Almost There & Staying Fit In College

Just three more days of classes and then SPRING BREAK! Even though I am not going anywhere this year, I am still very much looking forward to going home, hanging out with ma (don't have too many friends at home, talking about this is for another post!), relaxing, and NOT doing anything academic, sounds delightful to me!

This morning I went on a great 8.5 mile run, with an average time of 7:45 pace. I do not have a pace watch (want one though) but I did a rough calculation at the end with my complete run lasting 65 minutes. I also banged out four papers today, all due within the next three days- let me tell you, I am feeling fantastically accomplished right now :)

Body image, stressing about weight, eating/exercising habits, are just part of the daily things a person thinks about. If you are someone like me and are recovering from obsessions around these, then these can be all you think about, pretty much over-powering other, more useful thoughts on a daily basis.

As I have discussed, I am a runner, yet I in the peak of disordered eating, I was looking at running as a way to lose weight, not as a mechanism to clear my head, or have allow myself a mental escape. I would force myself to go for runs, and the joy was no longer there, the miles would add up, but I never felt it was enough. If I was not running for a day, I would go to the gym to do the elliptical, strength train, swim, etc, and NEVER took a day off.

Did all of this exercise change my body? Yes, it certainly did- I initially received compliments for awhile, on my slight weight loss or muscles I was gaining in my legs. However, I let it go too far and it allowed me to reach a weight too low for my height, and become incredibly attached to my routine.

So, I am now challenging myself to look at exercise and staying fit in a completely different way! I am still going to exercise to stay in shape, but also because I really enjoy it!

Although many people consider exercising to be boring, challenging, etc, it does have known benefits; such as an elevated mood, better endurance, more energy, just to name a few. I wanted to tell some of my own exercises and fitness tips for any students out there who wants to get in shape, and may not know where to start. Or some new ideas to shake up your current routine! These are some of the things I have been doing lately, which have allowed by body to stay in great shape, and I have such a healthier attitude toward fitness:

1) Go for a run only when I WANT to, not because I feel forced to.
2) Try group exercise classes offered at gyms- I recently went to my first Cardio Kick glass and not only was it a fantastic workout (my arms and back were sore for about three days after!) but it really was a ton of fun and I met some people too!

A Class Last Week

3) Walk to class as opposed to taking the bus. Unless there torrential rain, or a blizzard, I am going to walk to class. I get in some exercise for the day, and enjoy fresh air after being cooped up in lecture halls all day.
4) Join an Outing Club or something similar at your school, in your town, etc. I went way out of my comfort zone on this one and joined the Outing Club, where I hiked up a mountain, and along the way made some friends and conquered some fears.
5) Instead of meeting friends at the dining halls constantly to catch up, meet them for a walk, or at cafe/eating area, that is farther away so you have to walk to it.
6) Several of the blogs I read daily, the ones on my blog roll, have great work outs, such as at-home with no equipment needed, strength training, cardio, plyometric, and body weight routines and exercises. Check them out! Julie's Workouts, One Fit Foodie, Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices <-- These also offer great ones too!

Does or did anyone else feel the need to reach a certain amount of exercise everyday or most days of the week? Does anyone have anything to add to this list? I would love to hear opinions!