You get one body in this life. Ideally, you choose to embrace and cherish it, but unfortunately, it can be a little too easy to do the exact opposite as a college student. It’s not that you don’t care about your health; you just have so much going on in your life that physical wellness ends up falling by the wayside. (Hey, you’ve got places to go and people to see—and walking to class counts as cardio, right?) Luckily, physical self-care isn’t “all or nothing,” “either you are a workout fiend or a hopeless couch potato.” No, balancing your body isn’t necessarily about losing weight, getting six-pack abs, or running marathons. It’s about honoring your physical needs so you can function properly and reduce your risk of things like heart disease, cancer, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. After all, your body is a sacred temple that deserves to be treated with care and respect!

This chapter offers all kinds of simple ways to care for your physical health, from power naps to a well-balanced diet to proper hygiene. You’ll explore ways to move your body, bolster energy levels, care for your skin and internal organs, stretch your muscles, feed your belly, and—most importantly—feel your best.