Meet Libby Sample. Libby is a freshman Political Science and International Studies major from Dallas, Texas. She is a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority through which she works with Peace at Home Women and Children’s Shelter. Libby loves to explore Fayetteville and North West Arkansas in her free time.
Leaving home for college is a big change in your student’s life. Students are soon going to be faced with many new responsibilities, including keeping up with their health. A lot of staying healthy on campus is up to the students themselves and whether or not they choose to take advantage of the resources around them. Fortunately, at the University of Arkansas it is not too difficult to take care of your body and stay healthy.
First, the University of Arkansas provides Chartwell’s dining service on campus. Chartwell’s works hard to create different options for students to have a healthy, balanced diet. In Brough Dining Hall, there is a section specifically named the “health zone” which provides healthy food. The health zone offers healthy meals that are pre-measured into proper portion sizes. Also, if your student has a gluten allergy, Brough Dining Hall is a perfect option, as everything in the health zone is gluten free. Aside from dining in Brough, there are healthy meal options in every dining hall on campus. As long as a student is dedicated to eating a balanced diet, it is certainly possible to eat well in college.
Along with the healthy food options on campus, there are so many opportunities to get physical exercise. In my opinion, just walking around the hilly campus is a great form of exercise. The university also has a large recreation center called the HPER, which stands for health, physical education and recreation. The HPER has a gym full of exercise equipment, several basketball courts, a pool, an indoor track, outside fields, and many more resources. There is also a workout facility located inside of the student union. University Recreation also offers a large list of different classes for students to take for free on campus such as Zumba, yoga, P90X, and cycling to name a few. Athletic trainers are also present on campus. For students who love sports, there are club as well as intramural sports teams. The teams range from flag football to bowling. This is also a great way to get involved and meet people on campus.
One great tip I have used to stay in shape is buying healthy snacks. I have also learned to never shop when I am hungry. It is so hard to eat a healthy diet when you are surrounded by appetizing junk food. Make sure your student sticks to buying things like fruit, vegetables, hummus, nuts and granola. If your student likes a quick breakfast, a personal blender is worth their money as it is incredibly easy to blend together some fruit and coconut milk and be on your way. It is certainly okay to indulge in a slice of cake or a cookie in the dining halls, but encourage your student to avoid grabbing dessert after every meal.
Another great way to stay healthy is getting the amount of sleep that your student’s body needs. If a student is tired, they will be more likely to look for sugary, caffeinated drinks to wake them up and they will also be less likely to stay active. Furthermore, sleep deprivation can disrupt your student’s metabolism and make it easier for them to gain weight. Staying hydrated is also important. The benefits of being hydrated are endless. It is as simple as encouraging your student to take a water bottle with them when they leave for class and drinking it throughout the day. Although sleep and water are two things that people often overlook, they are critical to maintaining a healthy body.
So many students come to school thinking that the freshman fifteen is inevitable. However, there are plenty resources on campus to encourage students to stay healthy. With a little bit of hard work and dedication, students should have no problem keeping up a healthy life style.