Food
Put the pot noodle down and walk away from the microwave.
Microwave meals might seem cheap, but they are nowhere near the value for money you get from buying and cooking big, bulk meals of real food, and they are certainly not very good for you.
Cook for the week ahead. Buy some meat and lots of vegetables and make a stew that can be refrigerated and used all week. Cooking a whole chicken is cheaper than you think and it can last a couple of days. Alternatively, make a large meal with your housemates. The ingredients might seem expensive, but once the cost is split between all of you it will probably be cheaper than a sandwich, and you can make it a lot healthier. It is always a good idea to do a big shop, and not just live day-to-day. It saves a lot of money and buying quick meals day-to-day will mean you miss out on a balanced diet. There’s really no excuse for eating packaged ready meals, because the healthy alternative is not as expensive as you think!
NUS extra card holders can also afford to eat some real food, courtesy of our exclusive food and drink discounts. You can nab a cheap meal at Giraffe, Zizzi and Pizza Hut to name but a few.
Exercise
If you are into exercise and sports there will be plenty on offer for you, whether that’s a union sports team, running club or sports centre. They will be easy to join and welcome new members.
For those that aren’t so inclined towards sports there are still lots of ways you can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Try not taking public transport every time you head into town or get to campus. Why not try walking? Get a bike and explore your city. Just as bad eating and too much partying are student clichés, so are bikes. Bikes, however, are a really good idea and get you some well needed exercise whilst being environmentally friendly. They also help you explore your new home with ease.
If you do want to join a gym to keep up with your fitness, your campus will almost certainly have one, and students will be able to join for very reasonable prices. Why not also try attending some yoga or pilates classes, joining an active society, or taking dance lessons?
NUS Extra also gives you great discounts at sporting shops, gyms and supplement suppliers, including JJB Sports, igetfitonline.com and myprotein.com. So getting into fitness need not be too expensive.
Sleep
As well as doing the obvious things of eating healthily, regularly and getting some exercise. It’s important you maintain a healthy mind whilst you are amongst the intense combination of work and play that comes with the territory of being a student. One important factor of this is sleep
Students can get into quite irregular sleeping patterns, whether that’s due to staying out all night, doing an emergency all night study session, or simply staying in bed all day after an early lecture.
It’s understandable, as a student, to have such odd sleeping hours, but when you can manage it it will make the world of difference to get a good night’s sleep. Try using black out blinds to keep the light out, turning off all you devices to reduce noise and light, and potentially using ear plugs if your housemates are being too loud. Not only will you feel mentally refreshed, you will look a lot healthier and happier.
For information on how NUS Extra can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle go to the discounts page.