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Timing is everything! I prefer to workout early in the morning, but since the Bern Schwartz only opens at 7, and most of us have classes to get to and work to finish up from the night before, morning workouts are kind of impossible. On my more ambitious days, I’ll sneak in an hour or two at the gym, but usually I go at night or in the afternoon. If you’re like me, it’s best to not put off a workout until late at night, because it leaves me too tired to be able to direct my energy towards homework. Once I get back to the dorm and cleaned up, I’m already feeling ready to turn in. So time your workouts during an energetic time of day-maybe in between classes, maybe before dinnertime!
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Plan your workout strategically. It’s usually a bad idea to do the same workout every time you go to the gym. It puts strain on the same muscles each time, but it also makes it easy to fall into a gym rut! Boredom during a workout kills some of the best effects of it. Plan your workouts so that you can do a variety of exercises, be it weight training, swimming, running, spinning, erging, using the elliptical…there are so many ways to bring diversity into your routine!
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Multitask. We’ve all been there-you’re itching to get up from your desk and sweat out your stress, but you have a pile of reading due tomorrow and you’re still behind on your Anthropology notes…a solution that’s worked for me is to bring my work to the gym. I find that I’m able to read on the elliptical, the stepper, or the stationary bike, and while working out in the bench area. You could even read while walking briskly on the treadmill. If it’s an exercise that doesn’t require you to move your arms, it’s an exercise you can do while studying.
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Try working out with a friend! For some people, working out with friends makes the time go by faster and it pushes them to workout harder. I love bringing my best friend on the crew team to erg with me.
- Stay hydrated, stay motivated! No explanation needed!
Happy working out, Mawrters!