Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

Lose the Freshman 15: Studying affects exercise routine

Sometimes I feel like I need more than 24 hours in a day.

And today was one of those days. 

I woke up, immediately hit the books, took a lunch break, went to a meeting, went to work, cooked dinner and studied again. I took a second to look at the clock and couldn’t believe it was already 10:30 p.m. 

Studying got the best of me today, and unfortunately I didn’t make it to the gym. Sigh. 

Sometimes it just happens, and there is nothing you can do about it. I wish I could pause time and complete everything I want to complete in a 24-hour day. But it’s just impossible. 

I know I shouldn’t beat myself up for missing one day, and I know I’m not going to gain 10 pounds just because I didn’t fit my workout into my schedule. It doesn’t become a problem until it becomes a habit. And I know exercise is the first thing I will be doing tomorrow morning. 

I love exercise. It keeps me awake, helps me focus and motivates me to eat healthy. It’s a part of my everyday lifestyle. There is no better feeling than finishing a long run or a hard workout at the gym. It makes me feel accomplished and puts me in a good mood. 

But this wasn’t always my attitude about exercise. I used to think if a soccer ball wasn’t involved, it wasn’t worth my time. I had to force myself to go on runs and set goals for improvement at the gym. Eventually I grew to enjoy it. 

It takes time, but eventually you develop a healthy addiction to exercise. It becomes something you know you are going to do every day because it makes you happy. And this is not something that happens overnight or even a month. At first it takes a lot of going to the gym even when you really don’t feel like it. 

But once you are addicted, it’s really hard to go a day without it. Strive to reach this point. Once you’re there, you know you’re on the right track for a healthy lifestyle. 

I am a junior journalism student at the University of Florida. I am very passionate about health and fitness and hope to be a health writer or editor one day. Currently, I intern for Giggle, which is a family and parenting magazine that serves the Gainesville community. Outside of journalism I enjoy running, playing and coaching soccer, and socializing with my friends.