3 tips for looking after your health at University

Heading off to university is one of the most exciting, but also nerve-wracking, experiences in your life. Not only is going away to university a chance to broaden your knowledge and education, but also provides you the opportunity to meet new friends and live independently. However, going to university also means having to look after yourself as your parents won’t be around to tidy up after you and cook your breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Therefore, it is important that you know how to take care of your own health and wellbeing, so that you can get the most out of your university experience and learn life skills that will stay with you for the rest of your adult life. Here are our 3 top tips which are worth remembering.

Regular exercise

When you think of how you are going to spend your time at university, you probably think about going to lectures and hanging out with your friends at the student union. But it is crucial that you try to fit in a healthy and balanced lifestyle into your schedule. Regularly exercising doesn’t mean that you should spend hours and hours in the gym after lectures. Instead, you can take part in any physical activity that you enjoy. For example, by joining the university football or netball team you can keep fit, make friends, and have fun.

You should also be sure to take the time for your body to recover from any intense exercises that you take part in. For example, if you are pushing your body to the max during workouts then you need to allow time for your muscles to recover. The vibrating foam roller is a great piece of equipment to have at university with you as it is easy to fold away and store, and uses vibration technology to ease tension and increase flexibility. If you are passionate about your fitness and exercising, then make sure you adequately stretch out your body to see the best results! 

Eat balanced meals

The student diet has become synonymous with frozen meals and pot noodles. However, this isn’t the sort of food that will help you look after your health. It can be all too tempting to live off takeaway pizzas and pints of cider when you are immersed in the student culture, but you will feel a whole lot better after eating a healthy balanced meal.

Cooking and preparing a balanced meal doesn’t have to be as time consuming or boring as you might think. Many students are finding it easier than ever to follow clean eating, and are even increasingly becoming vegetarians and vegans to benefit their health.

As most students are on a budget for their own living costs, you will be happy to learn that eating healthily and cooking from scratch can be a much more affordable way of living. Making a pasta bake from scratch is a whole lot more affordable than eating takeaways every night of the week with your flatmates.

Look after your mind and body

University can be a lot of fun, and when you get older you may look back at it as one of the happiest times in your life. However, the university experience can also be an anxiety-provoking time, and before you know it the pressures of studying can get on top of you. Therefore, it is important that you reach out to your support network of friends and family if you have any worries or concerns, as they will be able to help you manage your anxieties.

While it is an unspoken rule that university life often requires a lot of socialising and drinking alcohol, you shouldn’t feel pressured into doing anything you don’t want to do. There are lots of opportunities and activities that you can take part in while at university, and not all of them require a night out. So, be sure to drink responsibly while at uni and not to damage your body by drinking too much.

Heading to university is the perfect chance to learn more about yourself, as well as the subject you are interested in. However, it is important that you take care of your overall health and wellbeing to be able to thrive to your full potential.