Physical: Exercise, Nutrition, and Sleep

Physical well-being is an essential component overall that directly affects long-term health. Important aspects of physical health include exercise, nutrition, sleep, health maintenance, and making healthy decisions around substance use.听Fostering your physical well-being and tuning in to your body鈥檚 needs听not only promotes your physical health but can benefit your emotional, intellectual, and relational well-being.

Resources

海角乱伦社区

For the Community

  • Eat Right: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics -
  • Jed Foundation -
  • MyPlate -
  • Wellness Coach
  • World Health Organization -

Physical Activity

Make moving your body a priority! The best way to develop and sustain a movement routine is to find something you enjoy. Explore different types of exercise and movement practices and see what works for you.

Potential Benefits

  • Reduce stress
  • Increase energy
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Improve memory, focus, and productivity
  • More hours and better sleep
  • Improve mood and self-esteem

Recommendations From the Physical Activity Guidelines

Second Edition

  • To attain the most health benefits from physical activity, adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or fast dancing, each week. Adults also need a muscle-strengthening activity at least two days each week.
  • Move more and sit less. There is a strong relationship between increased sedentary behavior and increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and all-cause mortality. All physical activity, especially moderate-to-vigorous activity, can help offset these risks.
  • Any amount of physical activity has some health benefits. There are benefits from small amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity throughout the day. Short bouts of physical activity count toward meeting the physical activity guidelines.
  • New evidence shows that physical activity has immediate health benefits. For example, physical activity can reduce anxiety and blood pressure, as well as improve the quality of sleep and insulin sensitivity.
  • We now know that meeting the recommendations in the Physical Activity Guidelines consistently over time can lead to听even more long-term health benefits.
    • For youth, physical activity can help improve听cognition, bone health, fitness, and heart health. It can also reduce the risk of depression.
    • For adults, physical activity helps prevent eight types of cancer.听
    • Reduces the risk of听dementia.
    • For older adults, physical activity also lowers the risk of falls and听injuries from them.
    • For pregnant women, physical activity reduces the risk of听postpartum depression.
    • For all groups, physical activity reduces the risk of听excessive weight gain and helps people maintain a healthy weight.
    • New evidence shows that physical activity can help听manage more health conditions that Americans already have. For example, physical activity can decrease pain for those with osteoarthritis, reduce disease progression for hypertension and type two diabetes, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improve cognition for those with dementia, multiple sclerosis, ADHD, and Parkinson鈥檚 disease.

Nutritional Food Choices

Nutrition matters. In today鈥檚 world of social media, expert opinions, and conflicting evidence, it can be difficult to identify the best, most updated information about how to fuel our bodies well.

Proper nutritional fueling means eating and drinking the building blocks that keep our bodies running: macronutrients, including carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, as well as micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and water. Every person has slightly different nutritional needs. Lack of sleep, stress (personal, academic, social, etc.), illness and injury, health status, body size and composition, and even climate can affect these needs. Pair these factors with the sheer number of nutrition products on the market today, and it is no wonder people have a hard time knowing who and what to listen to.

Source: 听

    • Builds strong bodies: Provides essential nutrients for strong muscles, bones, teeth, and healthy skin.
    • Supports growth: Crucial for proper development in infants, children, and adolescents.
    • Boosts immunity: A well-nourished body fights off illnesses better and recovers faster from sickness or injury.
    • Manages weight: Helps maintain a healthy body weight and composition, notes Tufts Health Plan.
    • Improves bodily functions: Regulates blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and digestion.
    • Reduces chronic disease risk: Lowers chances of developing heart disease, stroke, type two diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers.
    • Fights malnutrition: Addresses undernourishment, vitamin/mineral deficiencies, overweight, and obesity.
    • Promotes longevity: Contributes to a longer life with better overall health.听

Sleep Hygiene

Why is sleep important for health? The three pillars of health are nutrition, physical exercise, and sleep. All three of these are connected. For example, if you do not sleep well, you may not eat well. People get food cravings when they have not slept well, and they often crave food with lots of carbohydrates (carbs), such as a cookie. And when you are tired, the last thing you want to do is go to the gym. People who are fully functioning pay attention to all three. They must all be working together for better health.

    • Increased daytime energy level and productivity
    • Improved mood
    • Enhanced immune system function
    • Decreased stress
    • Better blood sugar regulation
    • Improves heart health
    • Boosts memory, learning, and attention span
    • Promotes growth, regeneration, and recovery
    • Supports weight management
    • Reduces risk of injury

    The average young adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep per night. When was the last time you got enough sleep? 听Do you regularly get less sleep than you should? College students often struggle with making enough time for sleep. With busy lives and so many things competing for their attention, sleep often suffers.

    As a college student, you may not feel that it is always possible to get enough sleep. Here are a few tips to help you get enough rest.听

    Improve Your Sleep Hygiene (Source: )

    • Consistency is Key: Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily, even on weekends, to regulate your body clock.听
    • Wind Down Routine: Create relaxing pre-sleep activities like reading, meditation, listening to calm music, or journaling.听
    • Bedroom Use: Reserve your bed for sleep and intimacy only;听avoid working, eating, or watching TV in bed.听

    Optimize Your Environment

    • Cool and Dark: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.
    • Electronics Off: Turn off screens (phones, tablets, TVs) at least 30-60 minutes before bed.

    Manage Diet and Substances

    • Caffeine: Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, soda) in the afternoon and evening.
    • Alcohol: Limit or avoid alcohol, especially close to bedtime, as it disrupts sleep quality.
    • Meals: Have a small carbohydrate and protein-balanced meal, such as yogurt and granola, a turkey and cheese sandwich, as well as cereal and milk.

    Lifestyle Habits

    • Exercise Regularly: Physical activity helps, but finish intense workouts several hours before bed.
    • Limit Naps: Keep naps short (20-30 minutes) and avoid them late in the day.
    • Get Daylight: Expose yourself to natural light during the day.
    • Resolve Conflicts or Unsolved Problems: Write them down in a journal and make a list.

    When You Cannot Sleep

    • Get Up: If you are awake for 20+ minutes, get out of bed and do something boring/calming in dim light until sleepy, then return.