Fitness from a Frosh

One of the less salutary effects of going off to college is the Freshman 15. You've probably heard — and maybe seen, over Thanksgiving — that the average first-year college student gains 15 pounds, thanks to unlimited food at the cafeteria plus unbridled snacking.

Your college freshman, all grownup and independent, may not be willing to listen to your parental cautions about eating right. But maybe she'll listen to another freshman?

Clarkson University senior Nduka Anyanwu has just published FitTionary: The Beginner's Fitness and Nutrition Guide to Staying in Shape on Campus. The book offers information on nutrition and smart tips and strategies for eating well on campus and shows readers how to design and implement an exercise program specifically designed for busy students with demanding schedules.

In addition to being an engineering and management major, the accomplished Anyanwu is a certified personal trainer, fitness enthusiast, and the student manager at the Clarkson fitness center. He came up with the idea to write FitTionary from the experiences he has had on campus with students, staff and faculty.

Anyanwu says, "I've learned that many students and fitness beginners lack the fundamentals of efficient and smart training techniques. While I was at our gym, many people would come to me seeking advice on how to train and diet properly. I realized that this was a universal problem on many campuses and I had the knowledge and opportunity to help fix it."

The book emphasizes not only exercising, but also leading a healthy lifestyle.

It can be hard for college kids to balance schoolwork, extracurricular activities and socializing. Anyanwu hopes the book will teach his peers how to build or maintain healthy habits that will last a lifetime.