• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Life / How to Actually Stick to Your Workout Plan

How to Actually Stick to Your Workout Plan

January 10, 2017 //  by Shannon Longworth

Shares5FacebookTweet

Ah, 2017. The start of a new year and, for many of us, a new semester. Naturally, this period of beginnings comes with a myriad of resolutions—like declarations of intent to become healthier. It’s easy to start off strong and get yourself to the gym in the first few weeks of the semester. There’s little to no work and you’re still glowing from the realization of how fortunate you are to attend this acclaimed institution of higher education. Yet, as the midterm dates approach and you find yourself neck-deep in essays and problem sets, your fitness goals can quickly, and very easily, become neglected.

A tank that helps you find your gym beat will keep you motivated to hit the weight room:

find your beat tank top

Think you can actually stick to your work out plan this year?

Wear your workout clothes to class

Wear your sneakers to class so you can stick to your workout plan.
giphy.com

Now, I know this one’s not for everyone. Personally, I’m my most comfortable in class wearing leggings, sneakers and a sweatshirt, but not everyone feels that way. Some girls need to wear a full face of makeup, heels and a matching purse to feel prepared to work. I get that. If you’re not one of those people, and struggle to find motivation to get to the gym, wear your workout clothes to class. That way, you don’t have an excuse. You’re already dressed for it, so just walk yourself over to the gym. Nobody likes the feeling of taking off fitness apparel at the end of the day knowing that you never actually broke a sweat in it.

Find the right exercise for you

If you don't like to spin, it will be hard to stick to your workout plan.
giphy.com

Some people HATE running. Maybe they’re scarred by the timed mile they were forced to do in middle school gym class or maybe it kills their knees. Whatever the reason, if you despise running, then don’t do it.

So many people resolve to stick to workout plans that they dislike, expecting to be purely motivated by the desirable end goal. But there’s one huge problem with that strategy. You’ll be miserable! You may feel ready for your bikini by June, but you’ll hate what you’re doing every single day. “In my opinion, working out doesn’t just develop physical strength, it also makes you feel strong, powerful and capable and those are important feelings to have in a busy college environment,” said Erica Lindsey, certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor.

Fitness is something you want to maintain throughout your entire life—not a fad. If you want to be good to your body and keep it healthy, you need to find the exercises that you genuinely enjoy. If that’s a spin class, find the schedule at your campus recreation center. Do you like basketball? Start a pick-up game and mess around in the gym.

Think about it as a stress-reliever

Exercising or making checklists like Jane the VIrgin can help you feel less stressed.
giphy.com

We all know how stressful classwork becomes as the semester moves forward, with projects, midterms, papers and eventually finals. After studying for hours, the last thing you want to do is challenge yourself any more—especially in the physical sense. At this point, you’re most likely to sprawl out on your bed and turn on Netflix because you deserve to treat yourself after a day like that.

The problem here is that you’re thinking about your workout as another assignment you have to get done. Except, there’s no teacher to check this assignment, so when you get stressed, it’s naturally the first task to get bumped off the to-do list.

Try to consider it your break from studying. “Spending long hours studying can be really physically taxing, and taking some time to move, whether it’s a boot camp workout that leaves you dripping sweat or a few yoga asanas to get your blood circulating, helps your mind and body stay fresh,” Lindsey said. If you want to do some cardio, leave your desk, exert some of that stifled energy and sweat some of that stress away while you jam out to some potentially embarrassing music on an elliptical.

Do it with a friend

Exercise with a friend so you can hang out and get fit at the same time.
publicdomainpictures.net

If you struggle to prioritize your daily exercise, making it a date with a friend might help. That way, you can catch up while going for a jog, or joke around while cranking out a session of strength training.

If you’re not big on socializing while you sweat, sometimes just making the date with another person to go to workout at the same time will ensure that you both actually make it to the gym. Hold each other accountable. It might even push you to work a little bit harder. “Plus, if you get in the routine of going to the gym regularly, you’re likely to meet some people there who have similar interests and goals and might end up being great friends,” Lindsey said.

Set a goal

Set goals, like running a marathon, so you see the light at the end of the tunnel of all the exercise.

Maybe you’re very goal-oriented. You need that light at the end of the tunnel to keep you working hard. So give yourself a target. “Taking a group fitness class regularly allows you to get used to the format, and once your body is used to the movements, you can challenge yourself to use heavier weights or sink further into a pose. Growing strong enough to rise to that challenge is an awesome feeling,” Lindsey said. If you enjoy running, sign up for a half-marathon and spend the following weeks training for it. If you’re into weight lifting, make it a goal to bench 25 lbs. plates on each side. Once you reach it, set a heavier goal. The options are endless, and it can be fun to push yourself.

Shares5FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Health Life

About Shannon Longworth

Shannon is a junior at Boston College, studying English and Communication. Her passions include running, reading, and eating endless jars of peanut butter.

You May Also Like

The Virgin Bar Guide for Turning 21

inspirational speeches from movies like rocky balboa keep you going

10 Best Inspirational Speeches from Your Favorite Sports Movies

songs to belt out

21 Songs to Belt Out in the Shower

Top 10 Weird Scholarships You Can’t Miss

cultural identity and language

Language Abilities Don’t Define Your Cultural Identity, Unless?

How I Turned My Personal Journals into a Published Book

15 Alcohol-Free Activities for a Friday Night In

Reflecting on Fall 2020: How to Recover from One of the Hardest Semesters

How to Make Money From Home Without Taking Off Your PJs

15 COVID-19 Safe Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in 2020

Top 10 COVID-19 Safe Activities to Do Near Fresno, California

Breaking the Binary: My Journey into Identifying as Non-Binary

The Döner Project: My Berlin Budget as a College Student

CM’s Guide to the Print and Digital Journalism Major

Away from Home and Feeling Gross: Being Sick My Freshman Year

A Tale of Two Twin Flames

movies to binge over winter break

Battling Boredom: 10 Movies to Binge Over Winter Break

Being an Asian-American: Learning to Accept Both Halves of Myself

How to Become a Published Poet

ADHD or the Enemy? At Least My College Helped Me

berkeley outdoors

10 COVID-19 Friendly Things to Do in Berkeley, California

Top 10 DIY Gifts for Your BFF

Christmas

10 Gifts For Parents That They Want But Haven’t Asked For

friend group dressed up as Big Hero Six characters

Animation Nerds Unite: 10 Gifts for Animation Lovers

Previous Post: «guys showing their cozy socks 10 Cozy Socks to Keep You Warm From Head to Toe
Next Post: 10 Songs That’ll Save You From the Winter Slump A happy playlist makes gloomy weather fun.»

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

dancing dreams
84

Saying Goodbye to My Dreams of Dancing

42

How My Childhood Bully Followed Me to College

ucla royce
22

10 Resources All Student Artists at UCLA Should Know About

10

Top 10 Covid-19 Safe Spots to Explore Near UCLA

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.