In most students’ lives, health is the last thing on their minds. Many students do not think about going to the gym when a lab report is due or when friends want to do something.

Some students are taking a different approach by finding new ways to stay healthy and enjoy oneself.

Sophomore Morgan Radicioni described her way of keeping fit, and said, “I box, hitting a punching bag for an hour or so really relieves stress I have from school, and it’s fun!”

Forget running on the treadmill for an hour to burn only 300 calories.  Try Zumba for an hour. On average, Zumba burns around 500 or more calories per hour, plus the music is upbeat.

Working out and keeping healthy does not have to be a chore, and it does not have to be something to dread.

Sophomore Lorenzo Enderle talked about his experience in parkour, and said, “You have to find the quickest way from point A to point B; climbing walls, running, and jumping off things is pretty entertaining, and it takes muscle and stamina to do it.”

Working out is not the only thing that aids people in living a healthy lifestyle; eating healthy can make a huge change. When people think of eating healthy they often think of lettuce and dry meat,basically rabbit food. However, eating healthy does not have to be something to loathe. Simple transitions like going from processed foods to fresh, farm grown produce, and soda to water with zero calorie flavoring in it are some simple switches that do not sacrifice taste.

Small meals throughout the day instead of three huge meals is a great way to boost the metabolism which helps burn calories and keeps the body awake and alert. Once the body has gotten used to eating better and being active, it will have so much more energy, and it is proven that eating healthier and being active helps people become happier.

Being active and eating healthy is not as hard as people think; it is just getting started that people have trouble with. Getting a friend to come along to a Zumba class or even having a friendly competition with a favorite family member can create enough motivation to get started.