Besides mandatory P.E. classes, for the majority of my life, ballet has been my primary form of exercise. However, after quitting dance before my first year of college, I found myself with out a daily exercise regime. Naturally, my first instinct was to test out the gym. It didn’t take me long to find out I hate running, biking is boring, and the eliptical is meh. As a result, my journies to the gym were sporadic at best. And of course it didn’t help that after a long day of classes I usually felt more inclined to veg on my bed with Netflix than hit the gym. I soon figured out the the only way I was going to get my butt of the couch was to do everything I could to make exercise a fun and exciting rather than a chore. After I had this down, exercise became a habit, a part of my daily routine. While an occassional bout of laziness hits me, resulting in an exercise dry spell, these five tips always get me back in gym eventually.
Make a bomb playlist. There’s nothing like a good playlist when you’re exercising. Pick music that you find exciting and makes you want to sing and dance.
Try a new form of exercise. If you hate running, or can’t stand the gym try something a little more stimulating and exciting like zumba or hiking. Brandeis offers a host of free fitness classes for its students. Grab a friend and test one out!
Find an exercise buddy. There is nothing like a little peer pressure to get you off your butt and into the gym.
Set a goal. Even the laziest person likes a little competition. Set some reasonable goals and work for them. Each fitness victory, no matter how modest, will inspire you to keep you active day after day.
Reward yourself. When you reach the aformentioned goals, treat yourself! Buy that sweater you’ve been eyeing, indulge in your favorite Ben and Jerry’s flavor and take a day off. You deserve it! Just make sure not to go overboard and get stuck in lazy habits.