When I took the health self-assessment, it gave me a chance to really reflect on my lifestyle and how I have been taking care of myself as a person, opposed to an athlete. On one hand, I realized that I’m in pretty good shape physically because of the time and effort I put into baseball and weightlifting. The constant grind of getting stronger always puts my body in good shape. But the assessment also highlighted areas where I fall short, like sleep and nutrition, which often get neglected when I’m busy with classes, practice, or social obligations. I noticed that my eating habits are inconsistent, sometimes skipping meals or grabbing whatever is convenient and late nights often leave me feeling drained the next day. It made me realize that being healthy isn’t just about physical strength or athletic performance; it’s about creating balance in all aspects of life. This reflection has motivated me to set goals for myself, my 3 main goals moving forward is to have a consistent sleep schedule, to cut out processed foods from my diet, and managing my time better. I know that improving these areas will not only help my athletic performance, but also my wellbeing and health in the long term.

To maintain my physical health, I plan to continue weightlifting, conditioning, and practicing baseball since those are already solid areas of my lifestyle. Eventually when my career comes to an end I plan on picking up a combat sport, or getting into other forms of weightlifting. There are a lot of options to pick from but I know putting energy into perfecting something will always be a must for me. For me, the two biggest areas of growth are nutrition and rest. Meal prepping can be a useful tool for me in terms of readiness and nutrition. Preparing multiple meals for the week with nutritional value will consistently help me feel at my best and optimize performance. Another way that I could improve my health is getting on a consistent sleep schedule. I almost never get a full 8 hours of sleep and I often feel the effects during the day. By

setting a consistent bedtime and aiming for at least seven hours of rest each night, I will give my body the recovery it needs after workouts and practices.

Sustaining a healthy lifestyle is vital and should be a priority for everyone. As a collegiate athlete trying to be their best I find my physical health is fine. Some things that I can start doing to support a healthy lifestyle are getting a consistent 8 hours of sleep every night, managing my mental and physical stress, and eating the right things to fuel my body.Poor habits like the ones I just listed can cause countless amounts of problems in one's body. On the other hand, healthy habits build a strong foundation for the future, making it easier to maintain a healthy physical and mental well being. Another reason it is important to sustain a healthy lifestyle is because it creates consistency. If I only focus on health during the baseball season, then there are 3 other seasons where I am not taking care of myself. By keeping balance with sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress management, I’m investing in myself not just as an athlete, but as a person who wants to lead a long and healthy life.

Action is required to fix any lifestyle. I have identified 3 major things that can help my quality of life and performance. Number 1 is my sleep. Too many nights I find myself going to bed past 1am. I’m always playing videogames, doing homework, or going out. I need to learn to make sacrifices and manage my time better in order for me to get more sleep. Getting seven to eight hours of quality sleep will help me recover faster from workouts and stay sharp in the classroom. Another major goal is to reduce processed foods from my diet. Convenience foods like chips, fast food, or sugary snacks are easy to grab when I’m busy, but they don’t give me the nutrients my body needs. Instead, I want to focus on eating whole, natural foods such as lean

meats, fruits, vegetables, rice, and oats. I believe cutting out processed foods will give me more energy and strength throughout the day. My last goal is to improve my time management. When I put off assignments or don’t organize my schedule, I end up staying up very late, and resort to fast food for my meals. By learning to manage my time better, I can reduce stress and prevent these negative cycles of stress and junk food.

The health self-assessment helped me see that living a healthy lifestyle isn't just about the physical aspect of it. It’s about balance in every part of life. While I’m strong physically, I realized that I need to improve in areas like nutrition, sleep, and time management to truly take care of myself. By prescribing myself three goals: establishing a consistent sleep schedule, cutting out processed foods, and improving my time management, I am making the framework for the healthy lifestyle that I desire. These goals work together to help me recover and feel better, fuel my body properly, and stay organized so I can avoid stress and get to bed in time. With the goals I have set for myself I see a healthy future if I stay with it.

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Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, August 4). College health and safety. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/collegehealth/index.html

American College Health Association. (2021). Healthy campus initiative. https://www.acha.org/healthy-campus