There’s a lot on the daily To Do list for college students. Fitness expert Eugene Pallisco says that even students who have been in college for a few years still might have trouble juggling all they need to do, from attending class to studying to relaxing and hanging out with friends to holding down a job.
It’s no surprise, then, that some college students have a difficult time incorporating regular workouts into their routine. Yet, making sure that you’re getting proper exercise is one of the best ways to ensure your body can handle the rigors of college.
Below is some advice on how college students can balance fitness and studies.
Set Some Goals
One of the best ways to accomplish anything is to set clear and achievable goals. Simply saying, “I want to exercise more,” isn’t very motivating.
A better idea would be to find your motivation for exercising and then translate that into a goal. If, for instance, you’re having trouble finding the energy to make it through a day, your motivation could be to rely less on caffeine to get your energy.
Then, the goal that could come from that is to eat healthy and exercise three times a week. If you’re starting on a new fitness journey, getting active even a few times per week will pay huge dividends.
Create a Written Schedule
Before the start of every semester, college students sign up for their classes and get their schedule. This means that before they even step foot on campus for that semester, they’ll know when they have to be in class and where those classes will be held.
Take some time before the semester starts to look over your classes and create a detailed daily schedule that incorporates regular exercise. You may need to tweak this schedule over time, especially if you’re new to college and don’t know how long it takes to travel across campus.
But, by creating a daily schedule well in advance, it’ll be easier for you to find time to exercise — since you’ll already have the time blocked off.
Find a Partner
Workout buddies can be great motivators. This can either be someone you actually workout with or go to the gym with, or it can just be someone you’re sharing your fitness journey with.
When you have someone else to turn to, someone else who’s relying on you and who you can rely on, and someone who you don’t want to let down, it keeps you honest, according to Eugene Pallisco.
College students have so much thrown at them in a short period of time. All at once, they are handed the freedom to pick their own classes and decide when to study, what to eat, and whether to have fun or do something productive.
That’s why having a workout buddy can help so much. They can hold you accountable and make sure that you’re sticking to your plan and goals of incorporating regular exercise into your routine.
It’s tougher to skip a workout or binge-watch a TV series when someone else is relying on you to show up.
About Eugene Pallisco
Fitness expert and licensed trainer Eugene Pallisco works in Dallas, Texas. Since he began working with motivational fitness mentors in high school, Eugene has devoted a significant amount of time to sculpting and molding his training philosophy, which is centered on improving others. Before starting his private training firm in the fitness industry, he gained more expertise by working one-on-one with gym patrons after beginning as a group fitness teacher.