As the last day of high school approaches, so does the first day of college for most seniors. With freedom comes responsibility, including knowing what food to eat and what exercise plan to follow from the first year in college until the rest of your adult life.

Although Ramen Noodles and Pop Tarts can be the most convenient food option, staying in shape does not have to be either costly or demanding. Similarly, exercise can be designed to fit any schedule and almost any environment.  The following pointers will help you keep the weight off, the wallets full, and the Freshman Fifteen a thing of the past.

Exercises
YouTube fitness guru and exercise instructor Cassey Ho created a series of exercises called POP Pilates. Her YouTube channel, “blogilates,” include 13 video playlists, also found on her website biogilates.com. Her exercises do not require any equipment and last 25 minutes at the most. The videos feature workouts that focus on abdominals, arms, and everything in between.  The best part is that the exercises can be done in your dorm room and be finished in-between classes.

Late nights and long hours of studying will make waking up in the morning to jog even less appealing. However, according to health and fitness instructor Therese Iknoian, power walking works your leg muscles harder than doing a slow jog. Her book “Walking Fast” describes how your body prefers the natural movement of jogging over an awkward, fast paced walk. The time you save by fast walking can now be invested in other essential activities, such as sleep.

Food
According to James Painter, R.D., a professor at Eastern Illinois University who studies behavioral eating, the closer you are to food the more you want it and the more you eat it. Keeping this in mind, organize your food cabinet and surrounding area by keeping the least healthy items, such as brownies and chips, completely enclosed and far from the eyes. Then place healthier foods somewhere visible in order to make yourself eat these items more frequently than “junk food.”

When things got tough for Popeye, he would open a can of Spinach and swallow it whole, making his muscles bulge out instantly. As it turns out, the writers of Popeye were right about the power of vegetables. Researchers at Rutgers University found that spinach helps your body tissue repair faster after you work out. What does this mean? Eating spinach helps your body in keeping the muscle gained after exercising. Pineapple and papaya are also good substitutes.