Staying physically fit as a student is essential for your health and wellbeing. Studying at university is stressful enough without you having to worry about putting on unhealthy amounts of weight, having no energy and generally feeling unmotivated to move.
While some laziness is expected of students (and rightly so with demanding deadlines and excessive study) it’s important to develop a proper fitness routine which works best for you, and your own schedule.
Here are 6 suggestions for staying your healthiest and most fit at university.
- Make a Schedule
If you don’t have a general schedule, such as a study plan or a diary for social events, then you’re not going to know when you’ll likely be free to exercise — and it’s going to feel more like a stressful endeavor trying to work it out.
First, make a schedule of all priorities, and then see when you can best fit in a fitness routine, whether it’s first thing in the morning before classes, or whether you have time in the middle of the day between classes.
- Think About Your Motivation Levels
It’s easy for your motivation to quickly slip away, especially if you’ve been studying for hours on end. In order to have the most successful fitness schedule, be sure to understand when you’re most physically motivated. This may be when you’ve just woken up, or maybe it’s last thing at night.
Understand your own body and energy levels, and be sure to work out before your motivation for the day has completely gone.
- Organize a Group
Working out is always easier when you’re doing it with others, and it can help to avoid peer pressure from a bunch of friends who tell you not to work out and join them for a drink instead. If you get a group of people on board to work out with, or convince your friends to join you on the road to good fitness, you’re less likely to make excuses not to do it.
- Take on a Sports Scholarship
If you’re wanting to study sport at university anyway, or perhaps would like to have it complement your academic studies and open new career doors for you in the realm of professional sport, then scholarships are a great way to do that. Scholarships are available for a wide variety of sports, as shown at asmscholarships.com, including wrestling, American football, cycling and sailing, and will have you staying fit and healthy while boosting your academic career, too.
- Keep Your Diet in Check
There’s no point making a huge effort with your workout if you’re going to cancel it all out by eating unhealthily. While the student life can be synonymous with an unhealthy, rushed diet, take the time to practice healthy cooking and healthy snacking throughout the day. Not only will it keep you fit, but it’ll give your brain a boost, too.
- Set Your Goals
Outline some fitness goals for yourself to provide more motivation. They don’t even have to be serious, they can be quirky, such as “be able to do 50 push-ups faster than my best friend can”! Anything which gives you more of a get up and go but most importantly: have fun with it!
