Are you the soon to be parent of a freshman in college? Or are you an incoming freshman?
Then you have probably heard the label, “Freshman 15”. You’ve either dreading it, you’ve overcome it, or you’re one of the lucky few who’s avoided it.
These are the 4 tips and tricks to helping college freshmen stay healthy while being away from home!
1. Start or continue a workout schedule
2. Teach them how to cook and eat balanced meals
3. Look up clubs to get active on campus
4. Find a workout buddy
1. Start or continue a workout schedule
In high school, we get used to the routine of whatever athletic event we are involved in. I was a varsity rower who practiced six days a week and raced on a national level. My schedule was demanding and I was in peak shape.
taken from Maddie Sabis camera roll – information displayed on photo
Following my final practice, I decided that in college I no longer wanted to continue rowing and would just switch to the gym when I got the membership through the school. Between my last race in May 2017, and school starting in August 2017, I was not really involved in much physical activity…BIG mistake! Find something to keep active. Don’t lose what you built up. I got to college and lost most of that varsity athlete progress I had been proud to build up. It was hard to get motivated at the gym by myself when I was used to group motivation. Between the routine of high school and the freedom of college, find an activity you know you can stick to and that you want to stick to. But don’t take that break!
2. Teach incoming freshmen how to cook and eat balanced meals
I lived off campus my freshman year so there was no reason to have a meal plan. That meant I was either cooking for myself or going out. For me, there was a Chick-Fil-A conveniently located on my walk to my friends’ dorm rooms. Without the meal plan, the quick chicken sandwich and fries became a go to, sometimes even treating myself to a milkshake too. Going into college I was a lightweight rower who had to stay under 130 pounds for racing. When I got home for my first Christmas Break I was stepping on the scale at 155 pounds. It had been hard for me to get back into working out after high school, it got worse the heavier I got. This reality check made me evaluate which parts were truly leading me down this unhealthy path.
Before college, setting aside time to cook balanced meals on a budget is important for healthy
lifestyles. Start a cookbook of ideas that they can take with them. At move-in ensure that your student has the basic cooking utensils, pots and pans, and spices. Any sort of resources you can start them with will only encourage healthy living.
Resources found for healthy recipes at: https://www.fitzness.com/blog/fitzness-blog/
3. Look for clubs to get active on campus with
On most college campuses there are plenty of intramural sports, clubs, and active groups to find. Using the resources that you pay for through the school is worth your money! My big advice to college freshmen is to get back on Facebook. Surprised? Well most clubs and teams post on the class pages about their first meetings or tryouts. There are always involvement opportunities on those pages and people all over campus to connect with. If you were used to the team sports in high school and want to continue those types of relationships in college look into the active organizations!
4. Find a workout buddy
Have someone else who will get you motivated when you cannot. Get a friend who will hit the gym with you, go for a run, or is down for any sort of activity. The more you both get in the habit of being active, the more you will want to encourage each other to continue your progress. With a friend you are also able to challenge each other and compete to be better versions of yourself!
Now write them down, memorize them, practice every single day. Commit to being the best version of yourself!
