Notoriously stressed and busy, college students often find it difficult to make time for exercise. We’ve all been there, but still that little inner voice may bug us when we can’t lift our backpack without groaning or wake up with our back throwing a fit at every micro-movement, telling us, “Go work out!” So how can we find the time to add in some movement? Here are three ideas, taking advantage of non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT, daily physical activities that aren’t typically considered exercise but can fit easily into your current lifestyle.
Taking Advantage of the Commute
A prime reality for college students is commuting everywhere. Every 50 to 90 minutes, you are likely walking, biking or driving to another part of campus for your next class, meal or meeting. Taking advantage of those opportunities for movement is a great way to incorporate fitness into your life. Choosing a brisk walk instead of driving from Meier to Chan Shun Hall one day, especially if you’re running from the cold while you walk, might be a sure way to wake you up for an 8:30 a.m. class. If you carry a backpack, you could use your walk between classes to engage your shoulders and abs and correct your posture by using the backpack as added resistance. Since the trip is already part of your daily routine, you might as well take advantage of it and find some way to enhance it for your health.
Move and Study!
If you study for extended periods, you may start to feel your back or shoulders hurting, your eyes drying up or your legs going numb from so little movement. To get your blood pumping and boost your focus, consider trying the Pomodoro technique, a study method where one breaks down “assignments into more manageable chunks,” and using the short breaks between studying to do jumping jacks, hold a plank, squat 10 times or do a quick full-body stretch. You could also try walking laps around the library or another part of campus as you read/listen to an assignment or quiz yourself with flashcards. Even simply stretching your shoulders or neck and taking deep breaths when you’re fatigued from studying can make a difference in your mobility and how well you focus. The same principle applies to other personal routine activities: calf raises while brushing your teeth, wall sitting while the microwave warms up your food, or even holding a plank while scrolling on social media—all excellent ways to add practical movement to something you already do.
Use Social Motivation
If you are a person who finds more motivation in group activities, then you could challenge your roommate or some of your friends to a competition, like who can do the most push-ups or squats, or who can hold a plank or a wall sit the longest. To get really active, you might try following a Just Dance or Zumba video together. Instead of sitting on a couch or over a meal to catch up with a friend or significant other, you could try walking and talking around campus, or, if it’s too cold, meeting at the Andreasen Center for Wellness (ACW) and using the indoor walking track. Finding friends who also want to be more active and becoming accountability partners may be one of the more fun ways to find the time and motivation to build that active habit.
Building your schedule in college can already be complicated. Using some of these ideas to include practical movement throughout your daily routine is a sure way to build intentional activity without needing to set aside a block of time for the gym. If you use your commute, social activities, study sessions or personal habits to maintain whole-body wellness, you can make physical activity an equal part of your daily routine alongside studying.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.