Time for some actually helpful advice!
You’d think that going to university means that you’ll have to sacrifice your killer bod and six-pack, because uni students are always so stressed out, hungry and busy with their social and academic lives.
That’s not true! Just read these 5 ways to workout in college and stop grumbling about it!
1. Join A Sports Team
Needless to say, joining an intramural sports team promotes great fitness benefits while encouraging fair competition and diminishing kiasu, overly competitive attitudes. University sports team train hard not to win competitions (ok, maybe sometimes), but mostly to have fun, chill, make friends and get fitter!
2. Walk Everywhere On Campus
Here’s a great thumb rule: if it’s not further than one kilometer, don’t drive.
Walking 800m won’t kill you. The sweat will evaporate and you won’t smell bad. Bring some perfume everywhere, get waterproof makeup and you’re all set!
3. Challenge Your Friends
Competition is a great motivator for some people, and challenging each other to be the top of the leader board every week is also super fun!
You can do these things to challenge yourself and your friends:
- Use Nike+ Running (set weekly goals and try to beat them as a team as runners),
- Use Nike Training Club,
- Go for fun-runs together and try to get ahead of each other,
- Set a daily challenge, make a community on Facebook or Whatsapp and post a message – making a “streak” as you achieve your goals everyday. And set a punishment in case you don’t reach the streak.
4. Think More Deeply
A Harvard study showed that thinking harder increases the amount of calories you burn, because your brain consumes more glucose (sweet, sweet energy for your brain) the harder it strains itself mentally.
While this is only a theory that may be attributed to stress, not the depth that we think (which is why we tend to overeat when we’re stressed), there is a lot of evidence to support the theory that thinking more will stimulate our neurons more.
So go ahead, get brainy. If your friends ask you why you’re suddenly studying so much, tell them it’s for your summer body!
5. Integrate Socializing With Exercise
Instead of spending a Friday night out at a shisha lounge, maybe think about going on hikes, walks and explorations with your friends on Saturday mornings instead. Go to futsal games, play cage baseball or go for laser tag! Anything that makes you move even the slightest bit.
Or – go to the club instead of going to a bar, because dancing all night burns serious calories and is a respectable workout itself.