SLEEP IS IMPORTANT!

Sleep is often overlooked when it comes to health. People don’t realize how important it really is. Daytime sleepiness, irregular sleep schedules, and lack of sleep are very common throughout most college students. Sleep affects many things that we are not always aware of. Sleep affects academic performance. Yes, sleep helps our body get rested but little do people know it also has a huge effect on the brain. Your brain needs rest in order to function properly. Staying up late to cram for exams is not going to help you, it will just cause unnecessary stress on the brain. When you go to sleep at night that gives you the time for your brain to process its thoughts. Students who get less sleep a night receive lower grades and have not as good of study habits as students that get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

Here are some tips to maintain good sleeping habits:

1.       Wake up and go to bed around the same time every day. Try to create a sleep schedule and then work hard to stick to it.

2.       Shoot for seven to nine hours of sleep every night. These are needed in order for your body and brain to function properly.

 

3.       Don’t eat within 3 hours of bedtime. A simple rule to stick to is, do not eat after 8 pm. Eating make it difficult for the body to go to sleep.

4.       Use your bed as a place to sleep, not as a study area. Make sure you study in a completely different area so when it is time for bed your body knows that it is time to sleep.

5.       Avoid caffeine before bed. Caffeine is a stimulant which keeps your body more alert. Drinking caffeine before bed could make it very difficult to fall asleep at night.

 

6.       Naps are OK, but not longer than an hour. When you sleep for longer than an hour throughout the day your body starts to think that it is actually time to sleep and it will be extremely difficult for you to fall asleep that night.

7.       Avoid electronics before bed. The light from the screens on electronic devices act as sunlight to your brain, which will keep you awake when trying to sleep.

HAPPY SLEEPING!

Stay Healthy with your Smart Phone!  

As of today most people either use some type of smartphone, whether that be an IPhone or an Android. There are thousands of Apps that help people with their daily lives every day.  Little did you know, there are several Apps that apply to directly health and fitness. They can do things like track your distance when on a run to look up calories for the food you put in your body. These Apps could really come in handy when switching over to a healthy lifestyle. Today I will tell you about a few of my favorites!

1.       SworkIt

-          SworkIt is an app that makes it easy to get a workout anywhere. It focuses on strength, cardio, yoga and stretching. You choose which kind of workout you want and then you pick the amount of time. It takes you through different exercises with guided videos and makes it easy to follow along. It is all bodyweight exercises so no outside equipment is needed.

http://www.sworkit.com/

 

2.       Endomondo

-          Known as a free personal trainer in your pocket. This app makes it fun to exercise. Not only can it track your workouts, but it provides feedback and gives advice on how to reach your goals. It has real GPS tracking, shows workout history, and can even connect with your heart rate monitor.

https://www.endomondo.com/ 

3.       Lose it!

-          This app allows tracking what you eat and setting goals for yourself. A weight loss plan is made that fits your life and your goals. Foods can be tracked by simply scanning their barcode and receiving all the nutrition information instantly. All you have to do is be accountable and you’ll be losing it in no time!

https://www.loseit.com/

4.       My Fitness Pal

-          Makes it easy to track your food wherever you are. It is the world’s largest nutrition and calorie database with over 5 million foods. Not only can it track grocery store items, but can also track food from restaurants as well. This app also tracks workouts and shows you how much you should intake for each nutritional value.

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

5.       Nike Training Club

-          This app allows you to “train like a pro.” You can pick from the categories get lean, get toned, get strong, get focused and then you choose beginner, intermediate or advanced. A workout is then constructed that is just right for you. Nike Trainers provide motivation to help you get through each workout.

http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/womens-training/apps/nike-training-club 

6.       Healthy Out

-          A great app for you on the go people. This allows you to quickly look up and find healthy meals at restaurants. There are different categories ranging from low calorie all the way to high protein or gluten sensitive. Once a meal is chosen it provides a full nutrition overview for your convenience.

https://mobile.healthyout.com/

 

 Learn to Love it: Running 

Running isn’t easy. Especially is you’re starting out as a beginner.  Many people begin to run because they’re trying to lose weight, feel better about themselves, relieve stress, or to compete. Running makes you sweat. You can run anywhere. No equipment is needed for running. You can run all year long. Running keeps your heart healthy. Yes, running is great, but always remember nobody starts running one day and becomes a marathon runner the next day. Many people try to start running and often push their body too hard and end up quitting one week later. Don’t be one of those people. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to run like a professional in no time!

 

Start as a Beginner-

Remember you aren’t a professional yet. Do not push yourself too hard, or else you will end up quitting within the first week. Start out slow and steady. Don't be embarrassed about not being able to finish a mile, you're a beginner... you will get better! Be proud that you are one of the people that are actually trying.

Speed too soon-

Do not shoot for a 6 minute mile the first time you step on the track. Go slow. Maybe mix in walking and jogging so you don't overdo it. No matter how fast you run, you're still burning calories. Try to enjoy the run as much as possible, running too fast too soon will make you sore and not want to ever run again.

 

Keep it Consistent-

     Keep a steady schedule. Whether that is on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays you run one mile and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays you run 1.5 miles, and each week you increase a half mile. Whatever it is, it is so important to keep a schedule. Also, when going to the gym you should have planned out your workout before beginning so you know what you have to get done before you stop.

Set Goals-

Be realistic. Since you're starting out slow make the goals lower. As you get better at running you can increase the goals and make them more difficult. Make sure that the goal is specific so you know exactly what you need to do in order to accomplish that goal. Also, have the goal be measurable so you can see your improvement over time.

Track your Successes-

 It is so important to realize when you are doing well. Success is something to be proud of. When running, track your routes and times and then go back and look at how far you've come since you first started out.

 

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To find out more information about running check out Runner's World.

---->  http://www.runnersworld.com/