BALANCING THE SCALES: HOW TO STAY FIT WHILE BEING BUSY

Juggling work, school and a healthy sleep schedule is no joke, neither is staying in shape. It turns out, staying on top of your health and keeping your body in check is actually pretty important for both your mental and physical wellbeing.

College students are quick to find out the key to balancing homework while also maintaining a social life is time management skills. But how do you set time aside to go to the gym and exercise in a busy college student’s schedule? 

"If you're at all like me I have too much to do and not enough time. I am usually working on multiple things and behind on two or more projects."

I will admit, I’ve had a mental breakdown or two and I’m way too familiar with the phrase, “too much to do, not enough time,” but it is possible. I will admit, there have been days when I would rather just stay in bed and sleep all day but after some careful consideration I figured skipping out on work wouldn’t be the best option. Afterall, I do have bills to pay and food to buy.

Start Living Your Best Life

If this scenario sounds all too familiar I promise you’re not alone, it’s actually a daily struggle for many college students. College life is supposed to be fun, you’re supposed to meet new people, make memories and branch out of your comfort zone, and for lack of better words, learn from your mistakes. But for many college students these years can be a very stressful time and those lingering bad habits like staying up late, drinking too much alcohol and consuming an unnecessary amount of fast-food and junk food can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.

“It’s better to plan 30 minutes of exercise each day than to try and knock-out a three hour gym routine twice a week.”

So here’s where the gym, workouts, and eating healthy comes into play, and as long as you are strategic with your time and effort you’ll start seeing a better you in no time. One thing I realized during my freshman 15 journey is that much like studying, cramming exercise into one day does not work. Though I wish it would, this idea is not overly healthy for your mind or body. Cramming study material into one night only causes you to stay up late, lose sleep and be tired the next day. Plus how much of that information do you actually retain? Just like our bodies the brain acts like a muscle and you have to exercise it and train it. When it comes to working out the same theory applies, if you go to the gym and exercise for X amount of hours to make up for days lost, your body is just going to be worn out. It’s better to plan 30 minutes of exercise each day than to try and knock-out a three hour gym routine twice a week.

The pattern here is to make time, it doesn’t have to be a large amount, just some. Another thing, creativity is key. If you deal with a packed schedule each day like I do, try to find ways to sneak in some extra steps, active time or health conscious options into your day. For example, instead of parking at the front of the parking lot, park towards the back and walk the extra distance. If the weather is nice and you have a short commute to work try biking or walking instead, this could be your activity period for the day, plus your doing the environment a favor.

Know What Your Needs Are

One of the biggest factors to you overall health initiative will be the food you eat. Let me tell you, water and meal prepping is key. As a matter of fact, challenge yourself to cut off sodas, fast food and unneeded sugars. Those types of carbs aren’t all that good for you, focus on choosing healthier carb options for your energy needs and calorie intake. Spend some time to research healthy foods and invest in fresh foods that are good for you. While you’re at it, look at the health risks too, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure are no fun. Fast food is cheap but gym memberships aren’t, especially on a college budget. Lastly, if you’re a coffee lover and can’t function without your sugared down latte try the sugar-free version or switch over to black coffee, it’s actually an antioxidant powerhouse and helps boost metabolism.  

Another great tool to use is a journal, they are great to track personal successes and make notes on what works and what doesn’t work. It sounds cheesy but it’s actually a great way to keep yourself going and staying on track. 

Create Accountability

However, one of the best things to do is to find like minded individuals who have the same goals as you and build an accountability group. This circle of people is what makes everything easier and in most cases, fun. It’s important to have people behind you who will support you and look after you. You have to make the fist move though, it all starts with you.