Chances are if you’re on any college campus in the U.S., you’ve heard the term self-care tossed around at a least a few times…today. It’s like the buzzword of our generation, almost confusing in its ubiquity. Slept in and skipped your 9:00 a.m. today? Self-care. Stress-ate an overwhelming amount of ice cream as you binged The Bachelor last night? Self-care. Dropped waaaay too much money on one of those weighted blankets everyone’s always talking about? Self-care, for sure.
As a generation, we’ve become obsessed with wellness: be that physical, emotional, nutritional, or social. But what happens when financial wellness comes into conflict with other forms of wellness? Sure, staying active is key and joining a gym is a great way to do that. Seeing a therapist on a regular basis can do wonders for your mental health. But those things cost money - a lot of it.
Boro wants you to be well, but to also keep financial wellness in mind for a healthy lifestyle. Welcome to “Wellness on a Budget,” a series dedicated to helping college students live their best life without breaking the bank. First up…
Physical Wellness
Staying active is an absolutely essential part of maintaining health in college, for both your body and your mind. For many college students, though, leaving high school meant the end of their athletic careers or PE class, two things guaranteed to keep you active. With gym membership prices that are crazy high, not to mention boutique fitness studios like SoulCycle or Pure Barre or Orange Theory, working out might seem like an unaffordable luxury. Here are 4 tips for physical wellness on a budget.
1. Be On the Lookout for Student Memberships
First and foremost, check out your own university’s fitness center. Many schools offer free access to cardio machines, weight rooms, pools and more with your student ID. For public gyms and some of those fitness studios, ask if they offer student discounts. Chances are, if you’re in a college town, most businesses will have some sort of deal to keep the students coming.
2. Join a club
One of the best parts of college are the experiences you have outside the classroom. Did you play a sport in high school? See if your school has a club team! Always wanted to try hip-hop dancing? See if there’s a dance company on campus that offers open classes for all levels. Being active is way more fun when you do it with friends.
3. Walk or ride your bike to class
For schools that have brutal winters or enormous campuses, this one can be hard. But walking or biking across campus is the easiest way to make sure you’re getting your steps in. Think about it- you’ve got to go to class, you might as well get something out of the journey there. Extra points for being eco-friendly in your choice of transportation.
4. Get your Z's
This is by far the simplest key to physical health, yet remains so unattainable for so many college students. You need sleep. Period. It doesn’t matter how much you work out or how active you are, if you’re not giving your body time to recover and rest up, your physical health will go down the drain. There’s some merit to the argument that college students need naps more than preschoolers. Put on your comfiest clothes, drink some tea, and hop into bed for a completely free path to wellness.
Check back in next week for tips on managing your mental health without breaking the bank. In the meantime, need the cash to cover your gym membership or your new bike to get around campus? Get up to $2000 of BoroCash on the Boro app now and pay back over 1-12 months.