A Healthy Lifestyle

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-780588

There are many health issues that occur to students who are newly introduced to the college life, or happen to be under a lot of stress or work.  With hectic schedules, students can get caught up in unhealthy behaviors. 
           
According to a website for the “Science Daily”, the 2007 College Student Health Survey Report traced a series of health problems including Menningitis, Obesity and sleep deprivation. 

One of the most important to a healthy college life it what your diet consists of.  Many college students resort to cheap items such as Ramen Noodles or any other boxed processed food.  Eating “food” like this is a fast way to increase your blood pressure and also increase your chances of having a heart attack. 

Obesity is a continuous problem for America today, especially among college students.  Studies from UNH (in 2007) showed that about 1/3^rd of their 12,000+ enrolled undergraduates were either overweight, or obese. 

The first step any college student can go to is taking a look at the Food Guide Pyramid.  This Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day based on the “Dietary Guidelines.” 

The bottom of the pyramid contains the largest proportions (6-11 servings), containing foods such as bread, cereal, rice and pasta groups.  As you move towards the top of the pyramid, you have your veggies, fruits, milk yogurt and cheese, and right at the top at the smallest amounts you have fats, oils and sweets.        

Even though dieting is a huge part of living a healthy lifestyle, exercise is just as important. Contrary to making efforts to eating healthy, many college students seem to stay on track with working out and going to the gym. 

Our group randomly surveyed ten people on the Lyndon State campus, and six said that participated in some sort of exercise at least 3 times a week, whether it was going to the gym, or running.   Now even though we only surveyed ten people, it already shows that students up here in Northern Vermont are making an effort to live healthy.

The gym is a great place to go and get your exercise needs, but for people starting off, they need to have an idea of what they are doing.  They need to make sure they have a routine so their body can continuously recognize what it’s doing. 

It is also important to remember to not work the same body part two days in a row.  For example, if you lift arms one day, focus on legs the next, or take a day off from lifting and go out for a run which helps your cardiovascular endurance.

These are just some small tips for anyone who wants to boost their college lifestyle in the healthiest way possible.