The Last Minute Beach Body Push ⋆ College Magazine

With the crush of finals coming up, exercising and eating right take a backseat to all-nighters and consuming coffee like it's water. We all want to look good when we go home, but the dread of working out is… well… just about as bad as walking into a final you didn't study for. Getting in a little exercise to maintain the hard work you did all semester isn't as bad as it seems; a little time management and self-restraint is all it takes to keep your physique for the summer.

First, it’s not necessary to hit the gym every single day leading up to your beach trip or roadtrip home. Finding the time to work out around three or four times a week will maintain your physical strength and tone. The best way to get your workouts in is either first thing in the morning or during a long study break: starting your day off with a workout, even for just a half an hour, will keep you from junk-food binging later on in the day because you won’t want to ruin your workout progress. Going for a short run or lifting weights as a form of a study break will help clear your head and sweat out some of the anxiety and stress.

Besides working out whenever possible, eating right is obviously the other component of staying healthy and fit. Don’t give in to junky food cravings late at night by having water and fruit or nuts on hand. Drink one big glass of water and eat something small and healthy first; if that doesn’t satisfy your craving then only indulge a little. By going cold-turkey, your body will only want that food more, leading to a likely binge later. During meals (which should be prioritized!), incorporate a good portion of protein to keep your energy up, supplemented with as many fresh vegetables as possible. Complex carbohydrates like wheat bread and rice will also sustain your energy rather than allowing it to spike and crash with sugary, quick-fix foods.

Though it may seem impossible to stay in shape for the summer after a rough week of finals, it's not! By maintaining regular healthy eating—or even starting now—your body will thank you and, in turn, look its best. A week of little sleep and high caffeine won’t do a huge amount of damage to your body, but eating the right foods and working out will keep your muscles as well as your mind strong.

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