By guest blogger Michael Chan
Michael is a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in English and pursuing a minor in Architectural Studies. He is an aspiring young writer who hopes to someday impact the world through his written work. He plans on traveling to Italy someday to pursue his interests in Renaissance architecture.
Summer is finally here, but are you still carrying around that Freshman 15? With a less than healthy diet and little exercise, it’s common for us college students to expand horizontally during the school year. Whether you’re looking to get in shape for the beach, or trying to shed a few pounds, here are a few tips and resources that will get you to that point while spending little to no money.
Exercise – Just Do It
Keep a Journal
Start a journal to record your goals and track your progress along the way. While this may seem unnecessary at first, it’s actually a great way to stay focused on what you want to get out of your exercise and diet; it also confirms any improvements that you’ve made over time and can even serve as a source of motivation. If that sounds like too much work for you already, Pyramid Tracker is a great online resource that allows you to easily assess and monitor your physical and dietary activity for free.
One of the biggest misconceptions people have about getting in shape is that you have to work out at the gym, and in order to do, drop a good chunk of money for a membership. Bodyweight exercising is a budget-friendly alternative to paying for a gym membership. These exercises can be done at home and require no equipment. Find a full list of bodyweight exercises that you can do at home, or if you’re looking for a routine to follow, you can find free full body workout plans for beginners along with detailed videos on the proper form of each exercise. If you’re on the go, free mobile apps offer training workouts, where you can also add your own music playlist.
What you eat
Your diet is just as essential to getting back in shape as your workouts. Don’t go completely depriving yourself though; it’s ok to indulge a little every now and then. But keep this word in mind: moderation. If you’re looking to shed some extra pounds while keeping your stomach full, white-meat poultry, lean beef, eggs, milk, cheese, and yogurt are some good sources of protein (these are also great for building a little extra muscle!). Last but not least, make sure you drink at least 8 cups of cold water everyday; studies have shown that drinking 64 oz. of cold water can burn up to 70 calories, and staying hydrated boosts your immune system.