Finals week is approaching – A.K.A., an excuse we use to eat all the junk and drink all the caffeine. BUT, finals week should not be used as an excuse to derail our diets, let exercise fall to the waistside and regress all the progress you’ve made this year. There are ways to stay healthy during finals week and eating nourishing meals and getting some physical activity will actually be beneficial for your studying purposes. I’ll give you some healthy brain-fuel recipes as well as some easy to carry snacks and meal ideas to tote around campus when you’re spending all day at the library as well as some quick workouts to help you get in and out of the gym.
BRAIN FOODS:
- Avocados– Who couldn’t use a generous scoop of guac on their Chipotle? #splurge4finals
- Fatty fish – Grill up some salmon and pair it with some whole grain rice and steamed veggies for a well-rounded BOMB-a meals
- Eggs – Pair it with a whole wheat bagel and some cheese and you are in BIZNESS for a brain-powered breakfast
- Dark Chocolate– Enough said
- Nuts – These double as a brain power food and a portable powerhouse snack
- Berries – Throw these in a smoothie or a yogurt parfait to start the day off with a brain power boost
Quick recipes to tote around that don’t require any extra brain power:
- Peanut Butter ‘n Apple Sandwich — The protein from the peanut butter and the fiber from the apple will you keep full, therefore allowing you to focus on your studies and not your growling stomach
- Turkey ‘n Avo Wrap — Take a whole grain wrap or tortilla and layer on some turkey, spinach, avocado, hummus and a sprinkle of feta and stick it in your lunchbox for a dose of lean protein and healthy fats
- PB&J Smoothie — Easy to take on-the-go and loaded with nutrients. Throw some greek yogurt, water or almond milk, strawberries, nut butter and half a frozen banana in a blender and you’re good to go for a quick breakfast or snack on the run
- Snackin’ Smorgasboard — If you’re more of a snacker rather than a full-on meal eater than try to make smart pairings to keep you full, focused and ready to tackle your finals. Ex: Trail mix made with almonds, craisins, pistachios and dark chocolate chips paired with fruit of choice and a cheese stick
GETTIN’ SWEATY TO GET SMART
A few exercises to help get you in and out the gym and back to the library with improved focus and attention to your studies. HIIT workouts will quickly become your best friend during the short workout breaks you have allowance for during finals week (QUICKlY being a keyword here). HIIT workouts are designed to quickly raise your heart rate (and sweat glands) to get you a kicka** workout in no time. Here are some of my go-tos and some other great ones I found among the internet:
- HIIT the treadmill: *Total time = 20 minutes
- (0-2:00 minutes – warm up)
- 2:00-3:00 minutes – run @ 6.0-7.0 –> pick a pace that’s relatively easy or maybe a step below your normal pace
- 3:00-4:00 minutes – increase speed by 0.5
- 4:00-5:00 – increase speed by 0.5
- 5:00-6:00 – increase speed by 0.5
- 6:00-18:00 – repeat minutes 2:00-6:00 three more times
- (18:00 – 20:00 – cool down)
- Efficient Elipticizing *Total time = 25 minutes
- (0-3:00 – warm up)
- 3:00-5:00 – moderate intensity
- 5:00-7:00 – find your recovery base level
- 7:00-8:00 – sprint
- 8:00-9:00 – recover
- 9:00-17:00 – repeat minutes 7:00-9:00 four times
- 17:00-19:00 – two minute sprint; push hard!
- 19:00-21:00 – recover
- (21:00-25:00 – cool down)
- 25-minute Treadmill workout; courtesy of PBFingers: http://i0.wp.com/www.pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/25-minute-…
- 20 minute Eliptical Workout; courtesty of Meals and Moves – http://mealsandmovesblog.com/20-min-elliptical-hiit-increasing-speed-res…
*Note: Most of these workouts can be adapted to whatever cardio machine (or even outdoors) that you prefer! Also, remember to always adjust any of these to YOUR own fitness level
It’s also important not to let your strength training plans fall to pieces during this time so try to sneak in a few lunges, squats and push-ups throughout the day to keep your booty tight and your leggings taute.