Let’s face it once the school year hits it seems like we have limited hours in the day. Whether you are at class, work, or just trying to live life it can be hard to fit in health and fitness. The good news is that you don’t have to put your well-being on the back burner. As a busy college student myself, I realize how difficult this may seem but I am going to try to make it a little less daunting. I will admit, sometimes this is a struggle for myself but here are a few tips I have to hopefully make your life a whole lot easier.
Use every hour of the day
While I know it can be tempting to just sit on Tik Tok during your free hours, use these free hours to your advantage. Even if you just have an hour there is really so much you can do. A 2-mile run takes me about 20 minutes and boom my workout is done for the day. I also really like to use the morning to work out. I would rather get up earlier and work out because then I do not have to worry about working out the rest of the day. If you think getting up early is a struggle 1) listen to our podcast episode all about being a morning person and 2) it really does get easier when you make it a habit. Honestly, I find it quite peaceful at 7 in the morning going on a run. I feel like the whole world is still waking up and I feel very zen. On the contrary, if you have an 8 am class use the night hours too! Some of my favorite workout classes are at night. It gives me a great break from studying too.
Meal prep
I have this issue where if I do not have fruits or veggies prepped and prepared I literally will not eat them. To fix this I meal prep. At the beginning of the week (usually Sunday) I will grocery shop and prepare one meal for four days. Additionally, I will wash and chop all my produce so it is really easy for me to grab and go. The meal I usually prep is dinner because I always seem to be busy around the dinner hour. If I know I have a healthy meal already prepared I feel less tempted to go grab something somewhere.
Put it on your to do list
I am not sure if anyone else is like this but I don’t put something on my to-do list, it is simply not happening. I feel such satisfaction with crossing things off my to-do list. With running, I also like to plan out my runs for the month especially while I am doing half marathon training. Then I have no excuses and I have to do the milage that a wrote down. If you are going to the gym sometimes it is helpful to plan each day of the week what muscle groups you are working (ie Monday=back and biceps Wednesday= legs Thursday= triceps and chest). This helps you visualize what you need to work on each day at the gym so you are not walking in mindless or wasting time because we are busy gals!
Use helpful reminders on your phone
Are you like me and just forget to drink water? Want a reminder to work out? The good news is there’s an app for all of that. Take advantage of apps like reminders app to remind you workout. There are several apps to remind you to drink water as well. My favorite is My Water. If you are an Apple Watch using this app can remind you on there. If you are looking for a good investment and want to prioritize your fitness I would definitely recommend and Apple Watch. My watch reminds me when I am a lazy sack of shit and tells me to get moving. It’s a little aggressive but you can adjust as you would like.