Alex JoseSpring Break is usually known for vacations in balmy places, parties all night, catching up with the family, or maybe even just vegetating at home. Spring Break does not usually equate to a week to get your health back on track, but you should definitely give it a chance. Especially since you have the entire week off to plan and start the health regimen you swore to back in January. So here are some ways to utilize your Spring Break to benefit your health.
1. Start planning your healthy diet. Spring Break is a great time to go through the fridge and cupboards and throw out whatever rotten mold has been cultivating in the back. Start fresh. Go shopping at your local grocery store, whole foods store, or farmers market and buy up some fresh fruit and vegetables. Make sure to have some dishes planned though, as you don’t want to buy food you won’t end up eating. So look up some healthy recipes beforehand and see what they call for. If you use Spring Break to help you get on track to a healthier diet, it will be much easier to continue it.
2. Look up local farmers markets. Farmers markets are a great resource for fresh food. However, you have to be diligent in looking up when and where they will be, as oftentimes they only tend to happen in big areas and at certain times. You also have to learn how to have a good eye for the best products because if you’re not careful you could end up with something that’s bad quality. But one of the great things about farmers markets is that most stalls hand out samples of their foods for you to try, so not only can you buy up some great food, you can also enjoy some free food! And what college student doesn’t like free food?
3. Start Exercising. Hit up your college gym (and here‘s how to look cool working out), join your college’s ultimate frisbee club, get a job as a dog walker, or do anything that will basically get you to move. Exercising often is usually neglected because sometimes college students just “can’t find the time” or are “too tired” to do it. This Spring Break, you don’t have any of those excuses! So get up, go out and take a run, or stay in and do some yoga or pilates. Heck, even just plugging in your Wii and actually attempting to do all the moves in Just Dance can be pretty vigorous (that means no sitting down and waving your arm). Whatever you plan on doing to exercise, just make sure to keep on doing it, even when Spring Break is over. Because keeping yourself fit will only make yourself feel better when you start to shed pounds and feel more energetic.
4. Get your sleep schedule normalized again. One of the biggest things we college students neglect is our sleep. What better way to fix your sleep schedule but during a week when you have no real obligations to others? Set goals for your ideal wake-up time, start prepping yourself to fall asleep earlier than you did during the exam week prior to spring break! Remember, 7-9 hours a night is generally an ideal amount of sleep for people.
5. Challenge yourself. You already do everything I listed? Good. Now how about challenging yourself this Spring Break? Do even more. Join a marathon, double your exercises, look up more complicated recipes, or finally fulfill your dream of climbing Mt. Everest. Okay, so maybe you don’t have to be that extreme, but Spring Break would be a great time to test yourself.
If you’re not the person I was talking to in the last step, then perhaps what I listed before will be your challenge this Spring Break, and if it is, that’s okay. Everyone has to start somewhere, so make this Spring Break your start for a healthier lifestyle. And, for you girls out there, if you start being healthy now, you’ll definitely have your bikini bod by summer!
Photo courtesy of fotologic via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).