Ways to avoid the Bellarmine bulge

By: Alyson Ponto

Posted: 3/10/10

By Alyson Ponto

Time is what every college student needs more of. Most of it is spent on school work and maintaining a healthy social life, neglecting personal health and wellness. There are many wellness issues around Bellarmine that can easily be improved; the mains ones are diet, exercise and sleep.

Diet is the first wellness issue for many college students. Even with the hills at Bellarmine, poor eating habits can quickly pack on the pounds. With limited funds and convenience of on-campus food, fast, greasy food is often the answer. Some quick and simple tips to avoiding the Bellarmine bulge are eat breakfast and drink water; two simple solutions.

As hard as it is to limit caffeine and sugar intake, they should be replaced with fruits and vegetables. Skipping meals is what people do when they want to lose weight, but it only negatively affects one's diet resulting in binging at another meal. The most important tip to a healthy diet is to indulge in sweets and junk food every so often.

"It's nice to go get a Dairy Queen blizzard once in a while. Especially when it snows, they are buy one get one free," said Bellarmine junior Arts Administration major, Christine Ward, regarding her sweet indulgences.

Exercise is another wellness issue college students face. Lack of physical activity will contribute to the Bellarmine bulge. Limited time is the main excuse that is used for not exercising.

There are small tasks that can be done every day as a way of exercise. Some of these include walking to class instead of taking the Knight Line and taking advantage of grassy areas in the quad. The exercise facilities and classes on campus are free to students, so take advantage of them. Bring a friend for motivation and bonding time.

According to Jody Cecil, senior Respiratory Therapy major at Bellarmine, "joining the cheerleading team has motivated me to stay healthy and work-out regularly. It really is easier than it seems."

Sleep is one of the most neglected wellness issues for college students. Busy schedules and full workloads are often the cause for a lack of sleep. Although it is nearly impossible to catch up on sleep, there are ways to get more.

Bellarmine freshman Actuarial Science major, Joe Schuh , replies to this statement "sleeping never really happens. You have to find time to sleep."

Naps are valuable in college, especially at Bellarmine where everyone is involved in something; they are a treat. All nighters are a common theme with college students, but they do not have to be. If time is managed correctly and schedules are followed, all nighters can be avoided.

There are small steps that can be taken to avoid the Bellarmine bulge. Grab a Dairy Queen blizzard, SuRF it up, and take a cat nap every once in a while. It will be surprising what a little change in diet, exercise or sleep patterns can do.

For more information on Health and Wellness tips, visit www.rncentral.com