Hey ladies! I’m back and ready to discuss our next topic in the realm of health: exercise. Some love it and some hate it, but either way, it’s a necessity to being healthy. Come on now—stop groaning—I promise it’s not as bad as it sounds.
If you’re like me and you hate working out, get ready for a revolution. Maybe you’re a little self-conscious or maybe you’re uncomfortable about working out in front of other people and that’s okay. It takes time. That’s the most important thing I’ve learned regarding exercise. Much like everything else in life, to be successful you have to be ready because if you’re not ready you’re setting yourself up to fail. It’s a commitment and with commitment comes challenge. I’m not telling you to instantaneously become a gym buff and spend 2 hours a night running miles and pumping iron, but starting off by hitting the gym 3 times a week could be a good place to start. Of course, your beginning athletic and endurance level may influence that a little bit, but starting off slow is always a good idea. If you start off too strong, you’re bound to hit a wall eventually and, again, that would be setting yourself up to fail.
The second most important thing I’ve learned is that there’s something out there for everyone. Sure, walking up to the Pete to hit the gym seems a little redundant (seriously…I hiked up Cardiac Hill and you really expect me to run on the treadmill for an hour?!), and if that’s not your thing there are plenty of other options available to you. It could be hard at first to find a physical activity that you enjoy and feel comfortable doing. Finding that activity will take some patience, confidence, and a little bit of research, but once you find it you’ll be glad that you did. Going for a walk in Schenley Park with your friends or starting up a game of touch football on the Cathedral lawn with some classmates are just a few examples of ways to exercise and having fun doing it. You can even employ the internet in your quest for a fun workout: try running a Google search of fun ways to get exercise (laser tag anyone?!)
We attend a huge university, and with that come huge opportunities. Pitt offers many types of fitness classes that are tons of fun (not to mention the nice gyms we have at our disposal). I, for example, take Zumba classes and they are a blast. What could be better than dance fitness to funky music and burning 500-1000 calories? Other classes like yoga, cycling, and weight lifting are offered, as well as other types of dance classes (as I’m writing this, my roommate is begging me to mention her Hip Hop class that she is always raving about). There truly is something out there for everyone.
Still not convinced? Not only does working out promote a healthier lifestyle, it’s a great stress reliever too. Seriously, next time you’re stressing out about an exam, give yourself a half hour jog on the treadmill or an impromptu dance party in your room and you’ll be feeling better in no time! It takes all of your pent up stress and lets it out in a healthy, appropriate way. It also makes you feel so much better about yourself and that in itself is a good enough reason to begin a regimen. Whether you’re walking a few times a week on a treadmill, hitting the gym hard every night, or somewhere in between, starting and maintaining an exercise routine will do wonders for your self-esteem, your body, and your overall well-being.
Keep your inspiration in mind and keep going towards your goal. I know you can do it. Good luck!