Health and fitness experts help students avoid threat of dreaded 'freshman 15'
Whitney Wallace
From dining halls to downtown eateries, students at MU are in luck when it comes to tasty treats. Whether grabbing a quick bite to eat between classes or relaxing with friends in the dorm, it’s not hard to spot students with less-than-healthy eating habits. While the obesity rate in America continues to increase drastically, has “freshman 15” become a meaningless cliché or is it still threatening today’s students?
Freshmen Adriene Simpelo and Emily Stoverink, are aware of the threat of gaining the weight. For both students, the possibility is a worry in the back of their minds.
Simpelo, a nursing major, feels she can fight the weight gain with the help of campus dining. “They give us a lot of choices at the dining hall, which is good,” she said. “The salad bar is always open. It’s easy to find something healthy. It’s not like they give us junky food everyday. They actually give us healthy choices.”
In certain cases, offering healthy choices doesn’t mean students will select them. As Stoverink witnessed last year, students from her hometown returned from college after first semester and weren’t necessarily making those healthy choices. “A lot of kids from my high school gained weight last year when they were freshmen,” she said.
While talking to freshmen across campus, student feelings toward the dreaded weight are similar. Students are aware of the danger when it comes to gaining the “freshman 15.” However, experts explain students should focus more on health than weight gain specifically.
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Students hold a forward lunge and stretch their arms while warming-up during Cardio Combat. Over 40 students eagerly filled Studio A, which can hold around 60 people for this class. Cardio Combat is offered three times a week through the TigerX Program at the Student Recreation Complex.
Photo by Whitney Wallace |
Dale Brigham, state nutrition and fitness specialist for MU Extension, said weight doesn’t necessarily represent a person’s level of health. “There are a lot of different body shapes and sizes that can be very healthy,” he said. “Not all of us are meant to be the same way. We often get from the media and other places some unhealthy and unrealistic body shapes and sizes that most people are not meant to be. Whether it’s for women trying to be extremely slender and thin or whether it’s for guys being extremely muscular, people often pursue unhealthy ways of getting there.”
Because of the variety of body shapes and sizes, there aren’t specific guidelines to maintaining good health. However, Brigham did share six basic tips to help students of all shapes and sizes stay healthy while transitioning into college life. Brigham’s list of healthy hints, which are based on the Center for Disease Control’s Obesity Prevention Plan.
- Exercise errands.
When making trips to the library, bookstore or downtown restaurants, students can opt to walk or bike rather than drive. Students will burn calories and save money on gasoline and parking meters. This tip is also environmentally friendly.
- Go on a TV diet.
Brigham recommends watching TV for no more than two hours a day on average. Watching TV keeps audiences sedentary, which doesn’t burn calories. Additionally, food advertisements are played over and over. With commercials focusing on the biggest, juiciest hamburger from fast-food chains, they begin to make audiences hungrier for more and more food, even if they are full.
- Snack smart.
When it comes to choosing fruits and vegetables over chips and sweets, college students tend to be reluctant. Biting into a warm cookie might seem more rewarding, but according to Brigham, grabbing an apple, a handful of grapes or baby carrots is a much healthier option.
- Don’t gulp your calories.
Soft drinks, fruit juices, sport drinks and alcohol are just the beginning of a list of drinks full of extra calories and sugar. “Those are also what we consider empty calories in that there are not a whole lot of nutrients to go along with them,” he said. “Water is often a great thing to have with a meal. It’s usually cheap or free and it’s around and it doesn’t have any calories.”
- Join the small plate club.
Choose a smaller plate or bowl when selecting food at the dining halls. “Smaller portions are often better for us in limiting calories,” Brighman said. By filling a smaller plate students will feel more full with less food, because feeling full is both a physical and mental feeling.
- Make a fitness date.
Set a time to meet a friend or a group of friends to participate in physical activity. Whether choosing to take a walk, play Frisbee or actually go to the Rec Center, spending time with a group will help motivate students to stay fit. Brigham pointed out that the standard recommendation regarding exercise is an average of one hour of physical activity each day, by working out with friends, this time will pass by much faster.
Brigham’s idea of exercising with friends was reinforced by Angela Eastham, fitness coordinator at MU’s Student Recreation Complex. “What I really love is that it is a social environment," Eastham said. "In the classes I teach, usually a group of two or three friends will meet here or come together.”
As fitness coordinator, Eastham oversees the programs offered at the Rec Center including the popular TigerX classes. According to her, taking time to exercise will not only help students stay in shape but also help them in other areas in life.
“Once you establish balance in a work-out you’ll be able to balance the rest of your life,” she said. Students seeking a better way to juggle classes, studying and social time should work towards a better balance with physical activity.
With three studios and one cycling room, known as Tiger Lair, the TigerX program offers over 100 classes each week throughout this semester. The classes include Yoga, Pilates, Cardio Combat, Ballet Fit, Cardio Salsa and many more. According to Eastham, the Absolution class is a student favorite; it is always busy and gets great feedback on surveys at the end of each semester. She is working to help students achieve fitness goals by offering TigerX classes that meet everyone’s needs. “One of my goals is to diversify,” Eastham said.
Students interested in attending classes can purchase this semester’s membership card for $46. This card allows admittance into any of the TigerX classes offered throughout the semester. If students aren’t sure the membership card is something they want, a one-time pass is available for $7. For more information, stop by the Rec Center or visit the Rec Center Web site.
No matter what tips students choose to eat healthy and stay fit, both Brigham and Eastham agreed the most important concepts are moderation and variety. These apply to eating in moderation and choosing a variety of physical activity. “This is a great time for people to establish habits that are going to last their life long,” Brigham said. “It’s a great time to get some healthy practices that you’ll like. Nobody ever regrets being healthy. It pays off later.”
