Raise Your Well-Being in College with Power 9
by Shelby Jackson
Recent months have changed the lifestyles of many, including each college student across the country. From the decrease in ability to properly exercise and not being able to socially connect with peers, to transitioning to online education, these past semesters have been challenging as a fully virtual student. Each day of the week seems to be repeating and run together, almost as a state of extended déjà vu. However, there is hope to bring quality of life back to just simply living.
College students can sustain their youth by choosing to implement Blue Zones Power 9 principles. By adopting some of the principles into the college lifestyle, students can not only sustain their youth but also live a longer, healthier life. These principles were inspired by those around the world who have lived the longest and healthiest.
Students can incorporate natural movements such as a ten-minute walk in between classes and homework. Before the education transition, students mindlessly burned calories by walking from dorms or parking garages to classes on campus. Another way to Move Naturally would be to listen to recorded lectures while taking a walk. Typically, students listen to a recorded lecture more than once.
In addition to moving naturally, students can also Downshift after classes and between online exams. Relive stress, unwind from the past and prepare for the future by stretching for thirty minutes, participating along with online tai-chi and yoga videos, or meditating and praying.
Instead of going through drive-throughs and eating a surplus of fast food, college students can adopt the Plant Slant Principle and incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diet as well as learn to cook more plant-based meals. Skip the breakfast bar or sugary cereal and instead make a healthy, plant-based smoothie through Blue Zones Project free, online smoothie demonstrations. There are also other video demonstrations for healthy meals and recipe resources. Students should take the opportunity to learn these recipes because the benefits of creating great-tasting meals far outweigh the time it takes to make them. When healthy food tastes good, it becomes irresistible. There is also the personal feeling of accomplishment and self-pride when an individual cooks and consumes healthy meals, benefiting both mental and physical well-being.
Another Power 9 Principle that students can adopt to sustain their youth is scheduling time for Friends @ Five. Meet up with friends for a socially distanced walk in the park, get coffee and go out to the beach, or video chat with friends and do something together. Scheduling social time with friends provides the opportunity to get away from stresses and enjoy positive company for a period of time. Most importantly, college students should adopt Family First into their lifestyle. Many times, students become consumed with school and work, but it is important to connect with family. Investing with family can add up to six years to a student’s projected life.
The Blue Zones Project Power 9 Principles are not a diet or exercise routine but rather options, left up to the individual, to better their health and well-being.
Brought to Southwest Florida by NCH Healthcare System, in collaboration with Sharecare, Inc., Blue Zones Project is a vital part of Southwest Florida’s well-being improvement initiative that encourages changes in the community that lead to healthier options. For more information about Blue Zones Project Southwest Florida, visit southwestflorida.bluezonesproject.com.