I have a confession to make. Before coming to college, I was one of the many that was afraid of being a victim of what it is notoriously known as the freshmen fifteen. A lot of people, especially my friends who were already in college, would constantly scare me about gaining weight in college. I refused to believe them. And like any other self-determined freshmen collegiate, I created a morning workout plan to stick with everyday. Here are a couple of the workouts that I do.
#1: For warm up, I run for twenty minutes on the treadmill. I start out by going slow at 4.5 and gradually work my way up to 6.0. I noticed how it’s a lot more beneficial to work your way up to your fastest speed, for it paces the runner and doesn’t tire them out in the middle of the run. It helps the runner get the most out of his or her run on the treadmill and help them run for a longer duration.
#2: Stretch! Stretching is the most overlooked part in workouts. A lot of people, including myself, have this ridiculous notion that stretching is not as important as the actual work out itself. This cannot be a bigger lie. Stretching is an important factor of a pre-workout exercise that helps the person to avoid any injuries. It also helps you to get that lean body that many girls drool over. This is one of the many reasons why supermodels such as Gisele Bundchen do yoga every morning (I’m not lying I swear, check her Instagram).
#3: Russian twists— The Russian twist is my go-to core exercise when it comes to keeping those love handles in check. I usually do a set of 40 reps with a 12-pound dumbbell. I try to pace myself and slow myself down when I’m going from side to side. It’s easier to go quickly to avoid feeling that burning sensation, but trust me, the more you feel that burn, the more you’ll thank yourself in the future.
#4: Jump ropes— I admit, I’ve been a huge jump rope fan ever since I saw Adrianna Lima’s intense workout video from last year’s VS fashion show. But not only does jump ropes make you feel like Adrianna Lima, but it’s also known to be a great calorie burner. It is known to burn more calories than running on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Jump ropes is a great pre or post workout that engages most of your muscles. It works your abs, legs, and arms. It is definitely a great inexpensive tool for weight loss and toning of the body.
Even though these a few workouts that I can offer, I will definitely have to say that self-will and motivation are the key ingredients to staying in shape and help pushing you to get the results that you want. I’ve been doing this for a month now, and I can honestly tell you that I’ve learned a lot from my workouts. I’ve learned just like the way I push myself in the gym, life is shaped through the tough tasks that I push myself to do even when I feel that burning sensation to quit. It is through those moments of weakness that causes me to be stronger than yesterday and better for the weeks to come. Collegiettes, I hope you can find inspiration with your workout just like the way I did with mine and incorporate it into your daily life.