University of Leicester Students' Union

This year the University of Leicester Students’ Union is putting on a Healthy Living Week Spectacular.

As another of the Union’s Priority Campaigns, it was agreed that focus should be upon a campaign which highlights the importance of healthy living for students. Naturally, maintaining a healthy lifestyle involves many things. One is to keep active and fit through regular exercise. So, as if it were planned seamlessly by us and in accordance with, the University is hosting Free Sports Week during Healthy Living Week where any student can attend a sports club or fitness session for a taster in preparation for Re-Freshers the Monday following (28^th). A thing to note here as well, on Thursday 24^th starting at 17.30 in the Mirage, SU, dance societies, Salsa; Cheerleading; Street Dance and Modern Dance will be taking turns to show volunteers how to move and groove like they do (see timetable for further information).

Diet is also vitally important. Maintaining a healthy diet can improve mental wellbeing which, as a result, can lower the risks of depression and other mental health inflictions which seem all too common with students in higher education. Poor nutrition can be at least eased by an intake of five fruit or/and vegetables every day, so one aspect of this campaign is to illustrate just how relatively inexpensive it is to buy fresh fruit and vegetables in order to sustain a healthy diet. The plethora of fruit and vegetables in each shopping trolley by the way being wheeled round campus by our relentless Branding Team, each cost £5 and it surprising just how far that can go. It will also be worth passing by the Farmer’s stall in the Queens Hall Foyer on the Tuesday, where Eden Farms will show just how easy it is to cook healthily using good wholesome foods. Again, see timetable for more details.

Having mentioned mental wellbeing, the effects and correlations between diet and state of mind are quite significant. On Thursday, in the Accenture Training Room, Hilary Craig, The Student Support Centre Co-ordinator, will be giving a workshop on how different foods can influence different mood characteristics. This is definitely one to watch!

In the expansion of higher education, it is so important that health-related issues are not taken off the agenda; on the contrary, they need more prominence. Many studies have shown a productive way to tackle problems like obesity, depression, addiction to drugs and alcohol is through health promotion and awareness campaigns, just as long as there is sufficient follow up treatment and advice to couple the initial promotion. One way to look at Healthy Living Week is to re-think habitual impulses and addictions; a campaign like this and a new year’s resolution could be as good a time as ever to get healthier!

Please see timetable inside for further details on events in Healthy Living Week. Get Involved!