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5 Ways to Stay Healthy at SMU

02.16 Jacqui JacobyI’m sure you’ve heard the term “Freshman 15” joked about before, but let me tell you something: the Freshman 15 is real. That is, unless you learn how to stay healthy in college. Here are a few tips for staying active and eating right at SMU:

1. Walk the Katy Trail
When you get to SMU, one of the most popular outdoor spots, besides Klyde Warren Park (a park in the middle of downtown Dallas on an overpass), is the Katy Trail. Spanning 3.5 miles from just off of SMU’s campus all the way to downtown Dallas, this walking, jogging, and biking path is perfect for a nice fall or spring day. Grab a friend, jog a few miles, and forget all about being in a metropolitan area! If you go on a Saturday or Sunday morning, you can even stop by some brunch spots in Uptown, like Katy Trail Icehouse, Eatzi’s, or Breadwinners. Also, rumor has it that the former Bachelor contestant, Sean Lowe, jogs the Katy Trail every morning around 6 or 7 AM… maybe you’ll jog past him!

2. Eat at “Healthy on the Hilltop”
I live in Virginia Snider hall, which happens to be the closest residential commons to Umphrey Lee Dining Center, AKA “Umph”. Like I said, the Freshman 15 is real. In order to stay healthy with my diet, I frequent the “Healthy on the Hilltop” line, which features gluten-free, vegan, and health-conscious meals every day! If I can’t find anything there, I can always ask the dining staff to put some chicken or fish on the grill and grab myself a salad from the always-stocked salad bar.

3. Go to GroupX Classes at Dedman
For the first two weeks of every fall semester, Dedman Rec makes all of its GroupX fitness classes completely free! This is a great opportunity to take sunrise yoga, pilates, insanity, zumba, or spin classes and figure out which ones get you the most excited about hitting the gym. You can pay $4 per class or buy an unlimited pass for only $75 – well worth the money, especially since you don’t have to pay anything extra to have a membership to Dedman, anyway!

4. Grab Your Quick Lunches at The Market
If you’re ever in a hurry to fit lunch into your busy schedule, it can be tempting to make ramen or grab some junk food. Thanks to The Market, a grab and go convenience store in the student center with a sushi and salad bar inside, your quick lunches can still be healthy! You can get a make-your-own salad at The Wedge or even customize your own sushi roll at Sushic. Either way, load up on veggies and cut down on fried things and you’ll be good! The Market also sells healthy and gluten free microwave meals for quick lunches in the future!

5. Have Fun Working Out with Friends
Other than the Katy Trail and GroupX classes at Dedman, there are so many ways to stay fit with friends at SMU! Climb the rock climbing wall in Dedman (for free!), play some sand volleyball, run around the soccer field, visit White Rock Lake, or get creative and find a studio in Dallas. If you never want to leave campus to find a good work out, SMU is the perfect place for you!

-Jacqui Jacoby

By Bridget Anderson

AA-EnrollServ(Recruitment)

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