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The past few days have been a grand old time – all of the lovely parents of students here came to visit us. It was Family Weekend! In its aftermath, I realize that in the joy of reuniting with my family, I may have taken in a few more treats than I had anticipated (thanks to three days of eating at restaurants). I already do regular cardio workouts, and surely I can’t spend half a day at the gym for the next week to burn off the extra calories – what’s a girl to do?
My solution? Think like a New Yorker. Walk everywhere! Walking is totally underestimated as a calorie torcher among us college students. When it comes to getting fit, we tend to think more along the lines of Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.
The benefits of walking are numerous. It does not stress the knees as much as running does, and I find I can walk for much longer periods of time as well. It also gives me time to myself to reflect on whatever needs to be reflected upon: my schoolwork, my family, my social life, whatever. It’s sort of like yoga; even though you may not feel as if you are working super hard the whole time, the mind-body benefits are incredible.
But if we don’t have enough time to spend two hours sweatin’ to the oldies at the gym each day, how can we devote that much time to walking? Easy: split it up. Make it part of your life. Lots of college campuses or surrounding towns and cities are super walkable, even though it might not be the preferred method of transport among students. Trek downtown for a cup of coffee, or walk to your favorite vintage shop. Take your camera to record the beautiful fall weather! 
Don’t take the bus – walk to class in the morning! It means leaving a couple minutes earlier, but it also means burning a couple extra calories.
So although I may have had a bit too much this weekend (thank you parents), I feel confident it won’t ruin all the hard work I’ve been doing. I have spent most of my time on my feet, whether I’ve been walking around a museum, strolling downtown, or going to (and performing in!) concerts.
The bottom line? Try to be active throughout the whole day. You’ll subconsciously burn more calories (and have more fun) than spending thirty more minutes on the elliptical.
Lots of Love,
Elizabeth
(photo credits: Louie Bookout, Vladimir Fofanov, Markina van Holten on sxc.hu, livemusicblog.com)