Winter Wellness

            Heather Kirkes, fitness and outreach coordinator at the University of Oklahoma, said it is difficult for college students to stay healthy in the winter because they are usually busy with school and tend to eat more and exercise less.

            Rachel Cuaderes, education sophomore at OU, tries to get to get a workout in every day, but, in the winter, it can be difficult because of the weather.

            “I love to run outside, but the wintertime is bad for that," she said. 

            Instead, she goes to the gym. Cuaderes also takes vitamins to stay healthy. 

            Kirkes said that students should utilize the facilities/fitness centers available through the university. They can either use the cardio and strength equipment or even hire a personal trainer to help them stay motivated. They can also join group fitness classes. She also suggests using a buddy system to help them stay accountable for going to the gym.

            Health and exercise science sophomore Alexandra Sampson said that setting goals for yourself helps too, such as wanting to get in shape for Spring Break.  Although students sometimes become more relaxed about getting to the gym in the winter, Sampson said to not take longer than two weeks off from an exercise regimen.

            “You will lose a lot. It’s better to be consistent and stay in shape then to go up and down," Sampson said.

            It can sometimes be difficult to get to the gym with bad weather. In that case, Kirkes said that students can use equipment such as mats, dumbbells, medicine and stability balls to do the same exercises they would at the gym.
           "They can learn a lot from coming to the group classes to do on their own at home. Many exercise do not even require equipment such as push-ups, crunches, squats, lunges, dips etc,” Kirkes said.

            As for nutrition, Kirkes said that students should be eating a balanced diet and follow the food guide pyramid, which can be found on mypyramid.gov. She said that students should stick to eating whole, fresh foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meats.