Andrew Gutman
Staff Writer
With finals once again upon us, stressed out, overworked college students are currently a common theme on the Springfield College campus. Being a college student myself, I am fully aware that well-balanced nutrition and gym time are at the bottom of most priority lists, which is understandable.
But don’t let the stress of finals undo all the work that you have put in to the gym.
I am here to do some of the thinking for you and to give you a few key tips to help you keep the progress you have made so far.
First off, this is something you have probably heard before and will definitely hear again, but drink water. Water will help to keep you functioning well for all the study time you will be putting in on top of making you feel fuller so that you won’t resort to junk food for snacks. Water also is a great substitute to those energy drinks that are loaded with sugar and make you crash.
Tip number two sounds pretty simple, but make your diet your main concern. Going to the gym is time consuming, especially during such a stressful time, so focus on your eating. We all have to eat, so just opt for healthier foods and steer clear of sugar-loaded junk. Having healthy snacks on hand is a great idea. They are easily accessible, and this way you won’t be tempted to break your proper nutrition.
Tip three is sleep. Sleep is another crucial concern among college students in general, especially during finals week. Sleep will rejuvenate your body and have you performing in tip top shape. Shoot for six to eight hours of solid sleep a night.
The last tip is to exercise when you can. Exercises such as pushups, bodyweight squats, dips and lunges can be performed just about anywhere, so give yourself 10-20 minutes to get some quality movement in. You’ll feel good that you worked out and your body will thank you.
Don’t let finals be your undoing. No one said it was going to be easy, but with these four basic, yet important tips, finals don’t need to stress you out more than they already do.