How Do You Balance College and Working Out?

Let’s be honest – as college students, we often do not have a lot of spare time. Whether it is attending class, doing homework, studying for an exam, or any of the myriad of extracurriculars that college students are involved in, it’s often hard to make time for getting to the gym. The truth is that you have to prioritize your physical and mental wellbeing by carving out time in your busy schedule to achieve your goals. I am a morning person and most of my classes do not start until 12pm, so I have found the best strategy to be waking up by 9am every morning and blocking out from 9-10am on my schedule as my time for the gym. On my own class schedule, I have drawn in a block for this time that simply says “gym” and treat it as if it was an actual class that I had to attend every morning. It is important to find a time that works for you and your schedule and in the beginning it may be hard to commit to actually going or you may try to find excuses not to go such as having too much homework or an exam that is coming up in a few days. However, like I said before, you have to treat the gym as a class and prioritize your health and wellness. One of my previous blog posts covered all the benefits that come with working out, and you should know that working out will go a long way in making you happier and healthier when in college. Think about all the time we spend on our phones or maybe procrastinating throughout the day. If we can cut down on these meaningless activities when we’re feeling lazy or unproductive and instead replace that with time spent at the gym we can go a long way in improving our overall health. Another strategy that I also found that works for getting in the routine of going to the gym regularly is getting a gym buddy. Find a friend that’s also interested in the numerous health benefits that come with working out and find a time when you both can go to the gym. As friends, your workouts will become more fun and the gym may feel less isolating. In addition, if you’re feeling lazy and are ready to skip a workout your friend can push you through and get you to the gym. I hope this blog post was helpful when it comes to designing your own workout schedule, and don’t forget that consistency is key and that your physical and mental health come first!