Before I started my senior year of track in high school, my parents got me a FittBit Charge 3 to help me track my pace and miles while running. Months later, I still wear this watch every single day because of all of the features it has that allow me to track my health. With the watch’s ability to track my heart rate, steps, calories, miles, and even sleep quality, I would highly recommend this product to someone looking to keep better tabs on their activity and lifestyle.

FitBit Charge 3

I would say that the heart rate tracking is the most useful feature on the watch. When I am am working out I always like to keep an eye on my heart rate because I like to be aware if it is starting to get too high and I need to relax the intensity of whatever I am doing. Also, resting heart rate  is equally important to keep an eye on, because if this number is consistently very high, it can lead to many health related issues later on in life. Over the months I have been watching my resting heart rate, I have learned that when I am sick, it tends to be higher— something unsurprising because my body is working to fight off whatever sickness I have. Also interestingly, I have learned when I am driving to somewhere I have never been before my heart rate spikes, most likely because of the nerves I often face when I am driving. My Fitbit has allowed me to focus on staying calm when driving, because previously I was unaware of the effects it had on my body, and it also is a tool I really am able to utilize throughout my everyday life.

Resting Heart Rate Feature

Another thing I really enjoy about this watch is that it has features that encouraging you to stay active  throughout the day. For example, if I reach 10,000 steps in a day the watch will buzz and show a motivational picture. While this is not a huge deal, it is nice to feel like I have accomplished something throughout the day, and I enjoy the way the Fitbit makes me feel like I am achieving some sort of daily goal. Overall I would definitely recommend this product to anybody, it is not nearly as expensive as an Apple Watch, but it still has all the essentials for me to keep a better eye on my health.

One of the most difficult things to adjust to at college is the dining hall. I know personally I am used to my mom’s cooking at home, and I am thankful that she was always health-conscious when making meals. Throughout the weeks I have been here at Penn State, I have slowly found ways to keep my meals on the healthier side.

As we have all heard before, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is vital for keeping better energy and attention throughout they day. At East Halls one of my favorite places to get breakfast is at Edge, the cafe that can be found in Findlay Commons. While they do sell things like donuts and cookies here, usually I like to go for the avocado toast or the banana and peanut butter toast. Both are great options to start the day on a healthier note. I also enjoy the açaí bowls that can be found upstairs at the commons. These bowls are customizable with different fruit, nuts, and granola so you can constantly switch up your order.

East Dining Halls

For lunch, I really enjoy going to Jamba Juice in the HUB. Buying fresh fruit can get expensive sometimes, so the smoothies at Jamba Juice are a really convenient way I have made sure to get enough fruit into my diet. If I am being honest, having restaurants like Panda Express and Chick-Fil-A also in the HUB makes it easier to make these unhealthier decisions, but out of all the different smoothies I have tried at Jamba Juice, I have yet to find one I dislike, so I try to remember that when walking into the HUB. 

HUB Jamba Juice

Lastly, one of the tools I have really utilized in the past few weeks is the Penn State Food Services Website . Each day the website provides the menu for the dining hall, so it is helpful in determining whether I will want to go to the buffet side of the commons or not. There is also a tab that offers the nutrition value of the different foods they are providing for that day. This has helped me to stay aware of the health content of the foods I am eating. Overall, while finding healthy meals at college might be a little more difficult than it would be if I were at home, it is not impossible, especially with all of the options and resources Penn State offers.

Going into college one thing I had always looked forward to participating in is IM Sports. This is where a group of friends can get together and play recreational sports; some of these include soccer, basketball, softball. Penn State has over twenty options to choose from. Volleyball has always been something I was good at and enjoyed playing so I had always planned to get an IM volleyball team going. However, just a few days a girl on my floor asked me to join a flag football team. For my senior field day in high school the girls played one powder puff flag football game and it was a lot of fun then, so I agreed to join. There is now about ten girls on the floor signed up to play and I am excited for our first game.

Winning Team’s Shirts

Sometimes going to the gym can get boring if you are doing the same routine after a while so this is a fun way to stay active while making friends. Sometime next week a bunch of us are going to make team shirts together so that is just one way to start off the team on a good note. We also have another friend on our floor who played football in high school and he agreed to coach our team. While none of us are taking this too seriously, it is still fun to start getting competitive and making ourselves a strong team. Right now I am not as concerned about winning as I am getting some what of a workout in while also being around friends.

Flag Football

During the games there should be a decent amount cardio which is a good thing. Football is not cardio in the way the sports like basketball and soccer are where you are running for the entirety of the game, but quick sprints and then breaks between each play. I hope that I will be good at this with my experience of sprinting on the track and field team in high school. Also, this sport is a relatively safe game and easy to pick up for somebody who might not have ever played before, there are also many other benefits that come along with this game. Overall, I am really looking forward to seeing how these games will play out, and if anybody reading this is interested, I would absolutely encourage you to get a team together and join!