As a student, you might not prioritise exercise. Maybe this is because you’re busy with your studies and don’t have time for the gym at the moment. Or maybe it’s just because you have a Netflix account and it’s raining outside.
However, even a little exercise can help you maintain fitness and stay healthy. Moreover, staying physically active can benefit your academic performance, boost energy levels, and reduce stress. Consequently, even the laziest among us have plenty to gain from these simple exercise tips.
1. Set Realistic Targets
Obviously enough, if you’ve not done any proper exercise since PE lessons at school, diving straight into a high-intensity CrossFit class might be a bad idea. Luckily, this shouldn’t be necessary!
While gym addicts might like to scream about ‘feeling the burn’ while pumping iron in every spare moment, the NHS recommends a more achievable 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity).
2. Know Your Options
Exercising doesn’t have to mean endless running around the park. Most universities offer students access to at least gym or pool facilities, while many also have spaces and equipment for various outdoor sports.
Likewise, most universities have student sports teams or societies, so it’s worth exploring alternatives if jogging doesn’t appeal.
3. Stealth Exercise
Rather than a workout plan for ninjas, ‘stealth exercise’ is how we like to think of physical activity you can work into daily life, such as:
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- Walking to lectures
- Taking the stairs instead of lifts
- Doing physical housework, like vacuuming
- Dancing (especially dance classes)
- Going for a walk with friends
- Making the beast with two backs (requires a willing friend)
There are plenty of other options, too. Our point is simply that there are physical things you can do without ever having to go near a gym.
4. Multi-Task
Don’t feel like you have time to go for a run? Find the idea of spending an hour on a treadmill tedious? Then you could always do something else while you exercise, like getting your set reading done for class or listening to a podcast.
Obviously this isn’t advisable if you’re doing a sport that requires constant concentration: if you try to read a book while simultaneously white water rafting, you’re likely to end up very wet indeed. Nevertheless, a good book can make time fly on an exercise bike (even when the bike remains resolutely stationary).
5. Buddy Up
A tip as old as the hills, yet still a good one. Simply put, it’s much easier to motivate yourself to exercise when you’ve got someone else there to offer encouragement.
And, if all else fails, at least you’ll have someone with whom to share a pint when you give up and go to the pub halfway through your run.