A note to Collegiettes™ trying to get the perfect summer bod:
For best result — inside and out — swap that boring run for something fun!
The 5,000 women who attended SELF Magazine’s Workout in Central Park would probably agree.
For this Collegiette™, a trip to the gym or a run around campus would always squeeze its way into my busy day. I scheduled workouts into my to-do list (infamous for being overly specific), next to activities like ‘go to class,’ ‘eat dinner’ or ‘shower.’ Throughout semesters filled with homework assignments, exams, group meetings, clubs, organizations and weekend adventures, I never stopped to ask myself…Why? Why do I carve out two hours of my hectic schedule everyday to work out?
So, I gave the question some thought and came up with the following explanations:
- Sometimes it was the urge to move my body after hours spent sitting behind my desk at my internship.
- Other times, I would work out just because sweating for an hour was better than writing my eight-page Italian research paper that was due at the end of the week.
- It was easy to cross off ‘gym’ from my to-do list when the guy who worked at the front desk would put most Campus Cuties to shame.
- Often times I was driven to the gym by my fear that the freshmen fifteen would creep their way into my sophomore year.
I rarely worked out because I wanted to, and I never took into account the healthy benefits of staying active. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that exercising was more about how I looked or wanted to look. My workouts were motivated by all this superficial reasoning, which hardly made them enjoyable. I completely forgot to take into consideration how I felt.
That all changed after Saturday.
After watching over 5,000 women work out at SELF Magazine’s Workout in Central Park, I realized the reasons why we exercise play a huge role in our overall health and well-being. Working out does not have to be this grueling task on our To-Do list. It can be (dare I say?) fun and enjoyable. The 5,000 smiling and laughing faces in Central Park proved this to me as women jumped, squatted, lunged, crunched and moved with an infectious energy I have yet to find on any treadmill or elliptical.
I even experienced this for myself after hours of observing from the sidelines. I jumped into the mix to participate in a 90’s Hip-Hop Cardio Class. The idea of me breaking it down like Will Smith in the middle of Central Park was sure to provide me with a story to tell the folks at home, so I found a free area within the sea of bodies, set down my belongings and waited to begin.
The music started, the instructors appeared onstage and there was no turning back. Channeling my inner Salt-N-Pepa, I attempted to move my body in the same smooth, rhythmic way as the dancers on stage. I knew I looked uncoordinated and goofy, but I couldn’t care less. My heart was racing, I started to sweat and I was having a blast. When I looked around to find I was surrounded by beautiful women doing the same, I felt empowered. I’d never really felt so much inner strength or had so much fun while exercising and I knew that if more Collegiettes™ would stop holding tight to the idea that working out has to be this rigorous, exhausting process, they could experience what I was feeling.
I even got the chance to talk to Yung Moon, SELF Magazine’s associate publisher, who pointed out how working out isn’t just about dieting and exercising, but about establishing consistency in your workout regime. “Working out needs to be fun, you need to enjoy it,” she says. “Working out for three hours until you’re exhausted won’t become a habit. Working out for forty minutes everyday doing something you enjoy, that will.”
For Collegiettes™ juggling jobs, class, friends, clubs and more, Moon had a few suggestions to help make exercising an enjoyable part of your daily routine: Why not make working out a competition between you and your friends? Why not sign up for fun classes like Zumba or Salsa Dancing? If neither of those options are for you, work out for a good cause: you can train for a 5K that supports a charity or raise money yourself for one you believe in.
With summer ahead, this Collegiette’s™ To-Do list will hopefully be limited to more relaxing tasks. However, in between ‘beach day’, ‘go to work’, and ‘visit friends’, I will still squeeze in my workout. The only difference is, this summer I’ll be working out for my well-being, for my health, and because I will enjoy the process. The Workout in Central Park has opened my eyes to new ways to feel good and be happy. After all, bike rides with my best friend are much better than riding alone, a gym sesh with the girls is bound to turn into a production, and learning how to salsa not only burns calories, but is sexy, fun and a great way to show off around the dorms or at parties. Trust me, Collegiettes™, our days are already filled with serious responsibilities, don’t let working out add to the list.