Fit Tips: New semester resolutions

Much of the population makes New Year's resolutions at the beginning of each calendar year. However, for us Princetonians, it seems much more suitable to make resolutions after the crazy and unstructured month of January. Let’s face it — the best of habits are not likely to arise during the stressful period of exams and the blissful week of Intersession. However, it is now February, and with this new month comes a new semester. Looking to make some healthy changes before spring break hits? It’s not too late — you’ve still got about six weeks to commit to clean eating, a new workout regime or whatever it may be. Here are some tips!

Food: Focus on the good, not the bad. If you’re set on cleaning up your diet but are trying to switch from a diet which consists mainly of processed food and few vegetables, going cold turkey is not going to work for you. Rather than focusing on cutting out unhealthy foods, focus on eating more healthy foods. Try filling up your plate with vegetables, and then re-evaluate just how appealing that plate of French fries looks. It’s totally okay to have some, but if you're full from more nutrient-dense food, chances are you’ll be much less likely to overdose on fries.

Exercise: Pick one thing and stick to it. If getting to the gym is a feat for you, perhaps a weekly schedule isn’t the right way to go. Instead, make a plan to consistently spin x number of times per week, or to do x number of pushups by a certain date. Doing one thing consistently will keep you accountable and at least get you started. And once you’ve started, you may find that was the hardest part and you can keep going.

Mental Health: As hard as it may be, cut down on multitasking— focus on one thing at a time. After years of protesting against my dad, claiming that I could do my sixth-grade math homework “just fine” in front of the TV, I must admit that I was wrong. I have realized that whether it is homework, talking with a friend or exercising, I am incredibly unproductive when I am trying to multitask. Furthermore, I become frustrated, and not only does the task take much too long, I don’t do as good of a job.

Here's to a new semester and a new start!