Kevin SchenkNew Year Resolutioners have a pretty bad reputation for wrecking havoc each January at the gym. For the regular gym goer, it can be frustrating having to watch their place of sanctuary go to hell for a month as they try to tackle their own health related resolutions. Resolutioners, make 2015 the year you stick to your goals and finally improve your physical fitness and overall health. Then join the regulars next January as we all fume around the gym together fighting for mirror space.
Whether this is your first or eighth year vowing to adopt a healthier lifestyle, it’s important to recognize you’ve already made a huge first step by setting a health related goal for yourself. Despite popular thought, your goal doesn’t have to be overly specific. The notion that you want to improve your overall well-being is all you need to successfully create healthy habits that can make a lasting difference.
It’s really difficult to get in shape while on campus. There’s a ton of things to worry about, like making it to all your classes, taking notes, actually doing readings, assignments, labs, and by the end of the day you’re totally pooped, so the last thing you want to do is jump on a treadmill. Being a healthy, active person on campus takes some planning. Here’s some tips on how you can make it work.
Bring an improvised home packed lunch
We have some pretty healthy and tasty options on campus such as Subway, Edo sans sauce and Burrito Libré, but it can be really pricey to eat there every day. It’s obviously a lot easier and cheaper to buy a bagel from Tim Horton’s, or a couple bags of chips for lunch. On the flip side, packing a full chicken breast and a salad every single day is a pain in the ass, so try an improvised half home packed lunch. Try buying a pre-washed bag of variety lettuce from the grocery store and bringing some to school in a Tupperware — it’ll be a lot easier. Head over to OPA! in SUB for a meat kebab and you have a simple lunch that cost as much as that bagel or three bags of chips you were planning on getting earlier. Voila, the best of both worlds. You save money, don’t have to carry a bunch of things around, and you get a tasty lunch.
Be ready to roll at all times
When it comes to fitness, it’s really important to be properly equipped. If you can fit your gym gear in your backpack, that’s great, but if not, join the group of kids tying sneakers to our knapsacks. If you haven’t already noticed, gym goers carry around a lot of stuff at all times. It’s important to have your gym stuff on you, you never know when your group meeting will fall through and you have an extra hour for the gym, or when your friends will be short players for a campus rec basketball game. You can also rent a locker in Van Vliet for $80 a term. That way, it’s all right there and you don’t have to carry your stuff around all day.
Get involved with a fun physical activity
If the gym isn’t for you, make the most of what University of Alberta has to offer. With active clubs like the Outdoors Club and the Ski and Snowboard Club, and Recreation Services’ constant stream of intramurals, there really is something for everybody. Also, have you seen how crazy the new rock-climbing wall is? Head over to the Rec Services website for a big list of activities you can be a part of — both intramural and drop in. If you don’t want to play on a team, there’s drop in time from everything ranging from yoga and swimming, all the way to basketball.
