You may think it’s hard to exercise in college with everything you’re going through, but when you look at your options, you’ll realize it’s actually quite easy. Many campuses do a good job of promoting fitness for their students, but you have to take the initiative to get involved. Here are 6 ways to exercise more in college:
1. Walk to class. Walking to class can burn a lot of extra calories every day. Most campuses are walkable, so if you live on campus, you should consider walking to your classes if you haven’t already. If walking isn’t for you, how about choosing rollerblading or biking? If you live off campus and have to drive, consider taking that far parking spot and walking the rest of the way to your building. You’ll also reduce the stress of fighting for a spot!
2. Take the stairs. Every little bit helps. Skip the elevator and burn some calories taking the stairs to your destination.
3. Lift weights to lose weight. Weight lifting is great for weight loss because the muscle you build burns fat and calories all day long, even when you rest. If you’ve never done weight training before, take a class on it. It will satisfy your health and wellness credit (if your school requires one), and you can try it out and see if it’s for you. Circuit training (which combines weight lifting with cardio) is also great for fat loss.
4. Play a sport on an intramural team. Most dorms or clubs have teams you can join. Do not worry if you are not good, or even if you have never practiced this sport before. You can learn to play, and most of these teams focus only on social interaction and getting more exercise in college anyway, rather than winning matches or games, so get involved.
5. Go to the Student Gym. Most likely, the gym on campus offers students a free (or very cheap) membership. In addition to this, most gyms on campus have many options beyond treadmills and weights such as indoor tracks, swimming pools, basketball, racquetball, volleyball, rock climbing, etc. There’s something for everyone, and it’s also a great place to meet people.
6. Partner. I saved this tip for last because it is the most important. Get yourself a training partner or a team of people to exercise with. This is the key to getting more exercise in college, because campus life is all about being social and connecting with others. You can hold each other accountable for showing up, and everything is more enjoyable with some company.