College seems to come with the aesthetic of laying in bed for countless hours, like a burrito, spooning peanut butter and binging on Netflix. This may sound like a dream of relaxation among lectures, group projects and Blackboard, but let's face it. It's not healthy. Just because you may be trading in beach days and tan lines for books and professors doesn't mean it's time to become a slug. The workout and diet you've worked on all summer should not go to waste!
Get the look.
Fake it till you make it! If you wake up in the morning with motivation to go to the gym after class, then dress like you have that motivation! Wear your workout attire to that Physics lecture because we all know that if you go home to change your bed will overcome and win, not the bench press. If you look like a fitness star, you'll start to feel like a fitness star (maybe).
Get the equipment.
College gyms and workout facilities have the dreaded reputation of overcrowding. Nothing is worse than wanting to do a simple squat circuit but being blocked by buff bros flexing in the mirror... Or all of the mirrors. Workout in the comfort of your own dorm! Adding a yoga mat to your collection gives you space for floor workouts and pushups. Light dumbbells are about the same price as a Chipotle burrito, and having those bad boys opens a world of possibilities.
Get the programs.
Weights and yoga mats aren't for you? Neither is the elliptical? Fun workout apps such as Nike+ Training Cluband Sworkit provide programs that vary in length, purpose, and intensity. Complete your workout in the gym, your dorm, or outside!
Get away from the soft serve machine.
All you can eat buffets are great – and dangerous. Which is why we usually don't eat at them while we're living at home or on vacation. But once we move back to school? It's a free for all. School cafeterias are one swipe of the student ID to an all you can eat paradise. "Out of sight and out of mind" is no longer a valid method when the cookies and ice cream machines are always, I mean always, available. To stay on track, plan out dinner before you head down to the chow hall. Most universities have online menus as well, providing nutritional information to help students make the healthiest choices.
Get up early.
Late night studying comes hand in hand with late night stress. Late night stress comes hand in hand with stress eating. Set an early alarm to study or complete assignments to avoid the bag of M&Ms at midnight. Not only does the late night sugar keep you awake longer than you may prefer, those calories are not being utilized to keep you going throughout the day! Plus, late night snacks often lead to freaky dreams.
Get a plan.
Creating a plan for yourself to fit in meals, classes, and workouts is never a bad idea. Apps such as Fitbit track how often you exercise and how well you sleep. This makes it much easier to stay on top of your goals! A set schedule may make it less chaotic to balance the craziness of being a smart, healthy, working, extra credit, volunteering, family oriented, social, sleeping, going out, staying in, binging on Netflix college student.
