Recently I have found myself at a lack of motivation for working out. This has made me discouraged because I used to fit the gym in my schedule no matter what and my day was not over until I made it there. Although I haven’t had the motivation, I have forced myself to go to the gym because whether I wanted to go or not, I know I needed to (its a hard life being 5’1" with a short torso). There is not one time I have left the gym and regretted going, and I thought that was something to share with everyone who doesn’t have the motivation or is having trouble gaining it back. Think about it, has there ever been one time when you have left the gym or a class and thought “man, I should have stayed home?" I know I never have and that is something to keep in mind. When you are just not feeling it that day, just remember that you won’t regret it and it'll actually make you feel better.

One of the biggest obstacles is excuses. People say they don’t have time, they are too tired, they have homework, etc. The list goes on, but let’s be honest, you CAN find time. If you are tired, it will wake your body up and if you have homework or have to study, you have to take a short break some time! There is no better study break than to go release some endorphins. I know it is hard to get yourself to just go because I struggle with this everyday, but you need to find your motivation and mine changes everyday. Whether that is looking at old pictures of yourself that you don’t like, looking at pictures of people that you wish to look like, thinking of people you want to look good for, or even just wanting to do it for YOURSELF, find what makes you want to get up and go work it out. Your body will thank you and you will end up thanking yourself when you see results.

With our world today, obesity is at its highest point. It is so bad that kids our age are having strokes and heart attacks. No one said you have to work out for an hour. Just 20 minutes doing something active is better than sitting on the couch or a chair at your desk. You will find yourself more productive, happier, and most importantly healthier.

I first got into really working out my first year away at college because I refused to gain the infamous “freshman 15.” Not only did I avoid that, but I even lost 15 pounds off my original weight going into college. I knew I needed to find a way to love cardio so I got the app “Couch to 5k” and it taught me how to run a 5k within a couple of weeks without dying. Now that I have completed the app, I have kept up running, but I think that is how my lack of motivation came to be. I used to love running and now I dread going to the gym, how does that happen? I came to the conclusion that my body is simply tired of just running and it is ready for something new. Since I figured this out, I have added yoga into my workout routine and my body has responded so well to this. That is another excuse; hating cardio or a certain type of workout so you decide working out isn't for you, but once again that is no excuse (trust me I’ve tried it). There are so many different types of workouts and classes out there, you just have to look.

I realize that this all might make me seem like a personal trainer thinking I know everything about health, but I am far from that and have much more to learn. My diet is my biggest struggle because Mexican food and Dunkin Donuts are things I am just not willing to give up. I have learned, though, that I don't have to give up food I love, but that I just have to find a balance. I just wanted to share what I have learned from my fitness journey so far in hopes that I can give the motivation to someone that needs it or some information that someone wanted to hear from someone who is a simple college girl wanting/trying to stay healthy.