Healthy living tips for students
Ottawa experts reveal how food and exercise makes learning easier
Feb 17, 2007
Mike Croskery, author of Weight Training for a New Body, tells his clients that the best way to increase the blood flow to their brain, and their overall health, is to eat nutritious food in moderate amounts, and to make a workout plan and stick to it.
Croskery, an accredited personal trainer adds, “Strength training decreases stress levels by helping to metabolize high levels of stress hormones.”
Since a new school year forces students to reinvent their routine, it is the perfect time to ensure that exercise is scheduled into their day.
Croskery recommends getting a workout partner to help stay motivated. “Stick to a schedule of same time/day to workout,” he stresses. “This will keep you consistent and you will find there is less distraction when you have a schedule, and fewer interruptions.”
At many colleges a variety of on-campus, co-ed Intramural sports – volleyball, ball hockey, soccer, basketball, touch football, badminton -- encourage students to enter teams.
“Students don’t have to sign up as part of a team but we encourage them to,” explains Keri Giffin, front line receptionist at the Algonquin College SA office in Ottawa, Canada. “It works better when students, who are in the same program and have the same schedule, sign up together.”
Teams play for $50, making it not only a fun way to exercise, but also affordable.
“I like team sports,” remarks Algonquin graduate Marisa Sutherland-Brown, 21. “I found exercising rejuvenating when I was studying.”
A membership to the Algonquin gym, called the Fitness Zone, costs about $200 per year. It is open to the public, but Giffin says most of the memberships are held by students and staff.
At Ottawa’s two university’s, fitness passes are a wonderful perk for full-time students.
The University of Ottawa boasts two sports complexes, two ice surfaces, three gymnasiums, a 50-metre pool, fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, a multi-sports field and a dance studio. Carleton University has a pool, ice rink, triple gym, double gym, cardio room, weight room, and soccer fields. The fitness passes offer access to most facilities and a number of exercise classes.
But if you don’t see yourself as a “sports person” Croskery’s message is simple, “Spend more time walking, rollerblading, running, cycling, boating, skiing, skating and just moving in general.”
Second year University of Ottawa arts student Annie Beauvais, 19, admits,. “No one I know does any university sports.” But that doesn’t mean she sits idle. “I walk a lot, that is how I stay fit. Walking kilometres each day in between classes, it can end up being a lot of exercise! Some girlfriends I know use local gyms close to home. We usually spend a lot of time walking around downtown (even in the freezing weather) because we bus to school.”
Dora Boukouris, personal trainer and Registered Nutritional Counseling Practitioner (RNCP) is okay with that, but she doesn’t mince words: “If you don’t use it you lose it.”
Boukouris also advises students to get moving. Her favourite phrase is, “hit the weights.”
“It increases metabolism, energy levels, motivation, reduces stress, and improve focus. A full body workout two to three times a week is the minimum.”
Croskery concurs, “Make sure you get at least three weight training workouts a week to build strength and muscle, five weight training and cardio workouts to help lose fat.”
Stabilize your energy levels by eating natural energy boosters such as nuts and seeds, whole grains and fruits. Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water a day, and incorporate good fats into your diet.
“Good fats, like flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed, fish oils, and olive oil fuel the brain and body, improve energy levels, burn fat, and are important for the overall functioning of the body,” says Boukouris. “And always have a carb with a protein/good fat. This will help to slow digestion, stabilize blood sugars and sustain energy for longer.”
A balanced lifestyle equals a positive outlook on life.
Deep breathing, yoga, meditation and laughter are other ways you can keep your mind and body in sync.
The recipe for a toned body and mind while away at school? Eat well, exercise every day, study with passion, and see the glass as half full rather than half empty.
