The average college student has constant demands from school, work, family obligations and with New Year's resolutions to eat healthy and stay physically fit, it can be difficult to balance class and exercise.

Jackie Zehner (senior-biology) has always made staying healthy a priority, but this semester she has some extra time so she made staying fit part of her New Year's resolution.

Kirk Adams, assistant strength and conditioning coach, said that some ways to stay healthy throughout the semester are to look at your diet and to make healthy choices.

Diets get pushed to the back burner when students are busy.

Good nutrition supports the ability to stay awake, active and aware, he said.

"Students can eat smartly by eating baked foods over fried foods," Scott Mitchell, sports and wellness director for the State College Area Family YMCA, 677 W. Whitehall Road, said. "Just by changing your eating habits, you can become healthier."

Julie Christie, facility manager of C 5 Fitness, 1510 Martin St., said that people should stay away from sugar and junk food to maintain a healthier diet.

Students should get different food groups in their diet and follow the food pyramid, Mitchell said.

"A good diet isn't as complicated as it sounds," Adams said. "You should eat consistent meals throughout the day."

Some mistakes students make are over-consuming calories, especially empty calories, and skipping meals, he said.

Zehner said she maintains a healthy diet by eating protein, vegetables and some carbohydrates.

Kristine Clark, registered dietician and director of sports nutrition, said that a good diet does four things: consists of adequate calories for maintaining an ideal weight, provides 50 to 55 percent of all calories from carbohydrates, 20 percent of total calories from protein, and 25 percent of total calories from healthy sources of fat.

"A good diet provides the right number of calories," she said.

Clark said that fruits, vegetables and grains all contain carbohydrates; while meat, beans, milk, nuts and seeds all contain protein.

"The healthiest sources of fat are from olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil," she said.

The best way to lose weight is to reduce the daily calorie intake by 500 calories a day and by eating more vegetables, Clark said.

Another way of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is by staying active, Mitchell said.

There are a couple of things you can do to become successful at sticking to a workout.

First, you should put it in your schedule and make it a priority, Adams said.

"Maintaining a workout regimen is certainly a challenge," Adams said.

Another way to stay motivated is to work out with a friend, he added.

Zehner stays in shape by doing cardio and some weightlifting.

"My workout regimen consists of running for 20 to 30 minutes, biking for 15 minutes, and sometimes weightlifting if it isn't too crowded," she said.

Because the weeks are filled with numerous things to do, finding time to work out becomes a challenge.

"If it is a hectic week, work out two to three times that week ...On slower weeks, work out between four and six times. It's important to continue the habit," Mitchell said.

There are numerous things a student can do around campus to exercise.

These activities include walking instead of taking the Loop or taking the stairs instead of riding the elevator, Adams said.

"Students can do a number of things in their dorm rooms, including sit ups, push ups, or jumping rope," Mitchell said.

You can do anything like crunches or push-ups on a daily basis, Christie said.

"See how many you can do and increase that number by five or so each day," she said. "The key is to set a reachable goal."