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Tips to Stay Healthy & Fit While Studying Abroad
This article will provide you with detailed information about Tips to stay healthy & Fit while studying abroad.
Going abroad comes with various other aspects such as living away from home, being independent, and taking care of everything yourself. It becomes mandatory to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent possible encounters with diseases and disorders in such cases.
Studying abroad is fun and rewarding, immersing oneself in another culture. A new place to live and explore, a time of adventure and self-discovery. To have the opportunity to gaze a new country is exciting! But on top of the excitement is unfamiliarity. A new environment brings stress and staying healthy on a very busy schedule and new environment is a challenge.
Although studying abroad fundamentally denotes change, it shouldn’t have to compromise your health. Finding ways to stay in shape overseas is a great way to crawl out of your comfort zone.
Keep on reading this article, to learn more about Tips to stay healthy & fit while studying abroad!
Tips to stay Healthy and Fit While Studying Abroad: Tips Before You Leave
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Research country-specific health and safety information and heed advice from your program/university about local health concerns.
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Discuss your plans with your healthcare provider. Make sure your routine vaccinations are up to date and obtain any others recommended by your provider.
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Make arrangements in advance for any care you know you will need abroad. If you believe you will need access to therapy, arrange for telehealth visits or a therapist at your destination.
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Schedule medical, dental, and eye exams before you leave, even if you are generally healthy.
Tips to Stay Healthy and Fit While Studying Abroad
Exercise regularly
Working out regularly is one of the most important factors that should be a part of your daily schedule. You might want to include exercises that impact both your physical and mental health. Allocating 1 hour from your daily schedule is ideal for incorporating workouts into your plan. However, we understand that sometimes exercising every day might not be possible. Make sure that you do not overwork yourself or strain yourself into exercising even when you don’t feel like doing so. Take a rest from work-outs on some days. E.g., Not exercising on Saturdays and Sundays is a good option.
Take a walk whenever possible
A daily life practice that can naturally help you stay healthy is walking every day. It boosts blood circulation and is considered a benefit for your cardiovascular health. Avoid taking transport for a smaller distance and take a stroll to the place. Even as a part of your leisure activity, you can go on a walk with your friends. This will help your physical health as well as help you get relaxed.
Cook for Yourself
Cooking your food all by yourself is one of the hardest things to manage in a foreign land. Often you might feel like tasting everything available. However, you must remember that you are staying in a host country and have plenty of opportunities to try everything. You must not fit everything in the first few weeks. Try to cook for yourself, as eating outside can be unhealthy and expensive. Cooking for yourself does not mean missing out on the local cuisine. You can grab the ingredients for your cooking from the local farmers and the local market. Fruits and vegetables are healthier and cheaper than focaccia, crepes, kebabs, and pain au chocolat. Investing in healthier options helps you keep in shape and reduce expenses.
Keep yourself hydrated
We are made up of 60% water by weight. That, in no scenario, means you can give up drinking water or substitute it with aerated drinks or other beverages like tea or coffee. Hydration is the ultimate form of self-care. As a practice, carry a bottle of water and keep sipping throughout the day.
Avoid Binge Drinking and Smoking
Consuming alcohol is not a taboo in most foreign lands. Having alcohol in the right quantity never affects a person’s health. However, drinking too much of anything, including alcohol, negatively impacts one’s mind and body. Most students believe that cigarettes are stress relievers. On the contrary, smoking does more harm to the body than any other substance. Avoiding cigarettes is one of the best tips to stay healthy and fit while studying abroad.
Take timely rest
Sleep deprivation is more harmful than you think it can be – it can cause fatigue and headaches. A prolonged lack of sleep is known to affect your mood, make you irritable, and can cause hallucinations (worst-case scenario). As a student, you need a minimum of eight hours of sleep to function optimally. A small nap here and there also makes a huge difference (napping during class should be at your own risk). Of course, there is high pressure of a new life and assignments but remember that you’ll only be able to perform at your best if your mind is well-rested.
Be In Touch, Reach Out And Interact
Isolation triggers depression and anxiety. Communicate! Use online apps and other online tools to talk to your family more often. Schedule regular chats with your family back home. Talk to your friends too and catch up on their school activities. This helps in dealing with homesickness and lessens the chance of feeling isolated. Make new friends and schedule fun activities with them.
Regular medical check-ups
Though we might feel and look healthy externally, many medical issues might not show symptoms and thus go undiagnosed. Having regular medical check-ups is one solution for being safe from such instances. Even when you encounter slight discomfort with your health, avoid self-medication and try to consult a doctor immediately. An annual full-body check-up is another thing you can adapt to stay fit.
Tips to Stay healthy and Fit While Studying Abroad - Important Note
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Make sure you have adequate health insurance and that you know how to access benefits while you are outside of the United States.
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If you take medication, check to make sure you can legally bring it into your host country. For prescription medication, take a copy of the prescription with you.
Conclusion
Making the effort to stay healthy overseas can improve your study abroad experience by helping you make new friends, adjust to local customs, and gain energy, better sleep, and an immune system boost.
So, In this article, we have tried to cover everything related to Tips to stay healthy and fit while studying abroad.
FAQ
How to take care of your diet in between your busy schedules?
Carry finger food and snacks like a yoga bar, yoghurt, dark chocolate, etc. with yourself, so that you can have those short breaks that you get in between lectures.
Why is it important for you as a student to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
When a student goes abroad they are on their own to take care of themselves therefore it becomes extremely important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This involves proper diet, exercise, adequate sleep, meditation, etc. Also academically it will help in increasing brain power and memory which will increase productivity.
An IIT Delhi IIM Ahmedabad alumni initiative
Alpha Education Abroad is an initiative by IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad alumni. The firm helps students get admitted to top universities overseas in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, and many other countries. It allows students to apply for graduation as well as post-graduation courses abroad. It also helps students get admitted to top 1 year MBA programs such as ISB and IIM Ahmedabad in India.