HEALTH
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Photo illustration by Mia Iverson
An apple a day. Eating healthy food keeps your body in good shape, but so does getting enough sleep a night. College students face obstacles such as tests, stress, and social events, all of which can interfere with having enough time to snooke. Allocating enough hours a night for sleep can keep you physically and mentally awake
but the weeks where I don't work out I see the weight come back easier." Nahrstedt says.
Nahrstedt also has difficulty staying awake in class. Even though exercise can be a tiring experience, when done regularly it can provide your body with energy as well as better sleep.
fatigue. Wenner says more than four or five one hour workouts in a week may be overdoing it.
The transition from high school to college coincides with the transition from the teens to the 20s, when most people's metabolism begin to stabilize, says Becky Wenner, personal trainer and founder of Becky's Fitness Company. Wenner says there are factors that have an impact on a
Finding the time for exercise doesn't mean setting aside an hour a day at the gym. Both Wenner and Goodmote say that simply walking or riding your bike to class can help. A cardio workout in the morning is also a good way to increase energy levels as well as help with sleep at night, they say. Over-exercising can attribute to
"Whatever it is, be sure that you eat appropriately for your workout for that day," she says.
person's energy level.
"A person who is fit tends to exercise, get proper rest, eat a decent diet and consequently has less weight to carry around with them all day."
IT'S PAST YOUR BEDTIME
For 20 semesters, Paulyn Cartwright has taught Biology 100, one of the most widely taken classes on campus. Cartwright used to have that class at 8 a.m., but has moved the class to the afternoon because as many as 100 out of the 800 students in class would be sleeping or dozing off.
According to Dr. Carl Johnson, most students only get around six hours of sleep during the week and as much as 10 or 12 hours of sleep a night on the weekends. This disrupts the body's circadian rhythm. Johnson says. Circadian rhythm is the pattern your body goes through each day and is why you may feel tired at the same time each night or wake up at a certain time in the morning without an alarm. When you're going to bed or waking up at times that don't mesh with your circadian rhythm drowsiness is a side effect.
Johnson is currently doing research on sleep at Central Michigan University and says sleep deprivation has a terrible effect not only on a student's ability to stay awake in class, but also on the absorption of material.
Johnson says most people feel fatigued mid-afternoon, which is why so many cultures have naps at this time. If you do take a nap, it should be no longer than 20 or 30 minutes, he says. Any longer and your nap could be another factor that throws off your circadian rhythm.
Johnson also encourages students to be aware of what times of the day are the worst for them and what classes put them to sleep the fastest.
“Make sure you schedule class around times when you know you wont be tired or make time in your schedule for a quick nap,” he says.
"Your body tries to tell you what's good for it, you just have to listen." Wilkes says.
How engaging a professor is in class greatly affects Nahrstedt's ability to stay, Johnson, who is also a professor, agrees with Nahrstedt and aims to be charismatic when lecturing by involving students and doing more than just stand behind the podium or click through a PowerPoint presentation.
A WHOLE NEW YOU?
The crash diets or foot-long subs, drinking Nyquil to fall asleep or taking eight espresso shots for the big midterm — there are some crazy health trends you might pick up on the Beach. Sometimes it's not that difficult.
So, that's just what you have to do to improve your health, and your grades — listen to your body. Just not while your trying to pay attention in class. JP
Personal trainer Becky Wenner's fuel for exercise
Eating something light that contains carbs and proteins are Wenner's recommended pre-workout foods.
- Half of a turkey
sandwich
vegetables
- Egg whites with fresh
- Vegetables and
- A piece of fruit and yogurt
hummus
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