OPINION: The Healthy Choice

by RACHEL RABIDEAU
Staff Writer

Being healthy is something that, let’s face it, is an uphill battle. It’s a topic that gets a lot of flak, especially from college students who live off of three daily meals of ramen. College is a time of your life where it seems the world is working against your health, both physically and mentally.

According to Frank Plonka, a physical trainer from Better Living, “health isn’t just lifting weights and cardio.” He categorizes health as something that is contributed to during “fueling your body, stress management, engaging with others, and quality of sleep.” This can seem like an overwhelming amount of information, but Plonka says the first step to success is moving more. The snowball effect, as Plonka calls it, gets kickstarted by something as simple as getting off the couch.

Lastly, Frank Plonka adds that keeping a planner is an effective way to stay organized. Keeping stress levels low can help your mental health, keeping clutter at bay, and even improving sleep.

Your body is interconnected. When you start moving, your metabolism will begin to boost. Something as simple as a walk outside will not only help get your steps in, but the sunshine will improve your circadian rhythm, another key aspect of your health. Not many people can say that they meet their 8-hour sleep goal, but spending time outside is a step in the right direction.

Exercise promotes better eating habits. A study done by Training Intervention and Genetics of Exercise Response (TIGER) proves that participants tended not only to snack less, but also chose healthier options as the result of a 15-week exercise program. Exercise has been proven to release appetite-regulating hormones, and participants in the TIGER study tended to eat better.

Angi Terinte, a life and health coach who started her own business, shares that many know they should strive to be healthy, but that they were never taught “why it’s important to be healthy.” Terinte especially wants to share her knowledge with young people: “why do we have to suffer when we can live well from the beginning?”

Terinte says that before she began pursuing a healthy lifestyle, she was sick. “The body just tries to go forward… it tries to keep you alive,” she reflects, sympathizing with those like her who had to have something bad happen to them before they could “wake up”. One of Angi’s tips to staying healthy is starting the day off right. She encourages others to start their day “thinking in a positive way” by beginning with gratitude. Without a price tag, Terinte says it’s good to have “gratitude for what you have. And what you don’t have. For both of them.” This simple practice can enhance your mental health.

College is a point in time when possessions are hard to come by, so it’s seemingly extra important to take care of what we already have. Our bodies are going to be with us for the rest of our lives, so we need to do what we can to take good care of them.

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