This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Millersville chapter.
Let’s face it; staying in shape in college is a tricky task. With assignments, exams, and presentations galore, it’s hard to find time for the gym. Here is how I managed to stay in shape:
- FitBit. I love my FitBit. It not only counts your steps, but it shows heart rate, active minutes, floors climbed, miles walked, calories burned and how much sleep you got. Did I mention it has a stopwatch built into it? The Charge HR is amazing. Even when I don’t go to the gym, I can see that I still burned calories just by walking to and from classes. The Charge HR automatically knows when you are doing aerobic exercises, so there is no need to log what you did. You can also log the food you ate throughout the day. When doing this on the app, you can see how much you consumed vs. how much you burned. You can even set goals! Check out their products here!
- Make a set grocery list. I never grocery shop without a list. I only stick to what I have written down, making it easier to stay on track with what I’m buying. I make sure I have everything written down to make dinner at least 5 times a week. Having a protein, vegetable, and a starch in every meal is what I aim for. Only buy food that you enjoy eating. You don’t have to like every vegetable, fruit, or starch you see! Finding a set of foods that you like will make meals more enjoyable.
- Know how to scale portions. I know what you’re thinking, I do not “clean eat.” I don’t count my macros, go on fancy diets, or use meal replacers. Eating a balanced and portioned meal is all I need. I try to only aim for pasta dishes once a week. But that doesn’t mean you have to do the same. I just eat a TON of pasta. It’s my favorite food! But I know I can’t enjoy it every day. Oh, did I mention I eat dark chocolate and ice cream 3 times a week? Disciplining yourself by not allowing small treats into your diet is not ideal. By allowing yourself small treats will balance your cravings.
- Pick exercises that work well for you. You don’t have to do every new fitness trend out there. Pick a program and stick to it. Having a set schedule on what you are going to be doing at the gym will help you stay on track. There are a ton of online resources to help you make a personalized fitness schedule. You also do not need to belong to a gym in order to work out! My personal favorite guide is by Kayla Itsines. She has a great 12-week guide full of HIIT style circuit training that requires little to no equipment. More information can be found here!
- Stay off the scale. Not all improvements can be seen on a scale. Measuring and progress pictures will show results better than weighing yourself. Building muscle and losing fat may mean an increase in over all body weight. Muscle doesn’t weigh more than fat, however it is denser, and takes up less room in the body. Sometimes pictures and measurements prove more than that scale, so don’t feel mislead in your progress.
- Don’t get fooled by fitness fads. These are programs that promise a perfect body by using wraps, taking supplements, or only drinking shakes or tea for a month straight. These programs are not healthy, and are only going to make a temporary change and take your money. There is no magical pill that will make everything go away.
- Know that it won’t happen overnight. Seeing results won’t happen overnight, so don’t give up right away. Long-term goals take time, and that’s okay! Keeping a routine and sticking to it will ensure results soon enough. Proper diet and exercise will get you to where you want to be in no time.
- Believe in yourself. You can do this! Whether you work out for 5 minutes or 1 hour, you are making an improvement. Fitness not only improves your body, it improves your overall wellbeing. Can’t make it to the gym one day? Don’t sweat it! No one is perfect, and you shouldn’t focus on making yourself perfect. Nor should you focus on getting that perfect model body. No one is the same. Do this because you want to, not because you have to.