Are You a Student? Or Their Parent?
Student's Health May Be at Risk
My Unhealthy Experience
I know what it is like to be a student because I am a student too! Students always have nerve-wrecking deadlines to meet, stressing exams to study for, and never ending chapters to read. On top of that, some students may go to school full-time, work full-time, and have children. Next thing I know, it’s past ten o’clock, and I am not looking forward to repeating the day all over again within a few hours. By the end of the day, I realize that all of these factors have made me forget to care for my health. It is hard to make time for exercise when I am stuck reading a textbook while caring for a toddler, but it’s also hard to reach for a healthy snack when I’m in a rush to class. As a young student, I shouldn’t be placing my health last. I knew I had to change my habits when I found myself huffing and puffing by the time I reached my classroom after walking up two flights of stairs.
Physical Activity Affected Me
Students need to care to make a health change – even if it’s slow change. I started at a slow process myself and noticed shockingly amazing changes. I felt reenergized after every time I took a 45-minute to an hour walk. Doing so benefited me greatly because I was able to restart my brain and actually study, rather than trying to study with a burnt out brain. Additionally, my mood started to change for the better. After being up all day long, I use to catch myself in a cranky mood by 4 P.M., but when I started going for a walk at 4, I would feel positive about myself afterwards, which in turn made me happy. I also started to sleep longer instead of constantly waking up at night when I did not exercise. As my exercise proceeded overtime, I found myself slowly starting to make better eating choices. I would reach for an apple rather than cookies, which benefited me because I stopped getting a sugar crash.
Need Help Getting Started?
As a student, your membership to the UH gym is absolutely free! Once you hit college, it is up to you what you want your body to become. That is why students cannot make the excuse that they do not have time to exercise because they do – they just aren’t making it a priority. Students should join physical activity organizations or sports to make their attendance mandatory. If students have a hard time exercising at least an hour a day, they should start by trying to improve their eating habits - even if it’s an apple a day.