FITNESS BALANCE

By David MaretHouse - Master Fitness Trainer, Owner of MaretHouse Fitness & Co-owner of JD Max Fitness

Today we often think of going to college as the gateway into a good career and a successful life.  We are molded from a young age to acknowledge that acquiring a college degree is an essential step to having the kind of life we all want and desire.  A life filled with a loving family, a nice house and the financial freedom to live a good life.  This is the goal and the dream.  This is our vision of how our future should be.  Most young students in college are adjusting to a new life filled with more freedom and with that the responsibility of having to make more decisions.  College students fight so desperately to find a balance between classes, studies, a social life and day to day needs.   Trying to self manage life for the first time can prove to be rather difficult.  

Usually, young students will focus most of their energy and efforts on class work and socializing.  Other important things such as rest, exercise and consuming proper nutrition are pushed to the wayside.  It’s easy for you to think of this period as only lasting for a short time; and you will take care of yourself physically and mentally once you have obtained your degree, your key to a successful life.  You may think a bit of abuse to the body can easily be negated once you refocus energy on personal wellness later.  Let’s think about this for one second.  You get your degree and then what, you look for a job.  Once you have obtained a job you meet a person of your liking and you then get married.  After marriage, you have a child and then get a dog named Rover.  Now the four years of putting personal wellness off during college has turned into 15, and that does take into account grad school, should you decide to go that route.  You see, once you are out in the world pursuing “how your future should be”, there are always things you will focus more attention on such as getting a degree.  What you must learn is how to manage and balance your personal wellness into your life now, rather than later.  Taking care of yourself through fitness and wellness is just as important as acquiring a degree.  It is a vital key in obtaining “how your future should be.”    

The stress and abuse that people inflict on their body through unhealthy lifestyle habits can prove to be very difficult to reverse.  I have had clients who, decades after the fact, were still struggling with the damage they inflicted on themselves with the habits they formed early on in life.  I have seen clients struggle with metabolic disorders, obesity, diabetes and heart disease due to the lifestyle habits they formed during their college years.  Many of these clients were very successful with their careers, however; were ill and uncomfortable at an early age due to not taking care of themselves earlier in life.  Take care of yourself now so you can enjoy that life filled with a loving family, a nice house and the financial freedom to live a good life.  

Here are some tips I recommend to help you balance your health and education.  1) Start now, not later.  Quit putting it off.  2) Utilize the REC center.  Its free!  If you don’t like the environment, get a membership at a local fitness center that may suit you better.  3) Be proactive with your meal planning.  Don’t wait until you are hungry to search for food.  Plan your meals around your schedule and try to make healthy decisions.  Try to eat something every 3-4 hours.  Be proactive, not reactive.  3) Stay consistent.  You won’t get far by eating well and exercising once a week.  You must make wellness a part of your lifestyle.  4) Get enough rest.  Do not overextend yourself with too many hours or extracurricular activities.  Remember, there are only 24 hours in a day, not 40.  Schedule your days with realism, not optimism.  5) If you don’t know where to start, enlist the aid of a fitness trainer.  A trainer can point you in the right direction, and  there are plenty to choose from in town.  It is worth the investment.  

Here are some benefits of healthy lifestyle habits.  1) Exercise is the number one cure for depression.  2) You will have more energy and self confidence.  3) You can obtain and maintain a healthy body composition and weight.  4) You can greatly decrease the risks of hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, diabetes, CAD (coronary artery disease), cancer, obesity, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis.  

Ask yourself, how can you enjoy the fruits of your education and knowledge if you are unhealthy and ill?  Do you really think you can enjoy the benefits of that degree or PHD if you are physically not well?  You must find the balance to be successful and have a rich life.  Treat yourself well.  I wish you well on your journey.