A fresher’s guide to staying healthy at university

Wallet feeling lighter? Waistline feeling thicker? Check out The Tab’s top tips for staying healthy on a budget at university.

| UPDATED

It’s around this time every year that students across the country begin to start taking a long hard look at themselves in their mirrors. You’re one month in to your uni course and so far the only thing you’ve learnt is the route from Concert Square to the nearest cash machine, you’ve contracted fresher’s flu and making it in for an 11am lecture once a week has become a genuine struggle.

On top of this you’ve started to notice that your wallet is getting lighter and your waist is getting thicker, as the abundance of alcohol offers and late night takeaways begin to take effect.

Always a sad sight

The resolution, you may think, is to pop along to the nearest gym and start afresh. We all kid ourselves into thinking that a 6am gym session and a radical change of diet will see us right, but we at The Tab know the reality. It won’t.

We’re realists here at The Tab and we know, as well as you should do, that students don’t take kindly to two things; exerting too much effort and spending too much money. So we’ve put together a few tips that should point you in the direction of trimming that ‘fresher’s flab’ and saving some money whilst you do it. And better still, there’s not a protein shake or extortionate gym membership in sight.

Tip 1; Go to bed!

As boring as it sounds, getting some more sleep is exactly what your body needs after a month of all nighters and hangovers. Something as simple as going to bed at midnight rather than surfing YouTube and watching films until half 2 every night (don’t pretend like you don’t) could do you the world of good.

We’re not trying to say you have to be tucked up with a hot water bottle by 8pm every night, but a little more shut eye might just result in you keeping your eyes open a little longer in your 9am lecture the next day.

The main use for folders and books

Tip 2; Watch what you eat!

As satisfying as those £2 pizzas from Carlitos on Smithdown Road are, at 4am on a Thursday morning, they’re not actually the best things for you. Cheap? Yes. Delicious? Questionable. Healthy? You’ve gotta be kidding me!

At the risk of sounding like a nagging parent, watching what you eat at uni is pretty important. Reassuringly though, it’s not too difficult to eat a little more healthily.

Even something as simple as swapping that Big Mac, you grabbed on the way home, to a home made chicken stir-fry, that you can knock up in 15 minutes, will make all the difference. And with the abundance of local grocers in Liverpool, it shouldn’t be too hard to find quality fresh food on your doorstep.

The sound of arteries slamming shut can be distracting

Tip 3; “Run, Forest! Run!”

Let me just preface this tip with the reassurance that running isn’t actually as daunting as it may seem. For some, spending an evening evaluating the works of Aristotle with Joey Essex and Stacey Solomon would be more inviting than slipping on a pair of trainers and going for a run in public. It shouldn’t be that way, however.

As clichéd as it sounds, running is probably the easiest and most rewarding exercise a person can do. For students especially, it provides a high degree of flexibility so that you can do it whenever and wherever you have time and it can be enjoyed regardless of ability. And best of all, it’s free!

A good little spot to enjoy a run in Liverpool is Sefton Park (not far from Smithdown Road and the Greenbank halls of residence) it boasts routes shared by amateur runners and pros alike, as well as being the start point for the Liverpool Half-Marathon.

Oh, and if you feel inspired to go out for a run but you’re worried that you might look a bit of a fool in your new sports gear, just remember that you’re in Liverpool, the home of the ill-fitting tracksuit.

Everyone is issued a tracksuit upon entry to Liverpool

Tip 4; Find yourself a routine!

We understands that juggling your seminar readings, essay writing, article research, night life and table tennis training can get a bit hectic, and if you’re not careful you can find yourself feeling run down and overwhelmed.

That’s why we recommend getting yourself into a routine. Now that you’ve settled in and familiarised yourself with how life at university works you can start managing your time better so you don’t leave everything until the last minute.

Plus having a routine will help to structure your day, help reduce your stress levels and save you from vacantly snoozing your alarm until you realise your Macbeth essay is due tomorrow and you still can’t tell your Fleance from your Banquo.

Tip 5; Go get some fresh air!

Helping yourself to become healthier could be as simple as venturing outside once in a while.

If you don’t fancy too much strenuous exercise then something as easy as swapping your commute on the 699 to a walk to uni every once in a while would suffice. Alternatively there’s no harm in getting a group of mates together and going for a kick around.

Likewise, it could be worth having a venture down to Crown Street Park. A popular student shortcut from Smithdown Road to the University of Liverpool campus, the park boasts an impressive variety of workout options from a pull up bar to a tricep dip station. It may be slightly rudimental but it’s a whole lot cheaper than a £30 a month gym membership.

So there you have it, The Tab’s top 5 tips to help freshers stay healthy at university. Quick, cheap and easy tweaks to help you get fit, stay healthy and mind your bank balance, what’s not to like?

Generic air picture