Waking up after a night of partying you are hit with that inevitable feeling of guilt as you recall all of the bad things you consumed just a few hours before. The “no ragrets” attitude you had last night while consuming Flyson nacho tots, Dominos, various high-calorie drinks, or all the above is long gone in the light of day as you feel bloated and very much full of regrets. But feel guilty no more! Do you ever think about just how much you move when you go out? Believe it or not, you do actually burn calories while you participate in these college shenanigans. So if you do it right, going out can most definitely count as a workout.
Depending where you live on campus, getting to your party of choice means a whole lot of walking—or possibly running depending on how eager you are. When you really think about it, you cover a lot of ground walking from your room to the party, then to another party, and another, to the Flyson, and then back to your room. If you have a Fitbit, or an app on your phone that tracks your daily movement (there are FREE ones), you will be able to see just how many steps you have taken that day. You would be amazed to see just how many steps, and miles, you walk during the night hours, and also the day hours (especially on those special Saturday afternoons.)
But you aren’t just walking (or running); you are also dancing the night away. The sweat on your forehead that you desperately try to wipe away before the cute boy from your English class walks over is a sign that you are in fact burning calories! Getting all hot and sweaty in those gross downtown houses is not something to be ashamed of, but rather to be proud of. As you show off you best (or worst) moves out on the dance floor with your friends, you are absolutely giving yourself a workout. In order to get the most out of this nighttime sweat session, embrace the long distances you must walk for the sake of the party and don’t be afraid to sweat it out on the dance floor.
The counter to this fun night of working out is, unfortunately, the amount of things we consume before and after, leaving us feeling guilty the next morning. We immediately plug our ears in the vain attempt to ignore the fact that drinks indeed have calories…a lot of calories, but despite how much we tell ourselves calories do not count at night, they still do. So in order for this nighttime workout to actually be effective, we have to be smart about the kinds of things that we consume. Instead of drinking high-calorie beverages like soda or juice along side your not-so-PG drinks, opt for a healthier option like Crystal Light, or if you are really hardcore, water. Avoiding drinking more once you are out is also a good way to curb your consumption levels, and will also save you from a massive headache the next morning.
The other big culprit is the temptation of late night snacking that we all know too well. Obviously there is nothing wrong with getting Flyson or Dominos every once in a while—I mean you are burning calories—but maybe ordering it every time you go out is not such a great idea. Instead, try drinking lots of water when you return to your room to rehydrate your body—I mean you drink water after you work out, right? Water will fill you up and curb some of your nighttime munchies, but if you are still feeling hungry, opt for a healthy snack instead of dialing for Dominos.
And there you have it! Going out does not have to be an event that starts with “no ragrets” and ends with a whole lot of them. While the Going Out Workout will not guarantee you a beach body (but I mean what really is a beach body anyways?), it will most definitely ensure that your nighttime escapades are nothing to regret the next morning.