Welcome to the Preston Center!

“Have you seen her lately?”
“She has gained so much weight!”
“I heard that he has gained at least fifteen pounds.”

We have all heard and said these comments when a freshman from college comes back home after a couple of months of being away. The freshman fifteen is a sneak attack waiting to happen to those unsuspecting freshman. Below are some tips and tricks that can help you be prepared and stay away from the extra pounds.

Getting Involved on Campus

Instead of using exercise videos online in your dorm room, get out and explore all the options that WKU offers for exercising.

•Raymond B. Preston Health and Activities Center: Welcome to the gym, it is better known as the Preston Center to most students around campus. This is the best place to get involved with sports and exercising. There are countless activities offered here each and every day.
•WellU: According to the website, it is an online student wellness program designed to promote health and wellness related programs and services available at WKU.
•Intramural Sports are recreational sports that are played with other college students. A few of the intramural sports offered here are basketball, volleyball, racquetball, and soccer.
•ORAC: (Outdoor Recreation Adventure Center) This place offers a variety of outdoor programs for students and faculty at WKU for a great price.

Check out more information about getting involved physically at Western Kentucky University under the “Fitness@WKU” tab at the top menu.

Healthy Eating Habits

After looking up some research on my own, I found some great tips to start eating healthier! For more information, check out the latest website I added to the links list.

1. Make time for meals. Eat three meals a day, plus pack a healthy snack such as fruit or a granola bar for on the go. Try to eat your meals on a consistent schedule throughout the week if you can. Make sure to avoid eating food late at night. You’ll end up regretting your decision next time you work out.
2. Balance your meals. Eat at least three different food groups during each meal. Don’t forget to try to include eating healthier foods instead of eating unhealthy cafeteria food. Chick-fil-a may sound appetizing to eat every day, but try to limit yourself on those fattening foods!
3. Don’t forget dairy. Your bones will need calcium with all the extra working out and exercising you will be doing!
4. Stay hydrated. Pack a bottle of water or Gatorade in your backpack or gym tote. You should replenish yourself every time you get the chance. You will be surprised how tough walking up the hill is. Just in case you haven’t heard of Thirsty Thursday, you shouldn’t drink excessive amounts of alcohol constantly; beer has calories in case you didn’t know!
5. Choose the appropriate portions. When given the choice, take the smaller portion and don’t eat more than you can handle. Even though Fresh Foods Co is a “buffet”, you must remember that you can’t eat everything.
6. Don’t keep unhealthy snack in your dorm room. These types of snacks are instant weight gainers. Instead of Twinkie’s and cupcakes, try storing some of these items in your food bin:
•Animal Crackers
•Fresh Fruit
•Granola Bars
•Single-Serving popcorn bags
•Soup
•Wheat thins
•Trail Mix
•Water
•Yogurt
•Energy (Protein) Bars
•String Cheese
•Crackers

Top 5 Ways to Introduce Fitness in Your Life

1. Walk or bike to class: Instead of taking Topper Transit (WKU Shuttle System) up the hill or across campus, take a nice stroll or a bike ride to wherever you are going.
2. Join an intramural sport: There are so many different sports teams that you can join! Check out the list of sports offered under the “Fitness@WKU” tab.
3. Go for a walk with friends: People are always trying to find something to do it seems like. Next time you and your friends want to hang out or talk, why don’t you insist adding a walk! If the weather is warm and sunny out, take a walk around campus and explore the area. If the weather is cold and rainy, walk on the indoor track at the Preston Center or run on the treadmills inside the gym.
4. Take a fitness class as a course: Three hours of fitness/health is a General Education requirement at WKU. You might as well kill two birds with one stone and take an exercise class; you’ll be exercising and learning more about a new sport or playing a sport you love. Sounds like a great deal to me!
5. Check out the Preston Center and find the perfect exercising ritual for you. You will be surprised at everything that is offered.

My only hope right now is that you are not attacked by the freshman fifteen when you come to college. I have a personal belief that it is incredibly hard to gain that extra weight here though. Everyone gets a daily workout by just having to walk up the hill to class. If you’re wearing a backpack full of books, I would just consider that extra weight you’re working out with!

My tip for this week is to always keep some extra snacks in your backpack. As I mentioned before, you should keep little snacks with you when you are on the go. It’s a great way to stay energized and a great way to make sure you don’t starve until the next you get the chance to eat. Personally, I enjoy nilla wafers and vanilla pudding as a snack. You should try it sometime if you haven’t yet!

From the Hill,
Samara