Broncho Blogs

One question always asked is how college students can keep from gaining that “freshman 15”. There are many ways to bypass that but exercising to me is the best way to keep from gaining those extra pounds. Here are my top 5 ways to exercise during your college life.

1. Walk or bike to class: this is an easy way to get your heart rate up and your blood flowing before you get to your class. Getting your blood pumping before class can help your mind retain information longer rather than getting to class when your brain is still tired.
2. Join an intramural sport: not only is this a great way to keep off those extra pounds but this is also a great way to keep your body in shape.  It allows you to meet new people, make new friends, and keep your competitive side alive. Click here for more information on intramurals.
3. Go for a walk with some friends: UCO has a beautiful campus. The landscape within the campus makes for a relaxing and therapeutic walk. There are three different trails that are mapped on the UCO website that will guide you through campus. Walking with friends outside is a great way to reflect on what you have done the past week and what you still have to do within the next week.
4. Take a fitness class as a course: there are a few different exercise classes that you can take that will not only allow you to get credit hours but they also allow you to learn how to exercise from professionals while taking the classes.
5. Go to your college gym: UCO offers a free gym at the Wellness Center for all students and faculty. Yes, the gym can get a little packed every now and then but when you are a college student and there is an opportunity to take advantage of a free gym, why not take it? This allows you to save money on the gas to and from another gym, that you have to pay a membership for. So, you are not only getting a good exercise in but you are saving money at the same time.

The best thing about all of these is that they are all easily accessible. One . . .  read more

Stress and anxiety levels are commonly high amongst college students, increasing throughout the semester with tests and deadlines slowly creeping up. The physical benefits of exercise, such as weight loss, decrease in blood pressure, and general heart health, have been discussed for many years with plenty of research to back them . But recently . . .  read more

Many people believe that it is too expensive to eat healthy. Fast food prices make meals they serve seem appealing, but there is hardly any nutritional value in the food being consumed. Prices of fresh and healthy food items seem to steer people away when they see the prices of the cheaper processed food. Fear not! Eating healthy does not have to . . .  read more

Tired of eating the same thing for lunch or dinner? Numerous people “meal prep” for their up-coming week, but often have the same chicken breast recipe for every meal. Here are a couple of different recipes to help you spice up those boring meals.

Chicken:

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Let’s face it, dieting can be hard work. Whether you’re fighting late night munchies or constantly getting tempted by that dreadful office vending machine, there are a couple steps you can take in order to fight those cravings.

1. Hydrate. A lot of times the body confuses the sensation of hunger and thirst. Try drinking a bottle of water before . . .  read more

There are so many different types of resistance training equipment that it can be hard to determine what’s best for you and your own personal fitness level. There are many different weight machines for all of the major muscle groups, resistance bands, and free weights, so how do you choose what’s right for you? Below is a list of some of the . . .  read more

Up to 20% of athletes experience overtraining, which is also commonly referred to as “staleness”. If an individual is not getting the proper rest time after the overload of intense exercise, the body will have an increasingly harder time recovering from a workout. If inadequate rest periods are continued, performance will actually decline. It . . .  read more

Most people think that when trying to lose weight, cardio is the way to go. What most people don’t understand is that cardio is exactly what the word means—it’s for your heart. Although improving your heart health is great, cardio itself does not burn many calories. The best way to lose weight, burn fat, and build muscle is to incorporate strength . . .  read more

We all know that exercise is a great way to improve health and increase physical fitness. A very important component of a workout session is the warm-up. Do you perform a warm-up before exercising? If not, here are a few reasons to begin warming up before every workout.

Performing a warm-up before exercising provides many benefits, including:

-increased . . .  read more

Thinking of ways to change your water intake? Purchase a water jug and keep it with you throughout the day. Also, crystal light and flavored water help make it easier to drink as well. If you are anything like me, drinking water is a difficult task at times. But after realizing the benefits of drinking water, hopefully you will convert to a water . . .  read more