We all know that the pressures of college weigh on us (literally) between the dining hall dinners and lack of time to make it to Ping for a workout. Yet, there are plenty of small steps we can take in a day to increase the amount of calories we burn to make up for the unhealthy decisions we inevitably make as college students.
1. Forget the keys
Seriously, leave your car keys at home, or at least out of sight, and take a walk to the places you need to go on campus. Unless the walk is more than twenty minutes or you have a heavy load, get on your feet and start moving. One of the great things about Ohio University is that it is a walking campus. Take in the beauty and burn a lot more calories by making the trek instead.
2. Skip the escalator
Did you know Baker has stairs? A lot of us only realize them when caution tape is around a set of the escalators, making us grumble at the inconvenience. If the weather is nice, Baker Center has stairs going up the outside of it that are easy to take instead of the escalator. When it’s cold, there are sets of stairs inside of Baker to help keep your blood pumping for heat. In short: stairs are your friend.
3. Move it up Morton
As dreaded as the hills of OU are, they really do a wonderful job of keeping our legs toned and our bodies burning the excess amounts of calories from the dining halls. Try to utilize these hills (Morton, Jeff, Richland Ave., etc.), even after leg day, to keep your body in shape throughout the school year.
4. Pedal to pass the time
Running late for class? Instead of starting your car, hop on a bike and pedal to push through the amount of tardy students and get to your classes in half the time. Extra points if you bike up Jeff Hill!
5. Walk the wait
If you typically get to class early, or just have a few minutes to spare, take the long way. Whether this means climbing up stairs or finding a new path to class, it burns more calories and reduces the amount of time you sit in a chair on your phone before class starts. This will also improve your day by keeping your heart rate up and breathing in fresh air, and maybe seeing new sights around campus.
Have a favorite calorie burner on campus? Share with us at @hercampusohiou and stay moving, Bobcats!