If we’re being honest here, I never used to work out in high school. I honestly don’t think I’d ever even used a gym before coming to Kenyon. But I decided to turn over a new leaf upon starting college and take advantage of the beautiful athletic center we have. In my opinion, working out isn’t exactly the most enjoyable activity (if you honestly enjoy working out, I admire you greatly), so in the couple of months since I started frequenting the KAC, I came up with a few different things to do that make the experience slightly less painful.
1. Listen to music: This one seems obvious, and from my observation, it is the most common activity people do while working out. A great playlist of your favorite upbeat songs can act as an awesome motivator for you to work out.
2. Watch whatever playing on the TVs: Looking at the TV screens is a bit more distracting than simply listening to music, and it’s super easy to do both. You can get lost in the plights of people trying to buy a house, watch what’s going on in the sports world, or catch up on the news of the day, depending on what each screen is showing.
3. Watch your own favorite show on Netflix: Better yet, if you have a Netflix app on your phone or other device, you can watch your favorite shows while working out. It’s easy to prop up a phone on most of the workout machines’ displays, and you can become so engrossed in whatever you’re watching that you won’t even notice you’re exercising. It’s the perfect combination: You can combine your Netflix addiction with getting active and healthy!
4. Listen to a podcast: If you don’t have a Netflix account (or you prefer listening to things instead of having to worry about propping something up on the machines’ displays) podcasts are the way to go. There are tons of different ones to choose from, whether you want to listen to news, sports talk, entertainment, or silly discussions. Plus, they’re all free!
5. Do homework: Think you’re too swamped with work to have time to exercise? Think again! It’s pretty simple to prop up a printed out document to read, and a lot of the machines have handy little nooks that are perfect for storing pens and highlighters. You can kill two birds with one stone by getting some homework done while you workout. Then, you’ll be able to leave the KAC feeling extra accomplished!
These are just some of the things I’ve discovered that help me pass the time while working out. Exercising is a great thing for your body, but sometimes we need that extra boost to make the experience more tolerable – or maybe even enjoyable!