Sometimes, college can be overwhelming. Between the new class schedule, the new course load, and trying to fit in some time for friends and family, it may seem like there are simply not enough hours in the day to exercise. Well, I am here to tell you: that is simply not true! You’ll be surprised how easy it can be to add some exercise/activity to your day! Here are five ways that you can add some exercise to your day, that are fun and that you may have not thought about before!
- Clean your room/apartment!
You’d be really surprised at how much energy and calories you can burn by deep cleaning your room. Not to even mention the awesome side effects of having a clean room, including better focus, better information retention, and overall less anxiety! This is a GREAT way to add some exercise into your life and improve your overall wellbeing!
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Dance!
Do we ever really need a reason to shake it? Pull a Cristina and Meredith and dance it out with your roommate, your boyfriend, or your best friend (or hey, if you’re super brave, a stranger!). Dancing burns a TON of calories, and you don’t even realize it because you are having fun and just relieving some stress. By listening to music and dancing it out, you can clear your mind to focus on the things that you need to take care of!
3. Call up your friends, and instead of meeting for coffee, meet at a nearby park with a playground!
Channel your inner child and go play on a playground. While you’re goofing off and having a good time remembering the simpler existence of childhood (where there are no bills, no papers to write, no overwhelming deadlines or reading assignments), you’re burning a buttload of calories! Enjoy yourself, and I’m sure your friends will not only thank you for it, but will want to do it again!
4. Join a rec team!
Every college in America (ok, this isn’t from an actual study, so don’t quote me on this…) or at least town has a rec league for different sports. Try something new! Make a fool out of yourself, meet new people, and enjoy being active. There are so many ways to make friends besides going to the bars or coffee shops (did we just say that??). Or join a rec league with a couple of your friends so you’ll at least know a couple people! It could be a really fun way to let out some of that competitive energy.
5. And the classic… park further away.
While this is probably my least favorite way to add some activity to your life, it’s honestly one of the simplest ones. How many errands do you run per day? How often do you struggle and drive in circles for what seems like a billion and a half years looking for a parking spot that’s NOT seven miles away from your class? Instead of stressing about that, why not just embrace it, and run with it (sometimes literally, if you’re super late to class, LOL amiright?!). Park in the first kinda far parking spot you find. Brace yourself for the hike you’re about to go on, and then conquer the day. You’ll appreciate those calories when you’re wanting a margarita later. Trust me.
Regardless of the way you find to add exercise to your life, enjoy it! Invite your friends! Exercise doesn’t have to be the worst thing ever… Even if it feels that way.