While at school, college students often overlook many of the everyday routines that they follow at home. Forgetting to turn off the lights in a room or letting dirty laundry accumulate is one thing - it's common and forgivable. Neglecting health, though, is another story. The events planned for the week of March 26-30 are sure to remind students that their health is something that must not be taken for granted.
The sponsors of Healthy Tufts Week, which include the Pre-Health Society, Health Services, and the Community Health Program, have designed activities intended to focus students' attention on the different ways to improve and maintain health throughout college.
"The focus of Healthy Tufts Week is to let students know that there are a lot of ways to get involved in taking care of themselves," said sophomore Sharon Milewits, a member of the Pre-Health Society. "We don't want people to think that this is only for pre-med students."
An open kickboxing session in Jackson Gym kicked off Healthy Week yesterday, along with an introduction to Healthy Week Programming and Guide to Health at Tufts at the campus center. At dinner, students also had the opportunity to ask questions and find out about what they could do to eat right in the dinning halls. Activities scheduled for the rest of the week include ten-minute mini-massages at Health Services, blood pressure monitoring in the campus center, and a yoga class in Jackson. A two-day daffodil sale will benefit the American Cancer Society, and the program is also holding screenings of the public health-related films A Civil Action and Erin Brockovich. Howard Lyman, a cattle-rancher-turned-vegan and the author of Mad Cowboy, will discuss the problems surrounding Mad Cow Disease and other current beef problems.
Aside from getting students to recognize aspects of their life that may need to change - diet, sleep, exercise, or otherwise - the program also intends to get students refocused on the last stretch of the semester after spring break.
"It is important for students to have a good balance of academics and other non-academic activities," Milewits said. "They need to have a positive outlook on things when they aren't in their comfort zone."
The two most neglected aspects of healthy living at college are sleep and exercise. Schoolwork and socializing often take precedence over catching the recommended eight hours of sleep, and hopping on the shuttle is more appealing to students than walking to Davis Square.
"Everyone needs to get a lot of sleep. It helps you function and concentrate on your schoolwork or other work that needs to be done, it keeps you alert and focused, it's needed for day to day living, and it also contributes to your mood," Milewits said.
For more information about living a healthier lifestyle, students can contact Health Services, speak to the officers of the Pre-Health Society, or visit the Tufts Wellness Program and Healthy Living Floors links at ase.tufts.edu/reslife.
