It’s that time of year again – we’re arriving back to term three armed with crippling workloads, replenished funds and the last packet of mum’s favourite M&S biscuits, promising ourselves that this term will be different; we’ll swap Tatler for textbooks, crisps for apples and Facebook for the gym.
As far as diet is concerned we’ve already covered the Protein Shake hype along with high-protein low-carb diets such as the Dukan Diet (followed by the royal Middleton), but there are other ways to eat well without blowing your loan on Maximuscle and expensive fish dinners. Quick and easy changes are the key to a healthier student diet; brown bread instead of white, swap full-fat dairy products for semi or fully-skimmed alternatives, and let’s face it: cornflakes are a LOT cheaper than bacon sandwiches. Loads of student calories are a product of laziness, it’s just as quick to prepare your own pasta sauces using tinned tomatoes and puree as a base, but we’re avoiding all the artificial preservatives as well as impressing your friends with culinary genius.
We’re famous for grabbing calorific snacks from vending machines, snacks that can easily be swapped for freshly-made options from any of the campus cafes.
If getting sweaty in a room full of strangers isn’t your thing then you’ll be pleased to hear that the latest health crazes are Yoga and Pilates. Exercises that work on strengthening the core muscles, mind and body rather than pure fitness. Stretching on a mat for an hour might be your idea of hell, but with ambassadors such as Pippa Middleton (and THAT bottom) and the Victoria’s Secret Angels it’s easy to see why people are jumping on the bandwagon in an effort to attain the perfect summer body.
Yoga is credited with an improvement in the mind as well as body and regular practice can lead to improvements in muscle-tone, stamina and flexibility, increased relaxation and even relief from chronic pain. Although it’s typically taught as part of a group class, with the instructor encouraging a state of tranquillity, the postures and sequences can be performed solo and in the comfort of your own bedroom with a yoga mat.
Pilates is a modern and aerobic alternative to yoga, although it is still centred on improving core-strength and flexibility. Pilates consists of six principles – concentration, control, ‘centre’ (Americans!), flow, precision and breathing – and all are designed to encourage a state of balance between body and mind. Classes are widely available both privately and at most gyms in the city. The University even has its own society dedicated to the ancient practice of Yoga – YogSoc is open to everyone and offers twice weekly sessions with an external instructor.
If you’re still lazy and unmotivated then start small; even fifteen minutes of stretching in the morning can be beneficial and can improve day-to-day focus. The best thing about these exercises is how quickly you begin to see benefits when compared to other exercise and diet plans, try classes with friends or even try internet classes such as ‘POP Pilates’ if you’re truly too inflexible to show yourself in public, but there’s no excuse not to be a yoga bunny when it’s this easy to change.