Many have seen articles about how student athletes have a rough time in school due to the demands of their respective sports. It’s true, being a student athlete at any college level is tough. Having the opportunity to play soccer at the Division 3 and Division 1 level have allowed me to see the differences at each level. 6 am practices in the cold suck no matter the division, lifts are only cool when you are getting swole. A few months removed from this rigorous lifestyle, I now sit at a desk day in and day out, eat chicken wings every Wednesday and play odds are with my friends to see the next time I’ll workout…let alone kick a soccer ball.
With my new monotonous lifestyle, I became curious as to how many steps I take in a day since I literally sit and lay all day unless I’m going to eat in which I sit and lay even more after. This story will serve as a brief analysis of using thoughts between a day in the life of a college student athlete and a “9-5 adult job” using a regular college student as a control. The analysis will cover the number of steps taken, calories and water consumed in relation to a daily schedule and the number of hours of sleep in relation to a weekly schedule. This data was compiled using fitbit data and manual logs.
First,
Steps
Student Athlete
6 am practice = 5:15 am alarm + chewy bar + water + 2 hours on the field = death
Oh wait, you have class right after?
Do you not shower and sprint to be on time or shower and sprint to be late?
Oh wait, you have to lift after class too?
Sweet, another hour with the swole patrol.
You need a nap big fella?
Nah, got class then study hours.
Time to eat. Nap a bit. Hit the lib to study but it’s already 10pm…
And don’t even think about being late in the morning for practice or you’ll be the most hated person in the locker room.
Worker
Maybe I’ll park further away from the door today. Yay, fitness! I should walk to the farthest bathroom and water fountain during my breaks. Boy my back hurts. Is it 5 pm yet? Gym after work for sure #collegegrind. Oh it’s Wednesday? wings it is. I think I’m tired. I’ll lay and watch TV. *Takes nap* time to eat again, welp bed time.
Student
I guess I’ll go to class today. Possibly the gym too. Chipotle and the caf is catching up on me. I’ll walk to all of my classes and take the stairs. #commitedtofitness. jk shuttle wya? next, class. I’ll lib trap for a bit and then go watch netflix or scroll on social media as I procrastinate instead of actually studying.
Water
Student Athlete
Need to hydrate to replace the many ounces of sweat lost on a daily basis from lifts and practices. Gatorade bottles everywhere
Worker
A few cups of water will do
Student
Water? on occasions. Gimme that drank bebe
Calories
Student Athlete
Whatever is free, quick and easy, I’m eating it
Worker
I work too hard not to eat good. give me everything
Student
Meal Swipe, Meal Swipe, Chipotle
Sleep
Student athlete
What’s sleep?
Worker
The doctor said 6-8 hours so gosh darnit that’s what I’m gonna get
Student
I procrastinate a lot so I can sleep less but I can really get like 8 hours of sleep…until exams and finals
Conclusion- Bars (graphs), Facts
Steps
Student Athletes are the most active and take about 2.5 times as many steps as students and about 4 times as many as a sedentary worker, me. These steps vary from walking and running. Although this only measures steps, it doesn’t include the energy student athletes exert from lifting weights. Workers with sedentary jobs aren’t very active between the hours of 9-5 aside from bathroom breaks, meetings, lunch and other things around the office.
Water
You can often find student athletes and students with a water bottle to try and maintain a healthy amount of water to get them through the day. The numbers are all within the same ballpark across the board. Sedentary workers use trips to the kitchen as a break away from their desks and a way to hydrate as well.
Calories
According to the USDA, active females between the age of 19-25 should be consuming about 2400 calories per day. As for males, 3000. None of the participants come close aside from myself. Student-athletes don’t have the time or money to eat as much as they should to nicely compliment their active lifestyle often resorting to quick snacks and other quick, cheap eats. Students are also limited in their food choices also due to a lack of money and time aside from meal swipes. A working professional has more time designated to eating and the funds to eat more meals and snacks to get through the work day hence the highest calorie intake at 2,345.
Sleep
According to the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute (NHLBI), adults should get between 6-8 hrs of sleep per day. Student-Athletes on average fall far behind this average due to the demands of their busy schedules during the day as represented in the graph. Students are getting slightly more hours of sleep but still falling below the recommended amount. Young workers such as myself with minimal obligations outside of work get the most amount of sleep on average but still barely reaching the minimum amount suggested.
Going from a very active lifestyle and being in the best shape of your life to one that is sedentary and the worst shape in your life is a tough adjustment to face in such a short period of time. Ironically, not working out everyday has caused me to not have as much motivation to use all of the, what seems to be free time, in a more productive manner.
Lets face it, counting your steps from your daily routine isn’t going to cut it. While maintaining the same college regimen may not be feasible unless you’re playing pro ball, exercise, sleep and a better diet are major keys in maintaining good health. Whether that means walking more, running more, pushups, or situps paired with a better diet, all of these things can lead to a healthier lifestyle. This is especially true for people with sedentary jobs as they spend more than 50% of the 24 hrs of the day not active. A solid balance of all of these things need to be reached by all. #dobetter
Adebimbola Ogunyale 
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