Guide to Fitness & Eating Well in College (by Savannah Linen)

Staying Fit!

Although a lot has changed recently and even more is bound to change come the start of the academic year in August, the one thing that has offered me consistency in times of uncertainty has been exercise! Now, I’m not saying you have to be an elite athlete by any means, even getting up and doing just ten minutes of anything from some more traditional forms of exercise like running/jogging, biking, HIIT workouts, and yoga to cleaning the house, playing a recreational sport, or even just dancing around your room can have significant benefits to your physical as well as mental health.

Tips:

1. Find a workout buddy!

I went to the CRC all of the time with my roommate and other friends - it really helps with establishing a routine and holding yourself accountable to your goals.

2. Don’t do the same exact thing every day - mix it up!

It gets boring - trust me, I’ve tried it! To spice it up, you can find any number of free programs and videos on Youtube, like Chloe Ting’s workout challenges, Natasha Oceans HIIT workouts, Pamela Reif’s workout videos, yoga videos, and more. There are so many free workouts online to take advantage of, and also so many cool workout studios in Midtown Atlanta to check out! Alpha Xi Delta had a sisterhood event private cycle class at Vibe Ride, a cycle studio right off Tech’s campus - so much fun.

3. Find what you enjoy doing!

In order to spice up your workout routine, you really need to find what workouts you truly enjoy because in the long run, if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t keep up with it, and then you won’t reap the benefits that exercise provides. Personally, I adore running. I know, I’m crazy right?! But that being said, although I love running, I don’t run every single day because (1) it gets boring and (2) it causes significant wear and tear on my joints. So, I like to mix up my routine with biking, occasional HIIT workouts, and more.

Once you find your flow, the gym sort of becomes a safe space. Honestly, this past semester I looked forward to my time at the CRC as I use exercise as my form of stress relief and a break from the mental strain of school, and we could all use a little bit less stress, right?

Eating Well From the Dorm

Tips:

1. Keep track of how often you eat out

Being on campus with all of your friends makes it soooooo easy to get caught up in going out and eating take out all the time. While that is good to do on occasion, doing it 4-5 days a week might lead you to spend tons of money and create an unhealthy eating habit - which leads to spending lots of money and feeling not so great physically.

The answer to this is to learn when to go out and when to stay in! You don’t have to say yes every time someone invites you to go hangout somewhere or to go out to eat. This will not only save you time, but also money in the long run because eating out add up fast.

2. Keep healthy snacks around!

An easy way to keep some healthy eating tendencies during the semester is to keep healthy snacks that you like nearby. Along with this, if you have a meal plan, try to have at least one or two healthy components to each meal - like yummy fruits and veggies! This will keep a good balance in your diet and ultimately make you feel good without being deprived of the tasty things you love.

Grocery List Ideas!

carrots & hummus
oatmeal
bananas/ other fruit
granola bars
greek yogurt
peanut butter
cheese sticks
apple slices (I love them dipped in caramel!)

3. Eat what makes you feel good

In the long run, you should eat what makes you feel good and fuels your body at the same time, because if you don’t properly fuel yourself, you could end up being perpetually sick and/or tired which is never fun during the semester.

At the Alpha Xi house, our meals are prepared by Chef Brii and her team - and we love them like family! She makes such delicious meals for us for lunch and dinner, and it makes eating yummy and healthy foods so much easier (and you get to do it with sisters, so even better). One of my absolute FAVORITE meals at the house is called Buddha Bowls - a mix of super yummy grilled chicken, quinoa, veggies, a special homemade sauce, and Chef Brii’s famous crispy chickpeas!