By Kacie Leach
Not everyone is a five-star athlete who is knowledgeable on how to stay fit, who exercises twice a day and who knows about counting calories, carbohydrates, and grams of sugar. Not to mention are those who do not even know how to properly do a pushup or even a proper squat.
Staying fit and healthy is seen as a difficult task that requires more effort than most people think they have time for, but there are many simple things to do in order to stay in shape.
The first step to an easy way of staying healthy is watching what you eat. Instead of grabbing french fries from the McDonald’s drive thru, grab an apple and munch on that instead.
“Although fast food is ‘fast’, it’s not better for you or your health in the long run. Having a healthier alternative is a much better decision,” Sara Cha, senior, said.
Avoiding dining out is is a smart way to stay healthy, but it is not always the easiest option. When going out to dinner, remember that you don’t have to eat everything on your plate. Eat until you’re content or full, and then save the rest of the food in a doggy bag for later. Just because there is food in front of you, does not mean you have to eat it. Even if it looks appetizing, remember that your eyes are often bigger than your stomach.
“Truly one of the best ways of staying healthy that I at least do is just reading the nutrition label on food because there might be more saturated fat or unneeded calories than one might think,” Benjamin Barlow, junior, said.
Simple and quick exercises throughout the day that do not require going to the gym can up anyone’s fitness level, without an abundant amount of sweat. When walking up the stairs in the mall, school, home, work, or anywhere, use your tippy toes and move at a slightly faster pace than usual. Go from one step to the next. This simple action is a calf exercise and can strengthen leg muscles.
When there are escalators in a shopping mall and stairs beside them, take the stairs. You’ll get a little work out, and even arrive at your destination quicker than if you rode the escalator.
When taking a local trip to Target, or any place that requires parking and walking in, do not try and find the closest spot by the door but rather park in the back 40 and take an extra minute or so to walk the extended distance to the door.
“It’s great to get more steps in your daily routine as it burns more calories, but it could be a little redundant or not effective if someone has too many or not enough errands to run,” Barlow said.
One of the easiest ways to stay healthy, is to have a good night’s rest. While sleeping may not be seen as working out, it certainly benefits your health. Having around eight hours of sleep a night can improve your heart, weight, and mind.
Whether you are a Division 1 athlete or an average Joe, a healthy lifestyle can be an easy goal to obtain for anyone.
