Redefining Exercise: Movement That Isn’t the Gym

It’s a Saturday morning. You’ve just returned to your room after breakfast and are wondering what to do for the next hour before coffee with your friend. You’ve been wanting to exercise at the gym all week but it’s just too far; by the time your 20-minute walk is over, you’ll have a mere 10 minutes on the treadmill before heading back, not to mention needing to shower. What to do? 

Going to the gym can take several hours out of your day, depending on how long you go for and how far away you live. Let’s face it: St Andrews may be small, but with frequent rain and wind, getting across town can be treacherous. As a Sallies resident, I’ve found that my gym aspirations have severely dwindled since purchasing my membership at the beginning of the year. My gym days are always planned a week in advance, when I can make sure I’ll have several hours free for the whole ordeal. However, as someone who still loves her exercise, I’ve discovered the perks of living in a walkable seaside town: the opportunity for exercise is everywhere. Here are some of my favorite activities to get my heart rate up that don’t require trekking all the way out to the sports center; whether you have 15 minutes or a whole hour, moving your body is always worth your time. 

1: Beach Walks

Level Up: bring a water bottle, headphones, and athletic shoes for a speed walk / run.

We all know that St Andrews is notorious for its beautiful scenery: beaches, cobblestone streets, and hidden alleyways make this town a true hidden treasure. However, I believe that people sometimes don’t take advantage of the three beautiful beaches we have – back home, going to the beach is a whole-day kinda thing, where my family drives 30 minutes from our land-locked town to find the ocean. Growing up, going to the beach was a special event, whereas here, it’s a daily activity. We are so lucky. 

As I mentioned earlier, I’m a Sallies resident, making me partial to a quick stroll on Castle Sands just 30 seconds away. Wherever your hall or flat may be, Castle Sands is a must-see. St Andrews’ most low-lying beach, this is the place to do your sea dip. With a built-in tidal pool, you can get a wonderfully refreshing swim with the vast ocean right behind you. All you need is a swimsuit, a towel, and a change of clothes – a speaker is a good addition too. Make sure you check that the tide level is low too, as the tidal pool gets covered by crashing waves when it hits high tide. 

Although I admit that Castle Sands may be my favorite beach in St Andrews, I absolutely adore East and West Sands as well. Walking to East Sands, you get to explore the pier and boatyard before getting to see dogs running freely across the sand. At West Sands, you’ll probably get to watch some surfers riding the waves and you can walk through the dune paths. West Sands stretches so far that a walk there can be whatever you want: a quick loop or a thorough reflection on life. That’s the beauty of beach walks: you get to go outside, explore St Andrews, and exercise all at once. Next time the gym feels a little too far, head to one of the beaches and take time to appreciate how lucky we are to live in this beautiful seaside town. 

2: Fife coastal path

Level Up: instead of just a hike, try rucking with a weighted bag on your back. This is one of the most effective ways to build strength and endurance at the same time. 

Having walked Fife Coastal Path just this morning, I can assure you that it’s absolutely magnificent. If you make it far enough, you might even come across some adorable highland cows – the greatest prize at the end of your hike. If you’ve never been before, getting there is simple: just walk to the very far end of East Sands, around where the Seaside Sauna is, and you’ll see the entrance to Fife Coastal Path. There’s a little café called Surf’s Up just before the entrance where you can grab a latte and even a fresh-baked donut for your journey. With a good song or podcast playing, you’ll be living the dream. 

Just like with beach walks, the beauty of hiking the Fife Coastal Path is that it can be however long you want: just 5 minutes in, you’ll already start seeing the beautiful St Rule’s tower getting farther into the distance and you’ll be getting a good workout with all the hills and steps you’re climbing. The Fife Coastal Path itself is a whopping 188 kilometers long (117 miles), starting in Kincardine and ending in Newburgh, so your hike can truly be unconstrained. At some point, you’ll find a bench to sit at (my personal favorite lookout spot) where you can take a break and admire the town. Hiking the Fife Coastal Path doesn’t need to be just about exercise; taking time to be in nature is one of the best moments to process, reflect, and sit with your thoughts, no matter how you’re feeling. 

3: Dorm Workouts

Level Up: set goals for yourself in your notes app of how many reps of each exercise you’re going to do this week. Each week, add 5 more reps to that number and push yourself to stay consistent.

I think many of you may already be familiar with the concept of an “at-home-workout” (shoutout to the pandemic) but you might’ve fallen out of your 2020 routine or even completely forgotten about them. Well, let me (re)introduce you to the wonderful phenomenon that is dorm workouts: perfect for college, where both space and time are limited. Dorm pilates is a great option too, if you’re really looking to strengthen your core. 

Literally all you need for these workouts is YouTube and enough room to lie down comfortably; make sure your arms and legs won’t hit anything fragile if you’re required to stretch or spread out. Next, just look up “no equipment dorm workout” unless you have resources like weights or bands with you, in which case, just look up a simple dorm workout. You can tailor this search to whatever suits your situation best! As I’ve mentioned before, one of the best parts of these workouts is how flexible they are – you can make them long, short, easy, hard, with equipment, no equipment, etc. There are no limits and no one is watching. 

If you’re looking for recommendations, my personal favorites are Pamela Reif’s Lower Ab Workout (no equipment, 10 minutes) and MadFit’s Full Body Workout (no equipment, 15 minutes). You may have heard of Chloe Ting or Vicky Justiz as well, both of whom are also great at-home workout creators. Remember: these workouts will probably be pretty hard at first, but don’t get discouraged – consistency is key. I still struggle to finish the workouts without breaks and I’ve been doing them for months, but just know that it means you’re pushing yourself and working hard. 

The UK National Health Service reports that “physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress.” Go give yourself the gift of these benefits – next time you’re feeling discouraged from hitting the gym, I want you to remind yourself that a ‘workout’ is not at all limited to being in a room with fancy machines and weights. The opportunity to exercise is anywhere at any time… it’s all about what you make of it.

• exercise
• gym
• health