Going away to college for the first time can be a stressful experience. You’re taking up residence in a new location, adapting to living in a dorm, and coping with being away from home. In times of stress and change like this it’s very easy to stress eat and lose sight of healthy eating habits and exercise regimes.

Don’t let healthy eating habits and exercise fall by the wayside. There are plenty of healthy foods available to college students and different ways to stay active. There are also many foods you can swap for healthier alternatives. If you’ve chosen to use a meal plan and eat at the cafeteria often make sure you utilize things like the salad bar, grab fruit on your way out to snack on later instead of junk food, and if they have a healthy options section look there first during mealtimes.

Here are a few ways to stay health conscious and active while you’re away at school.

Get A Workout Buddy – Sometimes it’s hard to find the will and motivation to get to the gym but having a workout buddy definitely helps. You can both motivate one another to get to the gym and push the other person to stay active. Switch things up every once in a while too, you don’t always have to go to the gym and do the same routine. Go to the gym one day, rent bikes another day, and play a round of basketball another day.

Walk Everywhere – Most schools, colleges, and universities don’t allow freshmen to have cars on campus so that alone will have you walking much more than usual. Go for a walk and explore campus. Find out where all of the other dorm buildings and buildings where class is held are located.  Also, you’re in a new place walk into town to see what is around!

Join A Sports Team/Club – Joining a sports team or club is a great way to stay active and meet new people. Join a sport that you’re already pretty good at or try something completely different! You might have played football a hundred times before but maybe you’ve never given Ultimate Frisbee a shot.

Don’t Deny Yourself Everything – You don’t have to deny yourself everything to avoid the freshman 15, you’ll be miserable if you do that. If you and some friends want to go out for pizza go out for pizza! But instead of opting to have it delivered why not walk down to the pizza place in town instead. You’ll get in some exercise and still enjoy a delicious slice of pizza and social time with your friends.