Many college students aren’t eager to go to the gym. There are other things on our minds: school, a social life, sleep. Why waste your time getting all sweaty when you could be doing other things? Plus, many college students at the gym feel as if they’re being judged. You know you should workout, but you dread every moment of it and love to complain about it. Well, it’s time to change that mindset! Here are some tips to make the gym a little more fun for you.
Treat yourself
The fact that you’re making time to work out is awesome and makes you feel accomplished, so why not reward yourself? Don’t celebrate with extra dessert, because that will undo all the hard work you just did. Treat yourself to something that is good enough to make you feel proud of yourself, and that will motivate you to keep going. Maybe get a manicure at the end of the week or treat yourself to those pair of jeans you’ve been eyeing.
How about some competition?
Grab your roommates and hit the treadmill side by side! Humans are naturally competitive, so this will drive you to work harder. Or, you can have a little contest every month, like see who goes to the gym most often per week or who spends the longest amount of time at the gym. The loser can be on dish duty for the following week or owe the winner coffee. A little competition never hurt anyone!
Change up your playlist
It can get really boring listening to the same 10 or 12 songs on shuffle every time you work out. By switching up your workout playlist every so often, the gym won’t feel so predictable. I would definitely recommend checking out Spotify – they have tons of workout playlists with new songs and artists that are updated on the regular.
Download an app
Sure, you don’t want to be on your phone while you’re at the gym, but you don’t have to stash it completely. There are tons of fitness apps that you can you can try, like Nike+ Training Club or POPSUGAR’s Active. Nike’s app tracks your running, and Active has tons of workout routines, from cardio to circuit training to yoga. These apps will help guide you to the journal of fit success.
A lot of us feel like it’s a chore or a hassle to go to the gym, but it doesn’t have to be that way. By using these gym tips, you’ll be having a fun time at the gym on a regular basis before you know it. And who knows, maybe you’ll even look forward to working out!