Moving onto campus and having the gym be closed for everyone other than athletes is a bit of a bummer. Access to equipment is limited, spots on campus to do a workout are minimal, it is cold, snowy and icy outside, and most of all, the motivation is lacking. Physical activity improves your mood, helps you sleep better at night, reduces stress and anxiety and helps your overall health. Even though the circumstances are not ideal, here are some ways to still get exercise and find the motivation to do so!
- Utilize ALL of the Stairs on The Hill
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Holy Cross was designed for a great calf workout. I counted how many stairs it is from my dorm room to the dining hall, and it’s 158. Even just walking to and from the dining hall you’re tackling a TON of stairs. Bundle up, put your headphones in, listen to some music or your favorite podcast or call a friend or family member, and go for a walk around campus! This campus is gorgeous and the stairs and hills are great for the legs.
- Try the Rec Loan Program
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The College set up an equipment loan program where you can sign out weight balls, yoga mats and resistance bands. The hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 3pm-7pm and Saturdays and Sundays 12pm-3pm. This is a great way to get some movement, strength work or just some relaxation in. Take this equipment back to your room and do a workout on your own or even with your roommate!
- Hit the Fields
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During the “off” hours of Varsity practices, head up to the Hart Turf, the Hart Track, the lacrosse field or the practice fields and get a good workout in. The fields are plowed and ready for use; the track is too, but it’s a little icy so be careful! You can use the equipment from the rec loan program, do a bodyweight workout on your own, or go for a run or a walk.
- Use the Internet!!!
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You can find tons of workouts online. There are endless YouTube videos made by influencers, fitness coaches, and companies such as Nike and Under Armour — and these are FREE! There are also plenty of programs, websites and apps that you can pay a monthly membership for and receive varieties of workouts all in one place. Refinery29 wrote an article about some of the best programs for the most bang for your buck. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/best-online-streaming-workout
Now for the Motivation Aspect:
Sure, it’s easy to come up with ideas of what to do for exercise and it’s easy to say you’re going to do it, but actually doing it, now that is a whole different story.
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One of the best ways to find that motivation is to get on a schedule. Try to pick one time everyday when you’re going to workout. This will make it so much easier to plan your days and find the time to get some exercise in.
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Don’t set crazy goals for yourself. The goal should be to feel good about yourself and the exercise you got in.
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Spice it up a bit! Doing the same few exercises everyday is going to get boring. Go for a walk one day, maybe an online HIIT workout the next day, some yoga the next day, and then a strength workout with a weight ball or resistance ball. This will help you to look forward to working out and not getting tired of the same thing.
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Don’t feel guilty. If you don’t get any exercise in, you’re having an off day, you’re super busy or it’s just a cold, gross day, that’s okay! Being down on yourself about it is just going to make it harder to get yourself moving in the future.