At one point or another, collegiettes have probably heard that annoying phrase, “No pain, no gain,” from a coach, a trainer, a parent or maybe even a friend. For me, it was from my dad and soccer coaches throughout seasons filled with running laps around the practice field, tough weekend tournaments, and trips to the gym to work on strength and fitness. Eventually, I came to a point in my life when I realized that school was more important for my future. I quit soccer to fully devote time to my studies. Little did I know, I was not only letting go of teammates who felt like family members, but I also let go of my fitness and consequently became a full-fledged “couch potato.”
At first, I embraced this newfound laziness. I was watching endless hours of America’s Next Top Model while munching on practically anything in sight and laughing about how my former teammates were probably running around a field instead of relaxing like me. But there came a point when all of the seasons had been watched and all the chips had been eaten. I was sick of being lazy and even felt a bit useless. The fact that I wasn’t active like I used to sort of got to me, and I felt the need to get back into some sort of physical activity.
If you’re in a dilemma similar to this — where you sit around all day not wanting to jump-start a new active life — here’s some inspiration to give you that little push you may need:
1. Baby Steps
I’m not saying that as soon as you finish reading this, you should get up and go straight outside to run five miles. Fitness is all about taking baby steps to achieve your ultimate goal. Start small by going to the gym three times a week. This gives your body a bit of time in between each trip to recuperate. As you start to notice your fitness improve, increase the time you spend on the elliptical or treadmill or add more reps to your routine on the machines.
2. Get Motivated
As I mentioned in my article about keeping New Year’s resolutions, you must motivate yourself when it comes to staying in shape. It’s okay to depend on others to go to the gym with you, but if a friend can’t go one day, don’t make it an excuse to skip. I motivate myself by writing in my planner on the days I need to hit up the gym. I also put sticky notes on the junk food in my dorm saying things like, “Go to the gym instead of eating these!”
3. Wake Up!
Working out is a foolproof way to get rid of that lazy, sluggish feeling. Knowing this fact should make you want to work out even more. As a college student with 8:30 a.m. classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays as well as plenty of late nights of studying in between, working out in the morning after those classes is a guaranteed pick-me-up. Skip the Starbucks iced coffee that’s sure to make you crash by 3:00 p.m., and get to the gym instead.
Hopefully these tips give you that last little shove you need to get your booty off the couch and in the gym. Your motivation may be as simple as buying a new pair of sneakers. No matter what it may be, I encourage you to get out there and follow Nike’s slogan: “Just do it.”
Photo Credits:
www.blush.com.pk
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