It was week one of classes for winter term and I could already feel myself getting stressed from the assignments I knew I had for the term. With stress, I usually like to workout because I’m an active person, but throughout my college experience I have found it hard to get my butt to the gym. I would make every excuse like I’m sure most of us use, the classics like “It’s too cold to walk there”, “All the guys stare at me in the weight room” (those boys need to get over a girl in the weight room tbh), “I don’t want to walk in the dark alone” and my favorite being, “I’ll go tomorrow morning instead.” HA, that’s not a thing for me in the dead of winter. So here I was, week one of a new term, already stressed out, and I had zero motivation to make the walk to the gym, especially at the beginning of January when everyone is in the gym trying to keep their resolutions that they definitely won’t keep a month from now. No judgement, I’ve been there. I just don’t believe in making resolutions.
I had to do something or I was going to end up down the rabbit hole of anxiety filled with pizza and Benny’s Donuts to *temporarily* cure me. I started to look up workout videos I could do from my own room, where I would have literally no excuse but to do the workouts. I chose yoga because I’ve always loved it but I didn’t want to pay for classes. On Youtube I found a channel called “Psych Truth” full of yoga videos ranging from beginner to intermediate with different focus areas of working out. If you’re feeling stressed, there’s one for flexibility and relaxation. Want to get in better shape? There are tons on strength training, eliminating body fat, and building strong muscles for every body type. It’s amazing because what I’ve learned from my years of being active is that what works for one person, may not work for another. Here are just a few of the benefits I’ve noticed so far.
1. My stress melted away.
Those endorphins really got to me and I started feeling better, less stressed and more focused on what I needed to let go of mentally.
2. I started making better choices about what I ate.
When you feel crappy mentally, that transfers into what you eat. Everytime I find a new workout routine I notice how I make better eating habits. While I’m certainly not perfect, (um hello, pizza and wine are in my main food group) I definitely took note of the change in taste buds.
3. I got organized.
I started working ahead on homework, finishing things early, writing important info into my planner, and keeping my room clean… all because I had more energy and motivation.
4. I feel stronger and more flexible.
Since starting yoga, I’ve noticeably felt my muscles starting to get stronger, while also becoming more flexible from the different yoga workouts I’ve been doing. I don’t feel so stiff or sluggish anymore.
5. It’s part of my daily routine now.
After the first week of doing yoga, I kept going. It became a part of my routine. While I can’t always do a hard yoga workout every day, I do take 20 or so minutes out of my day to do something for myself.
If you’re a girl like me who wants to stay active but finds herself choosing her bed over the gym, I would highly recommend the Psych Truth channel on Youtube or any yoga videos you find. The important thing is to do something for yourself every day. Turn off your phone, put it somewhere out of view and do yoga, pilates, jumping jacks, run in place or whatever makes you feel less stressed while also staying active to take care of your health both mentally and physically.
Namaste b*****s.
Do you like yoga? If so, what’s your favorite part? Let us know in the comments below!