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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hawaii chapter.

We all know that personal health should be one of our top priorities in life. Only by taking care of our bodies are we going to stand a chance of being the most efficient and happy people we can be, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.  Finding the time to workout can feel impossible when your schedule is piled with responsibilities or even when you’re just a college student! I mean sometimes that extra time that you have to get a workout in you need to use to sleep, because god knows you didn’t get any sleep last night, or maybe to eat because the last thing you ate was a waffle that you dropped in the driveway and still ate because 5 second rule (duh); we’re all broke and you were fu**ing hungry. And when your busy schedule gets busier to f*ck up your already busy life, you know what time of the year it is: Finals Week.

The weeks leading up to finals are when you think everything is okay, but really you’re about to get deep throated by projects and exams you’re pretending to study for. And then it just culminates into the weekend before finals and you feel lethargic, brain dead and are probably overdosing on caffeine. However, one thing I know for sure is that exercising will help you kick your finals a**. In a 2010 review, researchers found that aerobic exercise training is associated with improvements in attention, executive function, and memory. They also found that exercise gave people an improvement in their ability to think faster!

So from one dying college student to another, I wanted to give you my best tips on fitting a workout in when it feels impossible to improve your cognitive ability and keep your health from hitting the bottom of your priority list!

1. Take Those Stairs Girl

The stairs are a blessing and a curse. During your busy days, take them whenever you get the chance. UH has stairs everywhere so there are no excuses if you’re in HI. You’ll be fitting in a workout without even trying to and working your glutes and hamstrings too!

2. Chair Yoga / Fitness

This is perfect to do during a study break when you need to get your blood flowing and try to feel your butt again since it fell asleep an hour ago from sitting too long. 10 minutes filled with a couple different exercises and you got your body moving that day. Trust me, you don’t need 30 min in the gym to get a workout in and during finals, we don’t have time for it anyways. Here are some chair exercises you can do!

Well, maybe skip that last one…

3. Study at the Gym

It’s super easy to grab your notebook or textbook and bring them to the gym with you. Now, obviously it’s easiest to do this while you’re doing cardio, just prop up your notes while you run, walk, bike, or even do the stairmaster. It’s a great way to move your body while still getting sh*t done.

4. Dance Around Your Room 

No seriously, if you hate working out by running or doing squats and sit-ups, then put your fav Spotify playlist on, and turn the f*ck up in your dorm. You’ll be getting in some good cardio and relieve stress all in one.

 

5. Download the Nike Training App

Guys this is the best tip I have to offer! I swear by this app because they have workouts ranging from 5 min – 45 min and you can choose a broad range of equipment, non-equipment, aerobic, yoga and many other styles of workouts. The best part? Its FREEEEE. It’s something you can do in your dorm room or in the gym (if you have the time). It’s the real deal, and finals week friendly.

It doesn’t matter how you get moving, just as long as you do! These quick workouts really will help to get you feeling physically and mentally your best during this time of surrender and studying. Good Luck!

 

I grew up in Long Beach, California and made my way to Oahu to achieve my degree in Kinesiology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I plan to pursue a career in the sports medicine field as either an athletic trainer, sport performance trainer or to work within the fitness tech industry. I have an overwhelming passion for fitness and health, playing competitive sports throughout my life has instilled the importance of one's physical and emotional well-being and fueled my desire to study and practice healthy living in my everyday life. I am president of my sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and one of my main goals is to ensure each one of my sisters is healthy mentally and emotionally throughout their college experience. Outside of my sorority, that's equally my goal in writing this column for you guys. There is so much importance in remembering to put your physical and mental health first and my hope is that my writing can help instill that into each of your lives as well!
Lena is a student at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. She is pursuing a Communciations degree with a focus in Digital Media, as well as dual minors in Business and English. In her free time, she loves being president of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and snorkeling on the weekends!