Student Life Hacks: Keeping Fit and Healthy
Why it’s probably time to uninstall those takeaway apps
Student life is full of different challenges – you leave home and all of a sudden, you’ve got to work out how to use a washing machine, how to clean a toilet, how to make food that isn’t pot noodle or delivered to your door and you’ve lost your perfect handbook (aka. Mum).
In that first year it’s likely your diet becomes a bit of a mess and physical activity somehow slips off your radar. In fact, it isn’t until you get home and see broccoli on your plate that you remember vegetables even exist, and they’re actually pretty good too!
But fear not! There are ways to help yourself get back on track with keeping (reasonably) fit and healthy without sacrificing your student lifestyle, and I’m going to tell you a few of them right here and right now!
Veg out
First of all, get some veggies back into your food! One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply throw a bag of frozen mixed veg into your trolley whenever you go for a food shop.
That way, you have a cheap and easy way of getting vegetables onto your plate. Pretty much whatever meal you’re planning on having, you can add a few veggies and this can really do wonders for your diet!
Of course, fresh vegetables and fruit are always preferable – so try picking up a tub of grapes to snack on instead of those biscuits. An interesting fact is that fruits and vegetables actually make you feel fuller quicker than many sugary sweets and chocolates, so this small change in habit can make a real difference in your calorie consumption.
Cooking is easy
Another great way to ensure you’re eating some good, healthy meals without too much hassle is to find some recipes on websites, such as BBC Good Food. You’ll find a plethora of easy to make, fresh and tasty meal ideas on offer for you and your friends to enjoy! One dish I can highly recommend is the Chicken and Chorizo jambalaya, which is easy to make and super delicious.
Exercise in disguise
Now, even though it is a huge part of keeping healthy, it’s important to remember that diet isn’t everything.
If you really want to lose weight, maintain a fairly healthy lifestyle or increase your fitness level, then you need to incorporate a decent amount of physical activity into your week.
Even without having to climb into Lycra, there are so many ways you can make sure you’re getting in some good exercise to help you feel on top form! For example, whenever you have somewhere to get to that is within reasonable walking distance and safe to walk to – get walking!
Something as simple as a regular twenty-minute walk can really help to increase your fitness and it’s completely free, what more could you ask for!?
However, if you do have a little bit of money to spare in your monthly budget, and are interested in increasing your fitness, I would highly recommend joining a nearby gym.
Climb into the Lycra
There are loads of gyms in Birmingham that cover all sorts of price ranges and amenities. My choice is TheGymGroup. It has multiple gym locations in Birmingham and offer memberships that cost as little as £14.99 per month.
With so much choice of where to get fit, you can save some serious money on gym memberships. There’s some great advice on getting the best student savings for your money. Or flit like a keep-fit butterfly between as many as you can, using money off vouchers.
Birmingham University’s new sports centre also offers student memberships, for anyone who wants to support the uni, as they break a sweat.
If you are a student at the University of Birmingham, why not join one of the many sports groups? Simply visit the Guild of Students website and explore the wide range of sport societies that the university has to offer. From dance classes to kickboxing, there’s loads to choose from!
I hope you can see that it’s easy to squeeze some healthy eating and exercise into student life, without even really trying!