As classes kick off, student athletes are back in gear, too. Extracurricular exercise is one of the best benefits of being a student at any age. It’s not just the football and basketball players getting exercise—there’s the marching band, casual activities like dance, and even art is great because you tend to stand the whole time—better for your heart than sitting. And let’s not forget our overachievers—I can remember school years where my backpack exceeded 25 pounds. Walking around with all that weight is great exercise—but it’s also hard on your muscles and joints!
Speaking of muscles and joints, that’s an area where student athlete’s can really use extra help. Not only are they getting hard use everyday, but most students are still growing, too. Even in your early twenties there’s a growth spurt or two to be had.
Make sure you are maintaining your health while winning the gold:
-Take a calcium supplement. Extra calcium has a place at pretty much every stage of life. For people under twenty-five it should be obvious: supporting those growing bones (and exercise will add to bone density—so make sure you’re supplying enough calcium in your diet!).
-Relax your muscles. I can’t really remember having time to sit in a sauna as a student, nor the time/money for massages, chiropractor visits, etc. What I did have time for (that really worked): a quick morning yoga routine, and at least one yoga class a week. Carrying around a 25+ bag will really mess with your alignment, but yoga will offset that (and teach better posture to prevent further pains). For nights when everything was stiff, I wish I’d had Dakota Muscle Relief. Even now I’ll sometimes forget about it at first—then wish I’d thought of it immediately once I remember to use it. It works small wonders on tension and even bad knots.
-If you’re joints are really sore, you can support joint health with Joint RLF, a targeted multivitamin supplement.
-Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Students have to practice when they have time (see our scheduling tips) or when they’re told—but evening workouts can mess up your sleep. To make sure you’re getting all the rest you need and the nutrients that will support your brain for class the next day, try our Sleep Support Pack (it includes calcium—checking TWO things off your list!).
(P.S. Don’t forget to spray your gym shoes with Smelly Shoe Spray!)
What keeps you/your student busy during the school year?
