As the last Spring Quarter draws to a close, the double-doors to a glorious and humid summer will swing open. But what does that mean for our fitness routines?
Most likely, it means negligence. With busy schedules — summer jobs, internships, vacations, graduation parties, you name it — exercising seems like the perfect activity to throw on the backburner.
But reflecting on the improved health and fitness choices we’ve made this quarter may push us to continue with our workout progress. And busy schedules aside, summer might be the perfect opportunity to reach your personal physique goals.
You can only be so busy in the summer, right?
If you’re still looking for a way to be motivated to slip into that bathing suit this season, there’s still time. To stick to your plan or start one up, consider these four tips. If you want to make exercise a habit, here’s how.
Find the activity you enjoy doing
It sounds so simple, right? But how many times have you dreaded a workout just because it disinterested you? It’s easy to get bored, but the key is to find your workout niche.
If you absolutely can’t stand running, don’t feel compelled to run. If staying on a machine in the gym for 30 minutes bores you to tears, you can nix that idea. Just figure out what you like and do it often.
Don’t know where to start? There are tons of ideas aside from using machines. Check out the end of this column for more ideas.
Exercise earlier in the morning
As tempting as it is to smack the snooze button on your alarm clock (you did that too many times this past quarter), you’ve got to get a move on early in the day.
The benefits? Not only will a morning workout jump-start your long day, it will also be taken care of before you can ignore your tennis shoes for the rest of the day.
If you don’t second-guess working out and you just start doing it, it will become something that just fits into your schedule. So get up and get going!
Make awesome playlists
Your playlist is the one thing that will make or break your workout. Think about it: How many times have you felt compelled to slow down or speed up because of the song that was blasting into your ears? Music is what drives us; it’s what keeps us going.
I think it’s a good idea to have a different playlist for each type of workout you do. If you’re lifting, there has got to be 10 or 15 songs that can pump you up for that. But if you’re going for a long jog, those song choices will probably shift. Separate your playlists depending on what type of workout you’re doing, and that will help keep you going.
Besides, you don’t want a workout buzz kill — that moment when you’re moving quickly and a song comes on that’s too slow and you can’t stop to change it. Horrible. Just make sure that you and your iPod are prepared.
Set a goal…
… And when you reach it, reward yourself.
Think about what you want to accomplish by exercising more often. You might be striving for your “ideal” body or even just trying to improve your lifestyle.
But it’s important to set a goal because it makes this routine exciting. It makes this all worth it. That last incline, that final set of reps, that 0.2 of a mile that you’re trying to finish out of a 10k. When you get to where you’ve always wanted to be, nothing seems better.
And best of all, you will have deserved what you worked for.
Kaitlyn Richert is a sophomore studying journalism and informational graphics and a columnist for The Post. Have a great workout motivator? Email her at kr257109@ohiou.edu.
