Eating and Exercising… Penn State has it all

So this week I shall continue with my theme of what not to do and what to do on campus, and yes once again I will be starting with some food options.

I would say one of my favorite things to do in the morning is not sleeping in, its not in last minute assignments (even though that happens anyway), its getting breakfast. I understand, a lot of people run out of the door with a granola bar or a handful of cereal, running to class with no time to spare and no other choice, but I think that taking extra time to make it to the dining commons is worth it. Every morning I wake up just 20 to 30 minutes earlier and walk over to whatever dining commons is closest or has the food that I am looking for. (Side note, definitely download Penn States Dining App, it is a great tool when you are trying to decide where to eat.) Then get in and quickly grab my food and sit down in front of one of the many televisions and catch up on local news, sometimes politics, the occasional cooking show, or even just the news feed on my phone. Those few extra minutes in the morning make all of the difference, with that extra time I am able to completely wake up for my first class, fill my empty stomach, and spend a little time catching up on the fun stuff that I usually would not have time for. And hey if you wake up to late there is always the mix at Pollock that has a Sheetz kind of ordering system for some really good breakfast sandwiches.

So after you have eaten so much food like me every day and you realize that you need to get to the gym, here are some tips on when and where to get that little work out in. First of all from the hours of 11-7 the White Building gym can get PACKED!!! I mean sure if you don’t mind waiting in a line to get in, and then to get on a piece of equipment, and then to get on something else, then that’s fine, more power to you to go and work out, but its best if you can wait. Go early in the morning before 11, wait until 8 or 9 at night if you have to, or my favorite way to stand in minimal lines and still get a workout are there classes. The White Building offers many fitness classes that go on at all times of the day. They range from things called full body workout to Zumba and Zumba inspired Power Remix classes, they are amazing, they keep you pumped and going because of all of the other people that are in the class, but at the same time you still get in a good workout. If you do decide to go to one of these though, be warned its best to get to the class 10 to 15 minutes early just to make sure you can secure yourself a spot, but I always just bring a book or even my phone so that I don’t mind the short wait to get into these fun classes.

11 thoughts on “Eating and Exercising… Penn State has it all

  1. Brad Pechin

    You have literally written about my life here. I can identify with every single word you’ve written. Food and exercise are literally all that I think about. I analyze every single thing I eat and try to exercise accordingly. It gets so bad that if I eat crappy food or don’t exercise I actually get into a bad mood. With all the temptations here at Penn State for unhealthy, yet super delicious food, I am stuck in a never-ending conflict.

  2. Khushboo Attarwala

    I am one of those people who unfortunately never make time for breakfast. I’m pretty sure the last time I got up early enough (or had enough time before class) to get breakfast was before Thanksgiving break. I try to get brunch on the weekends but I don’t think that’s the same.

  3. Josh Larimer

    I love the post. Breakfast truly is “underrated” (Marcus Comment 1). Too bad I can’t get up in time to get it. You have to drag me out of bed more often. Also, the gym is my new favorite place. The gym is not crowded around 9 or 10 in the morning. That’s my favorite time to go. I do have one complaint about White Building though. Why is it not open till 4 on weekends. That really annoys me. Good post!

  4. Marcus Erdman

    Breakfast is definitely underrated. Everyone loves brunch on the weekends but breakfast is literally the same thing on the weekdays and it’s less than half the price and at least twice as peaceful and relaxing. I wish I didn’t have so many 8 am’s, they make breakfast difficult. Also, I blame my lack of exercise on the fact that I’m too cheap for a gym membership.

  5. Erin Vrana

    I’ve definitely found that with all of the stress of college and also some of the poorer lifestyle choices, it helps a lot to exercise, not only to stay healthy, but also to feel better about yourself and help reduce stress. That being said I’m only a week into trying to exercise regularly, which is different for me because I was always in either cross country or track through middle and high school so I never really had to go to the gym by myself.

  6. Helen Tang

    I usually eat breakfast on the days I have my art class because that spans from 11:15 AM to 2:15 PM, and there isn’t really anywhere to go for a lunch break. All other days, I try to sleep as much as I can and just bring granola bars and fruit to class. I guess I should try to eat breakfast more, but my sleep schedule has been so messed up that I crave every single minute I can get.

  7. Brittany Ayers

    Thanks for sharing Mary 🙂 You are just full of wisdom. I always envy you for getting yourself out of bed to go get breakfast. I don’t have the will power or the strength. Everything you said about the white building is completely true! There are way too many people there. I’m so glad you introduced me to the Power Remix classes because I love them! Maybe I’ll start eating a healthier breakfast. I’ll really have to work on it though. I can’t wait to read what advice you have for us next week!

  8. Jessica Yun

    I love eating breakfast at Pollock Dinning. Since I have to go to morning prayers for my church at least once a week which starts at 6:30am, it kind of forces me to wake up early and eat breakfast after service with church people. It is actually really nice to eat breakfast since my stomach stays quiet during classes until lunch time. Also, I always had to wait in line these days even though I went really late at night, like around ten. I’m glad that at least the line shrinks pretty quickly.

  9. Jennifer

    Mary, you are adorable! We were talking about this the other night, and you are just so dedicated to this lifestyle – I think it’s great! I too am trying to get more of a solid breakfast along with a daily workout. I’m on day 3 of working out in the comfort of my own room and have oatmeal in the mornings with fresh fruit. I’m finding out that it leads me to have a more productive day and sleep better at night.

Leave a Reply