Make Time for Exercise

September has officially flown by and I think I can speak for us all when I say it’s hard to believe it’s October 1^st. If your schedule is anything like mine, you’ve finally reached the point where you’re starting to feel a routine kick in.

For most of us, it starts with a speedy breakfast and ends once work, class, and meetings dictate we’re done. To us ambitious ladies it feels good to have long accomplished days. Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves in the midst of the chaos.

However, we inevitably reach that three-week point where we realize that it’s not so easy to do it all and give our all. Add one extra shift at work, a project, or a meeting and the first task eliminated from the to do list is working out.

But this doesn’t have to be the case. It’s always easy to say there’s no time—trust me it’s my number one excuse—but in reality we all know there is always time for our other priorities. Why not bump working out up on the list?

Here are some tips for making exercise more important!

Schedule it in. Right now. Take that pen you’re pretending to use for homework and mark your planner with a time each day that you can dedicate to exercise. Even if you only have time for a half hour walk after lunch, it’s better than nothing at all.

Don’t be afraid of the dark. I used to make the excuse that when the sun went down so did I. Campus gyms and running buddies make this an excuse of the past so lace up and get out there even if it is after dark.

Make it fun! When we start to see working out as another obligation it becomes easy to resent. Instead, we have to see exercise as personal time. We can strengthen the body, mind, and—as cheesy as it sounds—the soul. By working out with a friend, joining an intermural or club sport, or even just by trying something new and ridiculous (re: trampoline gyms) we can make exercise exciting… or at least a little more tolerable.