The Lazy Student’s Guide to Health and Fitness

Feeling flat, fat, run down and slobby? Here are some handy hints from the lazy student to help you feel a bit more alive.

Food

DON’T diet. Trying to force your body into cutting down will just make you think more about the food you’re missing and want it more. Don’t rely on slimming products either, if you eat because you like to eat, not because you’re hungry, these won’t make any difference, they bulk out your stomach, but don’t stop you eating. Instead, make little changes, and see what happens.

• Protein is important, it helps wounds to heal and will help quash those morning hangovers. Choose lean meat, beans, and diary products
• Carbohydrates are seen by some fad diets as a bad thing, but don’t believe all you read in the magazines. Carbohydrates give you slow release energy throughout the day and make you feel more awake and alive
• Calcium can sometimes disappear from the student’s diet, since diary products go off quickly without a fridge. If you don’t have a fridge, get a block of cheese and keep it in a bag hanging out of the window.
• Fruit and Veg, yep the old favourites. Make sure you have your five-a-day as often as possible, you need those vitamins to keep illness away and to keep you working well.
• Snacks are a downfall to many people trying to get healthy. Try to swap the chocolates, biscuits and crisps for a piece of fruit or maybe some seeds. I personally have got pretty obsessed with seeds, most health shops will sell big bags which will last you a while. For a tasty snack, mix 40% sunflower seeds, 40% pumpkin seeds, 10% hemp seeds and 10% sesame seeds with a pinch of salt, a little pepper and a sprinkling of your favourite sauce (you want something thin, the consistency of vinegar, not salad dressing or ketchup). Seeds give lots of energy, too!
• Fibre is important to clean out your digestive system and bulk out meals, so get some wholemeal bread!
• Drinks are really important too. Water will up your energy levels and aid concentration, so take a bottle along to lectures and tutorials. Tea has been proven to be really beneficial too. Try to keep away from fizzy drinks as much as possible, though the old student favourite of high-caffeine drinks do have their uses. Caffeine, as well as waking you up, will help flush out your system and is used in a lot of anti-cellulite products
• To supplement or not? Most of the time, you won’t need supplements, unless you’re missing something from your diet, and you’re doctor will probably tell you that. One thing you might want to try though, is Omega 3, available in cod liver oil or added to products like eggs or soya milk. Omega 3 not only helps your joints but also helps you to think, oiling up your synapses and helping you with your exams!

Having a Good Time

The best way to exercise is doing something you like. Don’t just join the first club you find, clubs aren’t always the best way. Going out clubbing, for example, is not only great fun, but dancing also burns off lots of calories. Try to avoid too many drinks, but if you are going to drink, go for low sugar spirits rather than high sugar beers or cider. Dancing doesn’t just have to be resigned to the clubs, dance about in your room! It’s great fun, and with practice you’ll feel more confident to get up on the dance floor next time you’re out.

Ditch the bus

Walking is a great, low impact way to shape up. It makes you feel better and will warm you up on a cold day.

Shaping up at home

We all know the exercises you can do in your room: sit-ups, press ups, crunches and so on. Give over a few minutes each day to do a set amount of these. You might also want to try something like yoga, there are plenty of books and websites that will help. Remember that the more your muscles are toned the more they will burn up in day to day movement.

The Virtues of Fidgeting

Never be idle! Keep moving all the time, even when you’re sitting down. Fidgeting, stretching, even doodling, knitting or drumming on the table will keep your metabolism ticking away!

For more from the lazy student check this out.

And look for more guides, coming soon