If you’re anything like me, the summer months of quarantine were spent doing the Chloe Ting Ab Workout Challenge. As we all know, quarantine was the perfect time to start new hobbies and pick up any old or forgotten hobbies. I got into working out and staying active. I even bought a bike and rekindled my love for bike riding. I’ve never been someone who exercised regularly or frequently visited the gym. I always had enough physical activity through playing sports and taking dance classes. My desire, and especially my motivation, to work out comes and goes – it can be really hard to make it a habit or create a routine. If you’re anything like me, you also might be having difficulty finding motivation for a lot of things. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in some way or another. I no longer had the time, energy, or motivation to stay fit once school started on top of all my other responsibilities. I had made significant progress working out this summer and liked the way my body looked and felt. Fast forward to now, I feel the opposite, and it has really affected me.
It was really difficult at first – just like starting anything new, to get back into being active. My motivation was completely shot, and at this point in the semester, I was so burned out. I gave myself constant and positive reminders about why being active should be a priority in my life. Both heart disease and hypertension run in my family, and I’m also at much greater risk for being African-American. I don’t want that to be a part of my life in the future, and I don’t want to continue to live a sedentary lifestyle. I want to be healthy, and I deserve to be; I owe that much to myself. Another important reminder that keeps me going is this: working out isn’t just exercising my body, but it’s exercising my mind too. Not only is exercise making me a healthier person, but I’m also much happier and have an outlet for my emotions. Exercising has boosted my mood, which also helps me focus on classes and get my work done.
I was also super apprehensive about working out by myself. It can feel really daunting to work out by yourself, so I started out going to a local gym with my friends. I enjoyed it, but it proved difficult to maintain with everyone’s different schedules and obligations. Feeling frustrated and unsure of what to do next, I remembered my friend had mentioned she began taking group exercise classes at the gym on campus. I had only taken 2 group exercise classes at McComas, and I was eager to see what the other classes had to offer. She had been taking cycling classes, and we decided to sign up for one together. I had never taken a cycling class before, but I do love to bike ride, so I was looking forward to it. Can you guess what happened next? I absolutely loved it! I’ve taken 5 or 6 classes so far, and I can’t wait to sign up for more. My favorite class has been HIIT cycling, and the instructor is awesome.
The beauty of group exercise classes is that the date and time are already set. All you have to do is signup for each class in advance. For me to stay organized, I have to create a weekly schedule and to-do list with time blocked off for my job, classes, meetings, events and anything else I want or need to do. Taking group classes gives me the consistency and organization I need to stay on top of working out. If it’s already allocated for in my schedule, I’m way more likely to actually do it. I highly recommend if you’ve wanted to try group classes but weren’t sure if it was right for you – now is a perfect time! VT Rec Sports’ group exercise memberships are 50% off and are super affordable depending on your needs. They offer a wide variety of classes to choose from, and some are even offered virtually too.
So I’ve slowly but surely made my way back into working out. I’m definitely still adjusting to my schedule and still finding my motivation, but it’s nice to have time dedicated specifically to exercising. Not only do I feel great afterward, but it’s also a way for me to spend time with my best friend a few times each week. Don’t feel too discouraged or be too hard on yourself if you’ve gotten away from exercising. It can be hard to make time for it and even harder to maintain it. My advice is don’t give up – try a few different workouts and see which works best for you and your body. It could be something as simple as walking around your apartment complex for 30 minutes or maybe walking to a friend’s house. In honor of Earth day tomorrow, make an effort to get outside and exercise if that’s your thing. Blacksburg and the surrounding areas have such great scenery and many biking, walking, and hiking trails. Incorporating just a little exercise into your week will make such a big difference. You deserve to live a happy and healthy life.