When you spend most of your day at university, attending lectures, sitting in tutorials or studying in the library, it can be hard to remember to keep moving. Exercise and staying active is very important and neglecting those can have a negative impact on both your physical and mental health.
So, in this blog post, I have put together 5 easy tips to help you stay fit at university!
I don´t know about you, but I find I can´t sleep as well at night if I haven’t moved all day. I need a little bit of physical exertion to tire me out (maybe I am just like a little child…). Hence why it´s important for me to always make sure I get out of the house and stay active during the day.
The main thing to remember is, that it´s all about adding in a little exercise here and there. It will all add up really quickly and you might be surprised by some of the easy tips below!
Read on below to find out about 5 easy things you can do to stay fit at university!
How To Stay Fit At University –
5 Easy Tips
1. Walk EVERYWHERE
Whether it´s to university, to the sports centre, the supermarket or your part-time job – just walk everywhere!
You might not think it, but walking is actually really great exercise and you won´t believe how many steps you actually get in every day by simply walking to and around campus! I clock up at least 10000 steps almost every single day, most of which simply come from walking to and from uni.
Walking is a great way to incorporate exercise into your day without even noticing. You´re practically killing two birds with one stone – you are keeping yourself active and getting where you have to go at the same time!
I know, walking somewhere that is slightly further away can seem like a pain, but it probably doesn´t take as long as you think! Also, a great tip is to walk with your friends! Every walk seems so much shorter when you have someone to talk to! So, arrange to walk to uni with your pals, or walk to the shops with your flatmates!
There is also an added bonus to walking: It is a lot cheaper. Let´s be honest, the busses really try to rip you off! Even the student bus tickets are quite expensive if you the bus all the time.
*If you didn´t know this yet and you are studying in Aberdeen, yes, you can buy a student ticket on the bus. Simply show your student ID to the driver when buying the ticket to get the reduced fare.*
I also love going for a walk just for fun…
Since starting university I have really become a fan of walking! I never used to walk much before, I always used to cycle.
Since I don´t have a bike here though, walking became the new go-to!
As I mentioned above, an easy way to stay fit at university is to walk everywhere you need to go. But going on a walk for pleasure is also a great way to keep fit!
If I am ever feeling restless or cooped up in the house, I often just put on my coat and go for a brisk walk! The fresh air always does me good, the exercise makes me feel re-energized and a nice walk is also for clearing your head, decreasing stress or simply thinking (about other things than all the uni work you have to do…)!
Aberdeen is such a great place to go for a walk! If you are staying in or close to Hillhead Student Village, going for a walk through Seaton Park is fabulous!
Also, don´t forget that we live NEXT TO THE SEA! It may not be warm enough to go for a swim, but taking a stroll along the beach is lovely, especially if you go and watch the sunset!
2. Join a University Sports Club
Joining a university sports club is probably one of the best things you can do at university! Not only is it great for keeping fit and exercising on a regular basis, but it is also a great place to make new friends. Also, if you struggle with motivation for exercising, having a sport you enjoy doing and playing with your friends is a great way to encourage you to go to training!
If you are looking for more motivation to pursue this tip, read my blog post on 6 Reasons to Join a University Sports Club.
3. Take the Stairs!
This might seem like a small thing, but to be more active, don´t be lazy and take the lift – walk up the stairs instead! If you live on an upper floor in halls, take the stairs!
Or try walking up the stairs in the Sir Duncan Rice Library! There is no excuse if you are not going higher than the 3rd floor or below!
4. Join the Gym
Why not join the gym in order to stay fit at university? The reasons for how this keeps you fit are obvious, so I won´t go into it. Your gym membership may perhaps also give you access to a swimming pool or allow you to take part in exercise classes.
Gym memberships, however, can be expensive, and maybe not really affordable on a student budget…
You might, perhaps, also have the same issues as me with going to the gym: For one, I don´t have the motivation to go to the gym on a regular basis. Secondly, I don´t think I´d feel particularly comfortable going to the gym and working out with loads of people around me. Using machines is also not really my thing…
If you think similarly about the gym as I do and want a cheap alternative, read the next tip below!
5. Do Home Workouts
Now, this is what I am all about. No need to pay for expensive gym memberships, no time is wasted walking there, and there is no need to spend an hour sweating at the gym! Ticks all the boxes if you ask me!
Home workouts are great and readily available thanks to YouTube! There is no need for fancy equipment or hour-long sessions.
Also, there isn´t anybody watching you, so if you feel like exercising in your pyjamas – exercise in your PJ´s! No one´s going to stop you.
If I were you though, I´d make sure though that you follow videos made my actual fitness trainers and not random people who don´t have much experience in the area.
I would really recommend Lucy Wyndham-Read. I have been following her workout videos for the past 1.5 years now and I think they are great! She has over 25 years of experience in the industry, her workouts require no fancy equipment and have taught me that it is enough to simply do a 4 min HIIT workout in the morning to feel challenged!
I can also guarantee you that these workouts are university-room-friendly. Even in the smallest room I stayed in (Unite Students, King Street Exchange), I was able to do these workouts!
Home workouts are my favourite way to stay fit at university! I get up and do one or more of Lucy´s workouts in the morning before I have breakfast. If I have an early lecture then I´ll simply follow one of her short HIIT workouts, if I have a later start I may do a longer one.
Here are the links to some of my favourite workouts:
4 minute HIIT workout
10-minute Ab Cardio
16-minute Indoor Walking and Toning Workout
Staying Fit at University in a Nutshell…
As you will have seen, there are many ways in which you can stay fit at university! You can easily combine all, or most of the things I have mentioned above! I do all of them apart from the gym…
My day always starts with a home workout, followed by a lot of walking to uni, the shops or the sports village. I take the stairs whenever I can and have training with the university sports club 2-3 times per week. If that seems a lot to you, I can assure you, I don´t even notice anymore! What I do notice, however, is when I don´t do any of those things – I just feel restless.
So why not try giving some of these tips above a try! No need to start doing everything at once, but you could always incorporate things gradually. I will stress, however, how much I´d recommend doing home workouts! They are so much fun once you get into them!
I hope you enjoyed this post and it has given you something to think about. The main take-away message is – move whenever you can! It’s the best way to keep yourself fit and healthy whilst you are at university!
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Thanks for these tips! I’m a college student as well and it can be so hard to fit in proper workouts!
Hi Annie!
I know, right! I also always struggle to do workouts in small spaces… But Lucy´s workouts are really great for that!
Hope you give them a try. 🙂
TheUniCook