Freshers Life’s Student Guide To Staying Fit

Health and fitness comes to easy to some. Maybe it’s part of their college course, or something they’ve picked-up at school. Maybe they actually find it interesting. Who knows?

But what we do know, is that staying fit starts in the mind. Without proper experience or knowledge, keeping your health in top condition when you do become an independent student can be tough.

Your new found freedom brings both opportunity and obstacles. Your university course isn’t the only thing you’ll be learning during your first few years of adulthood.

Let’s hope Freshers Life’s Student Guide to Staying Fit can at least give you a solid and healthy first step into your university journey.

1) Before University

Preparation is key here. In just a few months you will be taking on one of the most independent challenges of your life. At university, it’s easy to sink into bad lifestyle habits – but that’s only without knowledge.

Research is your new friend. You can find health, fitness and diet information EVERYWHERE online. TikTok is one of the most useful and entertaining sources you can use. Here’s your excuse to spend some time scrolling, like you wasn’t going to anyway.

Try to nail down some simple, healthy and cheap recipes over the summer. You could even fine tune an excellent home-workout routine. Don’t fixate on becoming shredded before you start university. Now is the time to get mentally prepared, which will save you a lot of trial and error once you do make the move.

2) Now You’ve Moved In

Health and fitness will be the last thing on your mind during freshers. You’ve earned your new sense of freedom. Take-away tonight? Go for it. Pizza for breakfast? Always. Fruit? What’s that? You’re in control.

But with this new freedom, comes responsibility. Of course you can indulge for now, but soon you’ll be longing for that homemade vegetable casserole you used to despise.

The main take-away (not that kind of take-away) here is to enjoy your freshers guilt free. You can start the discipline once the actual university stuff begins.

3) The First Big Shop

Your first shopping list is essential for your early freshers survival months. Sure, you’ve made an ACTUAL list. You’re organised. But once you’re in there, it’s hard to keep focus.

Think about the foundation foods first. Bread, rice, pasta. These will save you in your skintest times, but don’t be tempted to double-down on buy one get one free Pot Noodles. You can get much more nutrition for your £2.

Shopping for communal items is a good way to stay stocked-up. Things like toilet roll and cleaning products are needed, no matter what that one housemate who hasn’t found the shower yet says.

Make your student shop go a bit further by signing-up for Freshers Life’s FREE FRESHERS BUNDLE.

4) Ready, Steady, Cook

Well. Now you put that pen and paper to plate. Your shopping list was a concept, now you actually have to do something with it – but fortunately you have all that knowledge from before you moved in, don’t you?

Bulk cooking meals and either freezing them or sharing them in a rotation is a fresher-fool-proof piece of advice passed down from generations.

But learning to cook, like anything, is a journey. You won’t be the next Gordon R’ after just a few TikTok pasta meals. Take inspiration from anywhere. It could be in a restaurant, your university cafe, an Instagram post or even an actual book. Ok. Maybe not a book, but the Kindle alternative.

5) Exercise, Ugh

It’s true that diet is more important than exercise, but that’s like having a cake without the icing. Make your hard work in the kitchen really count by keeping active.

You don’t need a gym, but if you’re one of those people who do NEED a gym, have a trial at your university’s before sampling some of the all-night budget chains in the area.

You can also join a society. No matter what level you’re at, university sports societies have something for everyone. Exercise and have fun? Not forgetting the society get-togethers that go on. It can be a great way to keep your body and mind in top shape – well, maybe not your liver.

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Your first few weeks as a fresher are a whirlwind. It can be hard to keep your health as a priority, but you’ll thank yourself for doing so. Hopefully, this guide will help you along the way to keeping fit at university.