With over one month of the new semester under our belts, homework and studying is starting to take over our lives. You may be feeling like you cannot find any time to get your nose out of your books and head to the gym. Well, there are a few easy things you can do to help squeeze some gym time into your busy life.
Start by prioritizing exercise. You can do that by planning ahead. When you are planning out your weekly schedule, try to figure out what days work to give up 30 minutes to head over to the gym. Too often people say that they do not have enough time for the gym, but that is because they do not plan ahead and set a time to exercise each week.
Here are some other ways that you can stay healthy without having to go to the gym everyday:
- Join an intramural team
Intramural sports are not a huge commitment. They are only once a week for about an hour. They serve as great study break and are a great way to meet new people. There are a ton of intramural sports offered here at Winona State so sign up with a team and start having some fun!
- Pack healthy snacks to munch on during a busy day
It is better to snack during the day than to go home and pig out in one sitting after a long day on campus or at work. A healthy snack that I like to munch on is trail mix that consists of cranberries, chocolate chips and raw pecans or almonds. This trail mix is a great energy booster and it really fills you up!
- Walk 10,000 steps a day
That may seem like a lot but you probably tackle most of those just by walking to all of your classes. Setting a goal like 10,000 steps per day is a great idea because it serves as an encouragement. Most smart phones have apps that track your steps for you so that you can see if you are meeting your goal or not. Having a goal to meet each day will motivate you to get up and move.
- Find an exercise partner
This is a very important tip because if you have someone to exercise with, they will hold you accountable. My friend and I compared our schedules and found times throughout our week when we could meet up and run together or play racquetball together (even though we are terrible at it).
- Try to get 8-9 hours of sleep every night
Sleep is very important because lack of sleep can affect your concentration, energy and stress levels, body image and defense against sickness. If getting an adequate amount of sleep is hard for you, try writing in your planner what time you are going to sleep each night, and what time you are going to wake up. If you are a late night crammer, try to adjust your schedule and do most of your studying throughout the day and in the early evening, rather than at midnight.
