The month of January marks a time of change for most individuals. Women set out to complete goals to benefit their career, lifestyle, relationships and health. I have always set a goal to obtain and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but being a college student can make this hard. I am here to help you keep up those New Year’s resolutions far into February and hopefully all of 2018 with my favorite tips.
1. Get help from social media.
One of my tips is to follow fitness YouTubers, Instagrammers or have a Pinterest board. One of the fitness gurus I follow on YouTube and Instagram is Whitney Simmons. Whitney posts detailed videos on YouTube of her workouts for targeted body parts. She also posts little workouts on Instagram. On Instagram there is an option to save posts to a collection. I try to follow or go on the explore page to find specific workouts for arms, abs and butt to save for later when I go to the gym. Doing this and watching YouTube videos have really helped me learn more techniques and proper form for exercises at the gym. If you are more into pictures and descriptions, then head over to Pinterest and create a board for each body part you want to target! You can also separate these into boards for specific days.
2. Create a Schedule.
That leads me to my second tip. Make a schedule. I like to target specific body parts on different days of the week, for example I do abs on Mondays and Wednesdays, arms/back on Tuesdays and Fridays, and legs and butt on Thursday and Sunday. You don’t have to be as extreme as me, you can go to the gym a couple of days a week and target everybody part. If you are staying active for an hour a day, you are making changes! Don’t forget those Pinterest boards here! They really come in handy when you are first starting out at the gym.
3. Check out Netflix & Hulu.
My next tip comes from my mom. Over Christmas break my mom and I would work out together. When my mom was on the treadmill she would watch episodes of her favorite show or a new show she was watching. She knew that if she only watched it at the gym it would keep her coming back. So pick a show you’ve been dying to watch on Netflix and head to the gym!
4. Eat in moderation.
Always remember that working out is a huge part of losing weight or toning your body, but having a healthy diet is a bigger part. I’m not saying to start a juice cleanse or just cut out processed foods. You can still indulge in sweets but in moderation. Eat what makes you happy no matter what. Pinterest can also be used to look up healthy meal prep, recipes and plans. I use it all the time to get new ideas to try! Another tip I have is try cutting gluten. Gluten is one of the factors that contributes to lower belly fat. Cutting this out will create a big difference. I eat a lot at Prentice on campus, which is a gluten free cafe. I noticed a huge difference in my physique when I am at school eating meals here than when I am at home for summer or Christmas break.
5. Do it with a friend.
My last tip is to work out with friends. When you first start going to the gym it can be scary, so grab a bestie! If you have a workout partner, they can encourage you and push you to do more than what you would do if you were alone. Sometimes I find myself wanting to give up for the day or not try a machine because I’m afraid to do it wrong. When I had a friend with me it made trying new things easier and their willpower encouraged me to push more. Plus think of all the fun partner exercises you’ll be able to do!
I know working out seems like a chore, but I promise once you make it a routine and incorporate it into your life as if it were a class, then you will start to feel bad when you skip out on a workout! I hope these tips make working out easier, fun and help you keep your health/fitness goals. I am so happy with the results I’ve seen once I started going to the gym regularly. Putting in the work is definitely worth it!