The first week of training made me feel kind of like a baby deer.

I walked into the gym, big-eyed and shaky legs, and awkwardly traversed some equipment as people awed at my willingness to try.

It was weird, I had an awkward arrangement of sore muscles and I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing, but I did way better than I possibly could have ever imagined.

The first day I thought I was going to be dying and puking after attempting to run a mile. Not only did I run a mile, I ran two. It wasn’t consecutively, but I made sure it was the second time I went.

After that, I realized I could totally run a 5k. I was initially planning on following coolrunning.com’s Couch to 5k program, which trains you to run a 5k in 9 weeks, but I annihilated that milestone almost immediately.

Keep in mind, the last time I ran was around six years ago for gym class. I had no idea I held this power inside of me.

As for the diet part, the transition is slow becoming, but something I feel I’m capable of doing. Since I don’t need to lose weight, I’m doing a high protein diet to help with muscle growth.

I still own a bunch of food that’s not a part of my diet, and it’s not like I’m going to throw it away. If I have to eat a bunch of pizza, ramen, and Kraft mac and cheese to get healthier, then that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

I was skeptical about this initial start, but now I’m actually excited to get more involved in my training. I’m ready for the next time I’m going to the gym, and I have all these different chicken meals I want to make.

Procrastination was truly my worst enemy for this. Before these last couple weeks there was always an excuse to push it off, to start another week because you’re just too busy this week.

Nike and Shia LaBeouf have been right all along. In the end, you just have to do it. You have to take that first step. It’s scary, you’ll resist and you might not even like it while you’re doing it, but looking back, you’ll thank yourself.

Be proactive. Just do it.

— Brian Sheridan, Op/Ed Editor

Soft music fills your ears as you enter a deep calm of stillness, sitting cross-legged as candles flicker and breathing deepens, all the while you drift deeper into relaxation.

Meditation is a commonly overlooked and hippie-stigmatized activity I’ve found peace and comfort through. While exercising and eating healthy are important on my journey to an improved well-being, equally so is mental health.

I enjoy taking control of my mental state by starting or ending my days with meditation. Beyond the obvious benefits of reducing stress and anxieties, a Mayo Clinic article proves it also lowers pain, sleeping problems and even heart disease.

While I do love a good, sweaty workout, meditating is a healthy way to maintain my health holistically. Plus, it doesn’t take money or much time to meditate, which as a college student is game-changing.

My mind is constantly racing from one assignment to the next, how I can make a meal out of the minimal amount of food left in my pantry and how will I fit a nap into my schedule even if it’s for five minutes. By carving out time to sit and simply be present, meditation changes my entire day for the better.

Centering my thought and being present in today instead of worrying about tomorrow is my fix through meditating. It helps everything from my mood, to my physical well being and stress level. Not to mention my new Himalayan salt lamp definitely vibes with meditating to my favorite Enya classics.

While working out and being nutritious is crucial to feeling good about your body, mental health should equally be accounted for as I continue on my health streak.

One of my favorite ways to meditate is through yoga. A simple 30-minute yoga session starts my day off with energy and contentedness. Not only do I have a better outlook on the day ahead, but a more positive mentality.

As the semester kicks into full gear, I find my stress and anxiety levels sky rocketing while my spring break “bod” is non-existent and summer seems farther and further in the distance amidst piles of homework assignments and projects.

Meditating allows me to break free of those enslaving emotions and thoughts, an activity far too stigmatized and overlooked.

Namaste.

— Colette St. John, Managing Editor