Fun fact: the largest amount of fitness related injuries happen in the first two months of the year. The reason? New Year’s Resolutions. Almost every person that you know that makes resolutions would have, at least once in their lives, made the resolution to get fit, lose weight, exercise more, or something related. It’s an admirable goal. I can’t even begin to tell you how much better I feel health-wise compared to last year just by changing my diet.
But the ED (emergency department) visits decrease slowly, and just as they do, so do the number of people in the gym. The pizzas start stacking up, and your Nikes start to collect dust, until December 31st, when you once again decide to dust them off and start running again. I’ve been there, and I’m sure you’ve been there too. And maybe you’re still there, or you’re afraid that September isn’t going to look like January (fitness-wise). You can prevent this from happening in a few ways:
1. Add small workouts to your daily activities.
I’ve done 30 squats every day for the past two years. How? Whenever I’m brushing my teeth, I do five squats for every section of teeth. I do wall push-ups whenever I’m bleaching my teeth, lunges when I’m waiting for my coffee to boil. Adding small workouts in those times when you’re just standing there looking at your phone can make all the difference – not only do you get a “workout” in the morning, it also wakes you up and gets you revved up for the rest of the day!
2. Sign up for a class.
I cannot stress this enough. Add a PDP, join a yoga class. You’ve paid for it, or you’re doing it for credit, and thus you have to be there. And by virtue, you are exercising then. Not only that, but if you have a more relaxed class, you’re already at the gym and you might as well just run a mile on the indoor track.
3. Speaking of running – sign yourself up for a 5K.
There’s nothing more motivating than knowing that in about 3 months you have to be in shape enough to be able to run a 5K. There are a lot of 5K’s going around in Boston, mostly in the month of April, and they keep going up until the month of October. Find a cause that you care about and sign you and your friends up for it! A lot of BU campus clubs also host 5Ks, so you’re supporting your school’s organizations too!
4. Make your workouts enjoyable!
Don’t push yourself to do something that you hate. I hated the elliptical. It was the worst. In comparison, I love running on the indoor track, or going for a swim, and then lifting some weights. It makes me feel powerful. Find a workout that makes you feel powerful, and you’ll want to go more often.
5. Find a gym buddy.
There’s something about a person waiting for you in the cold Boston weather under the clock in front of CAS that drags you out of bed at 10 AM and gets you to the gym. Find someone who doesn’t live with you – you’ll just see each other in your PJs and consider staying in your bed watching Netflix. My gym-buddy from freshman year became my roommate sophomore year and this happened, so I speak from experience – find someone who lives far from you.
6. Set clear goals for yourself.
Do you want to get ripped? Do you want to build endurance? Why are you doing this? It’s important to know what you want, and once you have a clear idea it’ll just pave the way to achieving your goals. Last year I set the goal to lower my cholesterol levels, and I achieved it. While not everyone is doing it for health, setting a goal that you can physically monitor will push you harder and ensure that you get yourself to the gym on a Sunday morning.
7. Set a schedule for yourself.
Are you a morning person, or an evening person? When do you study? Try and figure out a time in your daily schedule where you can fit in the gym at a time which would never get occupied by the office hours that you have to go to, or the last minute exam cram sessions that you undoubtedly will have.
And most importantly, have fun while doing this. You’re doing something great for yourself, so don’t give up and get through 2018!
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