Do you already dread making the hike all the way down to Skoglund? Winter hasn’t even tempted us with its first flurry of snowflakes, and there is still at least a month before the threat of wiping out all the way down the hill is even an option, yet the difficulty of putting on your sports bra and sneakers is more prevalent than ever. Maybe it’s the stress of classes, maybe it’s being out of the groove in the aftermath of sickness, but either way you need not fear. The solution? Trick yourself into working out. Establish a few regular habits and activities that you genuinely look forward to such as these, and you won’t have to worry about packing on winter insulation prematurely.
Make it a date. Turning your workouts into a socializing appointment makes it easier to attend (without over-thinking) and can boost your endorphins even more by adding the positive effects of spending time with friends. As an added bonus, schedule these “workout dates” with the fittest of your friends for an extra boost.
Rock Climb! The St. Olaf rock climbing wall, that is. That beautiful monstrosity you walk by every day and think, “that would be fun. I should do that,” yet fail to do until the last week of the semester every single year. Here’s an idea: next time you are with a group of friends, propose the idea, see who shows interest, and set up a weekly climbing date. Your forearms will thank you.
Rent equipment from Tostrud. The St. Olaf Outdoor Recreation Program rents out equipment to students such as snowshoes, nordic skis, and frisbee golf. It’s a little difficult to snowshoe or nordic ski right now, but at first snowfall grab a friend to venture into the natural lands to take it all in! It’s harder than it looks, and will end up being a great cardiovascular workout. You won’t even realize you’re exercising!
Join OUTS. The new Outdoors Club, Oles Under The Sun, has some awesome events such as camping trips, hikes, slacklining, yoga, and canoe trips that you won’t want to miss. If you are interested in any of these activities, or even other activities which you would like to propose, definitely join the cub and bring your ideas! You will most likely meet new friends who enjoy ziplining as much as you do.
Join a fun SPM. Fitness Walking. Hip Hop. Ballroom Dancing. Aerobics. St. Olaf has a plethora of fun (and sometimes rigorous) fitness and dance classes that will even give you GE’s. Joining such a class may make you more motivated to workout regularly, and it is likely you will meet a new group of friends with similar interests–and possible future workout buddies.
Go to free Yoga. How many times in your life will yoga be free? I can tell you from experience that yoga memberships aren’t cheap. Use this opportunity wisely and get into the yoga groove so that when you decide to continue yoga in the future, you already have a solid foundation and won’t feel like such a newbie. An added bonus? Yoga has been proven to release stress and tension in your body, so at the convenient time of 8 PM it is a perfect study break!
With so many unusual choices and opportunities to get active, excuses become hard to dream up. The best part is, you will forget it’s even exercise!
Photos: Pixabay.com