As a college student, it can certainly be hard to find enough time to exercise and prioritize your health. With the near-constant barrage of assignments, it can sometimes seem overwhelming to add exercise to your workload. Yet, it is crucial to make time for movement and physical activity.
Personally, I have not been consistently active in a couple of years, and it has taken a noticeable toll on both my mental and physical health. I feel lethargic, tired, stiff, increasingly unhappy, and have poor self-esteem. I live a pretty sedentary lifestyle, and as a result, have noticed I never quite feel the best and am excessively tired. My muscles have felt tight and inflexible — every movement hurts.
Several of my excuses for neglecting physical activity have included commute time to the IMA, never-ending homework, and “being too tired.” While these are certainly valid, I cannot justify using these same excuses daily and hurting my physical health. Another thing that has always deterred me is my clearly amateur strength training skills. The IMA intimidates me because I rarely notice other people in the same position as me — most people seem like they’ve been working out for years. There are also usually quite a lot of people there, and I find myself feeling self-conscious. Now, I do still have these insecurities, but force myself to go anyways, all while telling myself “Everyone starts somewhere” and “Everyone is just here to improve their health.” I am tired of making excuses for myself and compromising my own health and have been actively trying to change my habits/lifestyle.
Once this academic quarter started, I told myself enough is enough and decided to make a commitment to myself to be more physically active.
To help better adjust my mindset for consistent workouts, I tell myself there will always be more homework, another assignment, and one more practice problem, but there will never be another time in your life when you can build bone density as well as you can now.
One alarming statistic is that women are at much higher risk of developing osteoporosis than men later in life, due to several different factors, including not building enough bone density and mass in their 20s/30s. Strength training (applying weight to bones and muscles) is the best way to build bone density! Hopefully, this inspires you more than it frightens you, but for me, it definitely does both. With that being said, strength training is crucial for building bone density, but all exercise is beneficial for other reasons.
There are a plethora of ways to get in shape through RSOs, IMA classes, recreational sports teams, and more.
Since I have difficulty self-motivating, I joined both soccer and kickball intramural sports teams to hold myself accountable and also got the IMA class pass to take yoga, cycling, and dance classes. I also started visiting the YMCA next to my apartment with my pre-existing membership. If you like hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, etc. with other students, the IMA has UWild trips to sign up for too! Other things I have found to be helpful for my physical health are at-home floor workouts and light kettlebell and dumbbell exercises. Currently, my favorite at-home workouts include side leg raises, “fire hydrants,” leg extensions, clamshells (all with resistance bands), and one-minute planks. These can be easily done at home and don’t take that long to do! My muscles always feel stretched and appropriately sore after these.
If you also find yourself neglecting your physical well-being, I hope these ideas will inspire you to focus on fun, daily movement! You are not alone. Let’s make 2023 the year to start prioritizing physical activity. Not to lose weight, not to work on our appearance, but to simply take control of our health and find delight in joyful movement!