I know, I know this is not something that most people are interested in but just hear me out!
There are days where working out is the LAST thing that I ever want to do, especially with a busy schedule that college students have. However, trust me when I tell you that working out doesn’t always have to be going to the gym for an hour working your butt off. Don’t get me wrong, there are (few) days that I do enjoy going to the gym, but I have found SO many alternative ways to stay active while being in college and they’re actually very enjoyable!
One of my favorite things to do in Clemson is to just go for a walk. I find it so relaxing walking around campus especially with your friends on a nice warm day! For anyone who attends or is visiting Clemson, I strongly recommend taking a nice walk on The Dike at sunset! This is a straight walkway on the lake that has an amazing view of campus and Lake Hartwell. The walk along the lake is half a mile, so doing a couple laps on this trail is a great small workout! Walking to class can be exhausting, but it’s another great way to stay in shape! I know that elevators are VERY tempting, but taking the stairs will make you feel so much better about yourself once you finally catch your breath 😉
My favorite activity to stay active is playing intramural sports! Growing up playing 3 sports, I felt like an entirely different person when entering college because I didn’t have practice or games to go to every single day. Well, I found my home again in intramural’s! With the competitive nature that I have, this was the perfect thing for me to look forward to every week. I know most people will say that it’s all fun and games while playing intramural’s, but people go HARD in games. I always feel like I’m back in high school playing a game because the games will get so intense! There are SO many different intramural sports offered so find one that interests you the most and go for it!
Another activity that I really enjoy is playing small games with friends! These games can include spikeball (my fav), frisbee, volleyball or cornhole! Yes, most of my activities involve playing some type of game, but doesn’t everyone just love that winning feeling? You also are making some GREAT memories with your friends that you will remember forever! I know it may not seem like you’re getting in as good of a workout as you would at the gym, but at least you’re being active while having fun doing it!
My last activity that I do to stay in shape, is to have small workouts in my room. Even if it’s just 15-30 min of ab workouts, you’ll definitely feel it the next day. Yoga is also another workout that is super relaxing but a great way to burn some calories. And yes, I will go to the gym on days that I don’t have as much going on. My favorite machine to use is the stairmaster for 30ish minutes. Yes, it sounds miserable, and it probably will be the first few times you use it but it will burn some calories let me tell ya. I usually turn on an episode on my phone to keep myself distracted from thinking about how much my legs are burning haha. Try different things at the gym too! I surprise myself more times than I can count with a new machine that I actually kind of enjoy using!
I know working out is one of the last things anyone ever wants to do while they’re in college, but you will feel SO much better and healthier just by trying to stay active on days you have the time! Don’t let yourself be confined to your room or computer all day. Enjoy the moments you have in college, they don’t last forever but you can spend it where you will remember it forever!
Check out some of my all time favorite workout pieces!