Being healthy and having success in one’s fitness journey can be difficult at times. It can be especially challenging for college students who are constantly dealing with rigorous schedules from classes, internships, jobs, clubs and social lives. However, there are countless benefits that come from a healthy lifestyle for college students.

Benefits include improved mood and feeling overall better mentally in addition to having more energy and better focus. Being healthy and fit also helps individuals feel better physically. Living a healthy lifestyle focused on fitness most importantly helps individuals live longer and have less health problems than less active unhealthy people.

Aside from simply finding the time to exercise and focus on one’s health, many college students are presented with unlimited amounts of unhealthy food and snacks from their dining halls. Proper diets with reasonable portions are a large part of a healthy life. Keeping track of what you eat and having a balanced diet can be hard, but will pay off in the long run.

The next major part of being healthy and fit is daily exercise or physical activities. Many individuals think this means running multiple miles or lifting heavy weights, but it does not have to be this intense. 

“Our campus has a beautiful walking path that not many people know about…a lot of people think working out has to be a hard thing, but it really doesn’t,” Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being group fitness instructor Darcy Ott said. “I got into working out simply by taking walks with my mom.”

Many different forms of exercise can be beneficial to both physical and mental health.  “I enjoy running because it’s a nice way to unwind from schoolwork at the end of the day. It also helps me relieve stress because I get out and get active,” sophomore Ashley Burger said.

No matter where someone may be, through healthy habits of eating right and staying active, anyone can begin their journey to a healthy and fit lifestyle.