Let me tell you a brief story. Last year was my freshman year of college, and I clearly remember saying, “I will not gain the stereotypical freshman fifteen.” Well, although I did not gain the full fifteen, I started to eat unhealthily for every meal and on top of that, I was injured. As a result of the injuries, I could not get as much exercise as I wanted to. Even when I started to feel a bit better, I made little effort to stay active.
The other day, a good friend of mine was talking about mind and body connection. I agreed with her that if you take care of yourself, your mood will move in a positive direction. By second semester of my freshman year, I was very out of shape and constantly worried about how I looked. I could not fit into most of my clothes and I was frequently eating unhealthy meals and with snacks multiple times a day. I knew it would take some time to change my diet, but I wanted to make sure I got back into a workout routine ASAP.
I am not saying that we should worry about the numbers on the scale to feel confident, but I am saying that we should try our best to stay active, especially when we are feeling stressed. I honestly felt pretty awful from all of the bad food I was eating during freshman year. So far, my sophomore year has been incredible, and I am living a much healthier lifestyle by making just a few simple changes. Here are seven easygoing workouts that are great for getting up and active!
1. Schedule times to meet with friends for a run, gym time, or group workout class.
I currently do not have enough money to go to a personal trainer, so my friends and I schedule times to work out so we can commit ourselves to getting out of our dorm and staying active! Many schools also offer free group workout sessions such as Yoga and Zumba that are a great way to have fun with friends!
2. If you have the option to take the stairs, “Just Do It!”
This year, my dorm hall finally has an elevator, which makes moving in and out of the rooms a lot easier! BUT, I make sure not to use the elevator unless it is absolutely necessary!
3. When you and your friends are bored and don’t know what to do, take a walk!
You may feel too busy to be bored at first, but trust me boredom can pop up at any time!
4. Try and walk/run at least one lap a day!
Whether it is in an indoor or outdoor track, a park, neighborhood, or around your campus, try to do at least one lap of walking or running every day! This is great for taking a break from studying. While you are burning some calories, you will have some downtime to think or even catch up with a friend!
5. Keep lightweights (or use your dormitory resources such as laundry detergent or your school books) in your room and lift with them four-five times a week!
Two words: Five. Below. I picked up some three-pound weights and one eight-pound weight to keep around my house and for when I am up at school. When I am watching Netflix, have a couple of extra minutes before preparing for classes, and even while I am studying, doing some light arm exercises with the weights can help with fat burning and light toning! If you do not have weights at the current moment, use some of your heavy schoolbooks!
6. Workout to YouTube videos and free applications!
Fun AND free ways to stay active?! Sign me up! With most smart phones, tablets, laptops, computers, and certain TV’s, you can look up different workouts on YouTube that can run for up to an hour long to as short as 5-10 minutes! My personal favorites are 10-minute ab workouts that I do daily, or Zumba routines!
7. Wall Push-ups and Arm Circles
These are great, low intensity workouts that you can do daily for some extra toning. I personally cannot do a regular push-up without my shoulders cracking, and to be completely honest, they scare me! Forty+ wall push-ups a day are a great way to modify your workout, and you’ll still feel the burn (and notice toning)! Arm circles, even with low weights, are awesome for a simple fat-burning arm exercise!
These are small changes I made that continue to help me immensely. Always remember, give it some time when doing these workouts! If you stay committed (and start to eat a little healthier each day), you may start seeing results in as little as two weeks! I know I did! Most of these methods are so simple that you probably have already been doing them around your college campus or even at home! These methods are also great for breaks and summer time as well! Now maybe we can delete the word “Lazy” from our vocabulary