Living a healthy lifestyle and encouraging wellness is something that students should do but it is very hard to do especially when one has no good amount of money to spend. As author E. Stanley Jones once said, “You do not find the happy life. You make it.”
Students can easily find healthy low or no-cost wellness activities that they can both engage in for the purpose of reducing stress, exercising as well as having healthy minds and bodies.
Budget-Friendly Health and Wellness Activities for Students
In the below listed best wellness activities for students to get more for their mental, physical and social wellness.
1. Take Regular Walking Breaks
It is simple for students to have a short, brisk walk, which is among the simplest forms of exercise. Every day, engage in a 15 to 20 minutes’ walk in and around the compound or your neighborhood to busy your mind and beat fatigue.
Research indicates that walking just 20 minutes a day can significantly improve mental clarity and reduce stress (Hanson & Jones, 2015). When done with friends or during strolls or while listening to good music, it also can be very much fun. As Hippocrates said, “Walking is man’s best medicine.”
2. Visit Recreational Centers on Campus
All colleges and universities have an opportunity to provide a reduced fee or even free service usage of gyms, swimming pools, intramural sports teams, and so on. Use these facilities for swimming, exercising on weights, playing sports, or taking group classes for exercise.
Research shows that regular exercise improves cognitive function, helping students perform better academically (Hillman, Erickson, & Kramer, 2008). Exercising and being healthy will help increase your energy and make you happy.
3. Do YouTube or Online Workouts
In fact, the internet has made it possible to get free workouts whether you are into yoga, HIIT, boxing, or bodyweight exercise. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that online workout programs could be just as effective as in-person classes for improving health outcomes (Chen et al., 2017).
You should Make some room in your dorm or apartment and give several YouTube workouts a try to get a good sweat in. This is undoubtedly one of the simplest wellness activities for students to undertake when they have a tight schedule.
4. Meditate Using Apps
Users can study guides on basic meditative practices such as breathing exercises available in applications like Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer provided you the budget-friendly wellness plan subscription.
Meditation has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety while improving concentration (Tang et al., 2015). As Buddha said, “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
Even as little as ten minutes a day can help in reducing stress and anxiety. Meditation also helps in concentration, therefore, making it easy to perform tasks in the class.
5. Consider the Included Wellness Programs on Campus
Your student health center or campus recreation department may provide many wellness activities for students on a small fee or free of charge, focusing on everything from cooking to nutrition to stress management.
Studies have shown that participation in wellness programs not only boosts physical health but also contributes to mental well-being (Gebhardt & Crump, 1990). These are perfect for socializing too because you will be able to find new people to add to your friend list.
6. Schedule Relaxation Time
Save some part of the day in which a person is not involved in any working condition and does not undertake any form of productive work. According to a study conducted in Frontiers in Psychology in 202, relaxation that can involve light physical activity or a focus on a particular thing can make individuals demonstrate better control of their emotions and may make them not to have anxiety.
There are a lot of things you can do, like go for a swim or a hot bath, do a bit of light yoga, call a friend or loved one, listen to calming music, or anything else that is peaceful and will help you calm down.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” (Thomas Carlyle)
7. Study Outside When Possible
On a good day, one should pack his or her laptop, phone, or books, and study outside the classroom. John Muir wisely said, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” Gardening and having fresh air plus sunlight is extremely energizing for learning while outdoors.
A study from the University of Michigan found that being in nature can enhance memory and attention by up to 20%. It is possible to take, for instance, a mini break to walk about or do just a few stretch exercises.
8. Visit Nature and Walking Trails
According to the findings of Bratman et al. (2015), people who take time to attend to nature have better emotional functioning and also less stress. If you think you need some wellness boost, you may try searching for the local nature trails, gardens or parks for a walk.
Ideally, if you’re still on good terms with your friend, it’d be fun if you two could go but if not then there are other great options like bringing your camera or your journal. Henry David Thoreau said, “An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
9. Prioritize Good Sleep
Surely, everybody knows that sleep is one of the most important factors that influence our health, yet students often do not get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation has been shown to impair memory, focus, and academic performance (Walker, 2017).
Get into proper sleep routines and keep regular sleeping and waking hours. As the saying goes, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Although, pull-all-nighters should be avoided as much as possible.
10. Cook Simple, Healthy Meals
Having proper nutrition from home-cooked meals keeps one properly fed for their academic and well-being endeavors. A healthy diet is crucial for brain function and overall well-being, with studies showing that proper nutrition can improve cognitive abilities and energy levels (Gómez-Pinilla, 2008).
You should learn how to buy cheap yet healthy foods such as eggs, vegetables, fruits, whole grain foods, and lean meat. As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” When in your dorm, it is most convenient to use a microwave, hot plate, or toaster oven to prepare meals quickly.
The Finale
In fact, student life is rather rich and diverse, and there are many ways to progress and gain experience during college apart from academic classes. It is possible to reduce stress by practicing wellness activities for students – offering the best demeanor for learning and interpersonal skills. The global activity is easily implemented and inexpensive, and the above activities are relatively cheap as well while promoting students’ well-being.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The first wealth is health.”