How to stay fit
Ah, D-hall. The Eighth Wonder of the World. All you can eat for a punch. Pizza and pasta and ice cream and cookies. You eat what’s on your tray, then go up for more. And maybe a little more.
Without your mother telling you to stop eating meals consisting only of french fries, it’s no wonder that new college students tend to gain the dreaded “freshmen 15,” which works out to one pound for every credit hour.
Researchers at Cornell University found that students gain an average of four pounds during the first 12 weeks of their freshman year, a rate that is 11 times higher than the average weight gain for 17 and 18-year-olds.
Dawn Kresslein, graduate assistant of Group Fitness and Wellness at UREC, says freshmen tend to gain weight for many reasons, not just the abundance of food choices at D-Hall. “It’s normally a collaboration of adjusting to a new environment, not watching eating habits and lack of activity,” she says.
“Exercise is important on many different levels,” adds Kresslein. “There are many long-term benefits to exercise, including reducing the risk of developing heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure and colon cancer.”
Exercise also helps reduce stress and anxiety. According to kidshealth.org, some new students eat in an attempt to control their anxiety, stress or homesickness—everything that comes along with adjusting to a new environment. Exercise helps curb these emotions with healthy side effects.