Staying healthy and strong physically, mentally and emotionally is key for an international student. Being far from home can take a toll on you, so taking care of yourself requires daily, intentional effort. My first two years at university in Korea were rough; I was physically unfit, always tired, ate poorly, and my mental health was at its lowest point ever. I didn't realize how important physical activity is for emotional wellbeing until I started really putting effort into being more active. Let me share with you my experiences with self care plus some tips for you to start ✨looking after yourself✨.

1. Exercise🏋🏼‍♀️

If you are leading a sedentary lifestyle, please consider moving around at least a little more. It will do wonders for you. Korea has beautiful parks and hiking trails to go for walks. I also like to roam around random spots in Seoul to increase my daily steps and do some touristing. Try to aim for around 7,000-10,000 steps daily, but any movement is better than none!

While doing cardio is important, we cannot neglect our muscles. I personally am an avid gym goer. It can be intimidating at first, especially as a girl, but I fully recommend it. Building muscle mass is super important for an improved metabolism and overall bone and joint health. I used to have round shoulders and really bad posture + constant back pain, but strengthening my muscles has helped immensely. So, if you're new to the gym and have no clue what to do, I leave you a basic routine you can start with.

There are two main ways to structure a routine: 1) Push-Pull-Legs(PPL) , 2) Upper, Lower Body(UL). In PPL, 'push' refers to chest, shoulder, tricep exercises and 'pull' is for back and biceps. UL is quite straightforward. I find a PPL routine gives the best time for recovery, so I recommend it more.

Basic Tips for the Gym:

• Stick to the same routine for at least 8 weeks.
• Progressive overload (increase weight or reps gradually).
• Rest worked muscle groups for at least 24hrs before working them again.
• Slow and controlled movements go a long way.
• Average good volume(amount of exercise) is 4-6 exercises, 3-4 sets for 10-12 reps.
• For strength, go heavy and low reps / For endurance, go light and high reps. Although there is debate, if you want to grow larger muscles, heavy and lower rep range is better.

Most importantly, remember to be safe and stop a workout if you feel pain other than normal muscle pain. If a movement feels weird, stop and ask for help or watch videos online on proper form. I leave some of my favorite gym creators/professionals that may help with this: Squat University, Jeff Nippard, Mike Israetel, and Lean Beef Patty.

TIP: I recommend the app "다짐" for comparing nearby gym membership prices.

2. Mental Health🧘🏼‍♀️