Classes, homework, work schedules and social excursions are all excuses for not being able to hit the gym. However, we all have those friends who come back from a workout smiling about their spin class, excited about their new personal record on the bench press or ready to go sign up for a local 5K.
We envy these people. How do they balance their hectic schedules to find the energy to head down to the Chester E. Peters Recreational Center?
Tom Holland, a Connecticut-based celebrity fitness trainer, exercise physiologist and expert in sports psychology, said in a Health.com article that we all have the potential to become fitness-obsessed by developing a few workout regiments.
Wake up earlier
One way to make exercise a habit is by waking up earlier. A study from the University of North Texas found that people who exercise in the morning are more likely to stick with their workout versus those who exercise later in the day.
“Exercising in the morning gives me energy for the rest of the day and I get to exercise on an empty stomach,” Morgan Wills, senior in political science and natural and environmental resources, said. “It is such a great sense of accomplishment to get it out of the way in the morning, and that sense of accomplishment snowballs throughout the rest of my day. I’ve also found it is very easy to be consistent because if I exercise at another time of the day, I crowd it out with other things.”
Find a niche
Another key to staying motivated is finding your exercising niche. Maybe you aren’t comfortable sitting on a spinning bike for an hour or you can’t stand running so you will never sign up for a long-distance race. Perhaps a Zumba class or six-pack-ab-attack class offered at the gym would be a better fit.
“Finding your passion in a type of exercise is so great because you get to get out of your head, be part of a community and switch focuses,” Megan John, owner and coach of CrossFit Manhattan, said. “I think this is especially important when you are in school, because you need to be able to step out from time to time to zone out from your studies and focus on something else that is important for you.”
Personal trainer
Another suggestion of Holland’s is to pay for a personal trainer. While this might seem like an expensive option, it can be extremely effective. Trainers are taught how to motivate people and set attainable goals. This is the same concept as working out with a friend because you would not want to skip out on them.
“My personal trainer said he would literally come and pick me up if I don’t show up one day,” Lauren Hudson, sophomore in open option, said. “It makes sense though, because I pay for it so if I didn’t go it would be a waste of money.”
Still not motivated to work out? Try following some health-nut Twitter accounts, such as @BeFitWorkouts or @WorkingOutTips. When you find yourself sitting and scrolling through your tweets, you may find something that motivates you to jump up and hit the weights.
We all have the potential to motivate and push ourselves a bit more to be active, the question is how we do it. With the plethora of options at your disposal, all you need to do is take a step toward one of those options so you can achieve a better version of you.
Marissa Haake is a junior in mass communications.
