tend to prioritize other things while in college like homework, classes, and parties to the point where we forget about our mental and physical health.
According to Purdue University, it is important that college students establish solid health and wellness practices that will carry them through graduation (Purdue University Global 2021). It is good to start practicing health and wellness routines early and stay consistent so it can become second nature. The practices of wellness can be very rewarding in the long run. Nutrition, exercise and stress management are three things that apply to your overall health and wellness. According to Purdue University, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital states students gain three to ten pounds during their first two years of college (Purdue 2021). As college students, we neglect the fact that some of the things we consume daily can affect our nutrition. Instead of eating out and late-night snacking a better alternative would be cooking at home and avoiding eating at a certain time in the evening. While in school maintaining a healthy diet is important.
The things we may eat while in college can have a huge impact on the body. Over time, eating a lot of fried, high in sodium, sweet and fatty foods can cause negative effects on the body. Adding foods that are high in fiber, have fewer calories and have a lot of beneficial vitamins would be a positive effect on the body in the long run. In college, we overwork ourselves trying to attend classes, study/complete homework and keep up with life outside of school. Which can lead to stress-causing negative effects on the body such as headaches, insomnia and lessen productivity. Practicing techniques that relieve stress such as exercise can help clear the mind while contributing to overall wellness. Also talking to someone about what is causing the stressors can assist with alleviating some stress. Overall, supporting the body with positive health and wellness routine will improve bodily function and help mentally too.
