Have you ever had trouble staying with a fitness routine? I know I have. My first year of college was fine because it was a little walk down the road to get to the free gym I had access to. Once spring semester ended and I moved back home, all of a sudden I had trouble trying to get into a routine again. Now I had to drive to my gym, and try to find the time to get my workout in and to drive there and back. All summer I made up excuses on why I couldn’t workout. Now that fall semester has started again, I’m determined to get in shape, and I’m going to share my tips with you guys, too!
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Drink more water than you think you need to drink.
If someone tells you to drink 8 cups of water, then drink 10. Bring a water bottle with you to every class, and drink the whole thing. Drink a glass in the morning, and drink one at lunch and dinner. Keep water next to your bed since you get dehydrated throughout the night, so when you wake up you can rehydrate first thing.
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Walk everywhere that you possibly can.
Most students rely on the bus system if they live on or off campus, but hear me out. If you live on campus, walk everywhere on campus. Walk up the stairs, walk up the hill, walk to the gym. Get as much exercise in that you can just by walking. If you live off campus, walk to the buses, then walk everywhere that you can on campus. If your apartment is close to campus, you can even walk from there. Walking is one of the best exercises out there.
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Do at least 5 minutes of bodyweight (or light dumbbell) exercises at home each day.
Think push-ups, squats, lunges, sit ups, burpees. Each day do something different and that’s all you need to eventually get into shape.
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Find a time that works for you. Don’t workout in the morning if that isn’t your thing.
I’ve found that when I workout in the morning, I don’t want to go because I’m thinking about all of the things I still need to do. And then I think, is exercise really important enough to put everything else off? I go at night because generally I have everything else except a shower finished for the day. Honestly, exercise whenever works for you, and when you have the time.
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Never skip breakfast
Breakfast jump-starts your metabolism and gets you ready for the day. Try and make it as protein packed as possible – either egg whites, peanut butter toast, or a smoothie with Greek yogurt is a good start.
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Plan out your workout before you do it.
Writing down your workouts will help you stay motivated and focused on what you need to do. I used to bring a notebook to the gym, with what exercises I was doing for that day, how much weight, and how many reps and sets I had to do.
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Don’t just focus on cardio.
Cardio is important but you need to be lifting too. Light weight with more reps will tone, where heavy weight with less reps will build muscle. Also, if you’re just doing cardio you’ll never gain that booty you want.
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Make sure you’re getting enough to eat.
I know that sounds extremely redundant, but if you eat more often throughout the day, but with smaller meals, your metabolism will consistently be working and thus you’ll start losing weight faster. Not eating makes your body go into starvation mode and then it’ll keep all of the food that enters your body, and your metabolism slows down.
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Bring a buddy to the gym.
Or on a walk, or to your house. If you know someone who loves to workout, see if you can try to workout with them and then that way you’ll have to workout with them so you don’t stand them up. Just make sure you’re actually working out and not just talking.
I hope these tips help you to get off to a good start this semester! Don’t forget to drink that water!