School has just started and you’re bound to look up a few ways to stay in shape. This applies to all of us, whether you are naturally fit and want to gain more muscles or simply tone you body, those who want to lose some weight, or athletes who are looking for new and different exercises to change up their workout routine.
As a new student entering university for the first time, I am inevitably nervous for the school year to begin. With that said, I am incredibly TERRIFIED of the infamous “Freshman 15”.
Let’s face it guys and girls, we have got to be on top of our game, and the only way we can do that is by staying fit and healthy in order for us to have the energy to reach our academic and personal goals and continue our success, so why not take advantage of the numerous facilities offered at our very own campus?
Now, I can preach all day about the importance of you getting 8 hours of sleep and not stressing too much, but realistically speaking, as UofT students there are times when we simply have to compromise our sleep for academic purposes. Similarly, I can tell you not to stress too much and overthink things but it doesn’t mean that it won’t happen; it’s all part of the university life. Regardless of your high stress levels and sleep deprivation, you must never fail to exercise and be active on a daily basis.
These steps will definitely help you shake up and either start a new lifestyle or simply improve the one you already have.
1. Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation results in your lack of energy and ability to absorb information merely as well as you could if you had 8-9 hours of sleep. The symptoms of sleep deprivation will appear in your health as your body becomes weak and prone to catching colds and viruses. Not to mention the symptoms will not only appear in your academic life and but also in your personal life, as sleep deprivation transforms you into a grumpy, easily irritated and moody person, this will create a negative effect on your daily relationships with friends and family members. More importantly, little sleep is known for being linked to weight gain. Your body has a biological sleeping clock, and when you are awake past that time, your digestive system continues its creation of certain digestive hormones that are no longer required, which is why you may want to snack all night long.
2. Eat smart! Think about the time of the day, the proportion, and the number of meals you will consume. Firstly, make sure to eat breakfast everyday. Try to develop this habit, and continue it at all times, even if you’re in a rush. Secondly, have six small meals per day, and try not to eat fast food. Try eating five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit on a daily basis. Finally, the infinite solution for all thing, drink a lot of water, ideally 8-10 cups of water.
3. Avoid the stressors of university life. Try your best to manage your stress levels in the most effective way possible. Stress is the cause of 99% of diseases, so avoid anything that may result in additional stress to your life as first-year university student. Some stressors develop from procrastination, or overlapping commitments and priorities, or the excessive demand of perfection from yourself. At times you just have to let go and see where life takes you. Laziness won’t get you far and it is a bad habit that must be tackled immediately, but at the same time you have to remember that you only have two hands and there’s only so much you can juggle. You can either focus on only two activities and do really well in them or take on a couple commitments and do a half-ass job in all of them. Establish your personal limit for extracurricular activities. On another note, don’t be afraid of doing badly every once in a while, if you were to do well for each of your assignments, you wouldn’t be learning anything. More importantly, make sure to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for the possibility of a drop in your average. Many students drop in their averages but it does not mean you are less intelligent, it’s simply a depiction of the higher university standards.
4. Build at least a half-hour of physical exercise into your daily routine. Be consistent with the exercises and activities that you do. The following are great ways for you to take advantage of the facilities at UofT:
- Join an intramural team. This is for individuals who are interested in athletics in a recreational manner. Intramural teams not only allow us freshman to battle against the Freshman 15 but also to socialize and meet new people who can motivate to continue our workout lifestyle. Our campus has intramural teams for all kinds of sports, so it will definitely spark every student’s interest. As a non-athletic person myself, I can definitely say that I will join one or two intramural teams to keep myself healthy and active during my first university year.
- Join a varsity. If you are an advanced swimmer, runner, or interested in any type of sport on a professional and advanced level, you should join a varsity team. Not only will you be surrounded by competitive individuals with your similar mentality on sports and passion for them, but you’ll also be inspired and motivated to continue your daily workouts.
- Use the Pool and Gym. Hart House Fitness Centre has a 25-yard pool with an Art Deco skylight and it’s open every day of the week from early morning to late at night. If you’re a swimmer and you need to train, take advantage of it, if you’re interested in learning to swim, take advantage of it, even if you simply enjoy swimming around for fun, take advantage of it. We’re automatically enrolled as members due to the incidental fees that are included in our tuition payments, so we might as well make use of these extraordinary facilities.
- Go to the drop-in fitness classes at Hart House. These classes are free for UofT students and Hart House Fitness Centre members. Personally, I prefer to do activities in teams and I know if I have an instructor that is counting on me to attend the class, I’ll actually go to the classes. I don’t have the motivation to go to the gym and exercise on my own, and I definitely can’t do it with my friends, we’ll just end up talking and laughing the whole time. So I find that classes develop into a priority on your “To Do” list. Hart House offers numerous classes, from Zumba to martial arts. It’s a great way for you to get fit while meeting new people and having fun as a team, not to mention learn new things within your interests. These classes are intended for students, you’ve paid for them in your tuition plans, so why not use such great resources.
- Participate in registered classes. UofT will provide you with endless opportunities to learn new things, not only in academically but also for your personal health. Pay a fee of approximately $70 and join a class for a whole semester. The fitness centre offers classes for all things that may be of your interest, whether it’d be learning to swim, belly dance, do Pilates, archery or karate. It’s a chance for you to be active while learning something new.
- Personal Training and Fitness Consultation. If you want to see a significant change in your body and/or confirm the effectiveness your current exercise program, it’s always good to meet with the fitness staff at the Hart House fitness centre. The consultation sessions are only an hour long and cost $30. These qualified staff members can evaluate an appropriate fitness program suitable to your athletic abilities and for your personal fitness goals. If you are someone who prefers to workout on their own, you should consider participating in a few personal training sessions. Although these one hour sessions are not free, they are incredibly good in teaching you effective exercises that you can later choose to do on your own. The price range for these sessions vary from $160 for 3 sessions to $430 for 10 sessions. You can also choose to be in a small group training with 1-3 other people. Keep in mind that the price range is quite student-friendly in comparison to the personal training programs offered at Goodlife, Extreme Fitness, or LA Fitness. Hart House Fitness Centre offers high quality training programs while still considering our student budget.
Hopefully you’ll follow these tips only to achieve the end results you desire. Remember you can always check out the official Hart House Fitness Centre website and do your own research at: http://harthouse.ca/fitness/
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