Diet and exercise are staple items to the modern outlook of living a healthy life. But the whole phenomenon of eating right and regularly working out has turned into a sub-culture of its own in which there is a spectrum, and depending on how much someone invests in themselves in this particular way, we tend to label them with stereotypes.
Think: “Gym Rat,” “Yogi/Yogini,” “Spin Head” and, my personal favorite, “Weekend Warrior.”
This subject, or way of life if you will, became increasingly interesting for me as my time in college progressed. Not only have articles, listicles and videos with titles like “The Ultimate Guide to Gym Lingo” and “Problems Only Girls Who Lift Understand” gained more popularity recently, but the way college-aged individuals treat and implement diet and exercise into their lives has also drawn me in.
These four years of studies are, as a whole, one giant juggling act. Many are conditioned to do well academically, while achieving in extra curricular activities as well, and then there’s keeping a social life afloat, all while simultaneously making money to survive. Since this is the case for a lot of people on campus, the question of ‘where does eating right and working out fit in?’ is often the question people ask themselves.
But keeping a healthy lifestyle is beneficial for the mind and body so students should make time in their daily schedules to stay fit and know what they’re doing throughout the process.
As I go around asking friends and strangers why they do or do not exercise regularly, the do-nots often use the excuse that they don’t know what they’re doing exactly, so why waste time at the gym when there is so many other things going on in life.
Workout enthusiast and UO senior Chase Clemens explains how seeing results is a great incentive to get someone to continue going to the gym.
“Once you start to see results, working out just becomes part of your daily routine because of that reward component,” Clemens says. “I do understand, though, how it can be intimidating when it’s new and you don’t want to look like you don’t know what you’re doing and the gym is crowded.”
The advertising student exercises for two hours a day, on average, switching up his routine every so often. His activities evolve based off research he carries out, whether it be following fellow enthusiasts on social media, or finding them in person and seeking advice from expert trainers.
Staying fit is not a new concept for Clemens who formally played sports his entire life, that is, until he began college. From football, to baseball and hockey, Clemens ended his participation in team sports when he started at UO because of the high caliber that university athletes are expected to perform at. But this didn’t take away from Clemens’ deep value in staying active.
“I’m not trying to be a body builder or anything – but I do respect those who are – my working out is mostly to keep my athleticism and have a healthy lifestyle,” Clemens says.
The physical advantage of exercise is obvious, but the mental component also involved with staying active is a powerful one that often gets overlooked.
As someone who studies the body, biology major Jordan Melchor sees exercise as a good mental strengthener.
“When things get hard, it’s really easy to give up and quit, especially in school, but with weigh training and running, I put that extra push in when it gets tough, and then eventually, I see the results of not giving up,” Melchor says.
It took the freshman both fall and winter term to really figure out how to balance a healthy college life, but now at the end of her first year, the runner sees exercise as a great way to counter the stress of school life.
“Whenever I have a couple hours in between classes, I see it as the perfect time to go to the gym and I don’t really see any reason not to go. What else would I be doing during that time? Say I’ll study but really just sit on my phone honestly,” Melchor says.
In addition to carving time out of one’s day to make a trip to the Student Recreation Center or to go on a run through town, it is also important for people to eat as healthy as possible. Students are often on a tight budget in school, and shopping at all-organic markets, for example, isn’t always possible but knowing your goals and how to achieve them can help as a guide.
“It depends on what you’re trying to achieve, for me, I want to build muscle, so I do high-protein and low-carb like a lot of chicken, eggs and veggies,” Melchor says.
Below are some more tips from both Clemens and Melchor on how to live a healthier life as a college student.
Diet advice, according to Clemens:
– Try to cook for yourself as much as possible, rather than eating out, so you can know exactly what you’re putting into your body.
– Leftovers of the meals you cook are great to turn into snacks for the days you stay on campus for a while. Take: lettuce wraps. You can stuff them with things like meat (lean protein is preferred), vegetables and maybe even throw a fried egg in there.
– Juices and shakes are also great to make to take to class and work, and the powder used in protein shakes can also double as a good substitute for flour. Protein pancakes (Clemens’ favorite), for example, can be made with protein powder instead of flour and smashed bananas can substitute for butter.
Exercise advice, according to both Clemens and Melchor:
– Finding a balance between weight training and cardio is a must, so that you’re working all parts of your body, as well as losing bad, stored fat and gaining muscle in a healthy way.
– If cutting fat is your main goal at the moment, “fasted cardio” is a great way to do this. This is when you go for a run or do some sort of cardio activity before you eat anything, so in the morning, right when you wake up is best.
– Also for burning the most fat, it is best to stick with high-intensity exercises – i.e. all-out running for a short amount of time then rest, boxing, circuit training – rather than doing something for an hour maybe at one sustained pace.
– Separating parts of the body and focusing on one or two each day is helpful in terms of preventing exhaustion and extreme soreness. For example, “leg day,” or biceps, triceps, chest, back, shoulders, butt, etc.
– Working out in partners is a great way to start out. It helps with boosting confidence, adds variety to activities and can serve as motivation.
– Time is the biggest issue for many students, but 45-minute workouts can be incredibly beneficial – don’t think one-and-a-half to two free hours is a must to get and/or remain in shape.
– Numbers like body fat percentage, bench weight or actual weight are helpful indicators of where you are in your fitness and can be used as goals, but they should not be used as your sole incentives or measurements.
Pirzad: Gym Rats, Weekend Warriors and Spin Heads
Negina Pirzad
May 13, 2016
Chase Clemens, a senior advertisement major at the University of Oregon performs a tire flip. (Samuel Marshall/Emerald)
0
More to Discover