{"id":1063,"date":"2022-02-02T12:30:25","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T18:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/?p=1063"},"modified":"2021-10-08T14:56:50","modified_gmt":"2021-10-08T19:56:50","slug":"how-to-find-the-time-and-motivation-to-exercise-in-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/2022\/02\/02\/how-to-find-the-time-and-motivation-to-exercise-in-college\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find the Time and Motivation to Exercise in College"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The fitness coach and YouTuber\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.elliotthulse.co\/home1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11529\">Elliott Hulse<\/a>\u00a0has a simple philosophy on life:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe most important part of the game is your game piece.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re all players in the game of life, and the only game piece we have is our body. If we don\u2019t take care of it, we can\u2019t play the game as well as we should.<span id=\"more-10944\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re a student or a recent grad, it\u2019s not uncommon for fitness to take a back seat to other obligations: work, studying, relationships, and so on.<\/p>\n<p>But as you\u2019ll discover in this article, a consistent exercise routine is entirely compatible with even the busiest schedules.<\/p>\n<p>This article will address two objectives:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Finding more time to work out<\/li>\n<li>Gaining the motivation to work out consistently<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"find-your-why\">Find Your \u201cWhy\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s incredibly difficult to justify discomfort and sacrifice without having a \u201cwhy\u201d: an underlying purpose for doing what you do.<\/p>\n<p>Working out consistently and getting in shape sounds great in theory. After all, regular exercise has been demonstrated to\u00a0improve sleep,\u00a0boost memory, and\u00a0reduce stress\u00a0in addition to its physical health\u00a0benefits.<\/p>\n<p>However, if there are no consequences for abandoning your commitment to exercise, it makes it easy to fall off the wagon when the going gets tough.<\/p>\n<p>I hate to break it to you, but life is going to throw you some curveballs. There will be days when working out is the last thing on the list of things you want to do. There will be days when the temptation to kick back and binge-watch TV is stronger than your desire to be healthy. But it\u2019s during these times that your \u201cwhy\u201d will keep your engine running.<\/p>\n<p>Simon Sinek gave a world-famous Ted Talk about this called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11534\">Start with why<\/a>.\u201d Here are his top tips for staying motivated:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Write yourself a letter.<\/li>\n<li>Make a promise to someone you love.<\/li>\n<li>Start a challenge with a friend.<\/li>\n<li>Do anything you need to remind yourself\u00a0<strong>why<\/strong>\u00a0you\u2019re starting this journey. Sheer willpower isn\u2019t always enough to keep you going. But having a purpose will facilitate action.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"squash-those-excuses\">Squash Those Excuses<\/h2>\n<p>So you know your \u201cwhy,\u201d and you\u2019re amped up to get serious about fitness. But let\u2019s be real: you\u2019ll still have the temptation to slack off. In the next two sections, I\u2019ll address two critical factors that determine whether or not you stick to your exercise regimen:\u00a0<strong>time and motivation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"you-have-more-time-than-you-think\">You Have More Time Than You Think<\/h2>\n<p>In her book\u00a0<em>168 Hours<\/em>, the author and time management expert Laura Vanderkam makes a controversial claim during a time where everyone is \u201ctoo busy\u201d to pursue their goals, fitness or otherwise:\u00a0<strong>you have more time than you think<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem is not that we\u2019re all overworked or under-rested,\u201d says Vanderkam. \u201cIt\u2019s that most of us have absolutely no idea how we spend our 168 hours [in a week].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Your first step, then, must be to analyze your daily schedule, hour by hour. One easy way to do this is to check your screen usage time. You\u2019d be surprised how much time you waste on social media and email.<\/p>\n<p>Another option is to simply track your time using a planner. With a comprehensive view of your day, you\u2019ll be able to locate inefficiencies and accordingly plug in times to exercise.<\/p>\n<p>Always\u00a0understand your whole schedule\u00a0before addressing the details.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"got-seven-minutes\">Got Seven Minutes?<\/h3>\n<p>The internet is flooded with information that can cause us to overestimate how much time it takes to get an effective workout. Truthfully, you don\u2019t need all the frills. Your goal is to sweat\u2014it doesn\u2019t matter how you get there.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to say,\u00a0<em>I don\u2019t have any equipment in my dorm or apartment so I can\u2019t get a good workout in<\/em>. I\u2019m here to tell you: short, intense\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/advanced-body-weight-workout-warning-this-will-kick-your-ass\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11537\">bodyweight workouts<\/a>\u00a0are just as difficult as anything you can do with fancy equipment.<\/p>\n<p>Do burpees for five minutes straight and you\u2019ll know what I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s even a free app called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/7-minute-workout\/id650762525?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11538\">7 Minute Workout<\/a>\u00a0that gives you (you guessed it) a seven-minute workout every day. These speedy workouts combine 30-second increments of simple exercises that you can do anywhere, like jumping jacks, crunches, and squats.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re still pressed for time, here\u2019s the easiest solution of all: set your alarm for\u00a0<strong>45 minutes earlier<\/strong>. Now you\u2019ve just bought yourself an extra 45 minutes on the days you want to work out.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, it might be uncomfortable. But that discomfort only lasts about five minutes, after which you\u2019ll experience a sense of gratification for the sacrifice you\u2019ve made.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re not a morning person, you don\u2019t have to use that 45-minute block right after you wake up. You can shuffle your day\u2019s tasks around and squeeze that 45 minutes into the afternoon or evening.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"rethink-what-motivation-means\">Rethink What Motivation Means<\/h2>\n<p>Tacking a motivational quote on our wall or setting it as our phone wallpaper seems like a great idea at first. It might even get you excited for a day or two. But that feeling always seems to fade as quickly as it appears.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, think of great athletes like LeBron James or Tom Brady: they don\u2019t have to give themselves a pep talk to hit the gym\u2014they just do it.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve thought a lot about why this is, and I\u2019ve settled on a theory that\u2019s especially relevant for fitness:\u00a0<strong>motivation is a byproduct of action.<\/strong>\u00a0(Not the other way around).<\/p>\n<p>For example, I\u2019ve been writing almost every day since my sophomore year of college in 2015, but four years later I\u2019m way more motivated to become a better writer than I was when I started out.<\/p>\n<p>The same principle applies to fitness: the more you invest towards a goal, the more motivated you become to achieve it.<\/p>\n<p>With that said, here are four ways to increase your motivation to exercise that are far more effective than watching YouTube videos or trying to \u201cfeel inspired\u201d:<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"find-a-workout-partner\">1. Find a Workout Partner<\/h3>\n<p>Jim Rohn\u00a0said\u00a0that we are \u201cthe average of the five people we spend the most time with.\u201d The company we keep sets the standard for what we perceive is acceptable. This is especially true when it comes to fitness.<\/p>\n<p>I discovered firsthand that finding a workout partner can be one of the most effective ways to help you stick to your fitness goals.<\/p>\n<p>As a naturally independent person, I prefer to work out alone. However, when a friend of mine (who is admittedly stronger than me) asked me to join him three times a week,\u00a0<strong>my fitness level skyrocketed<\/strong>. I ran faster miles, lifted heavier weight, and simply felt healthier.<\/p>\n<p>This is no coincidence.<\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007%2Fs12160-012-9367-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11540\">study<\/a>\u00a0by the Society of Behavioral Medicine showed that exercising with a partner, especially in a team format, improved performance, doubling the workout time of those who exercised alone.<\/p>\n<p>Another\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/51539278_Buddy_Up_The_Kohler_Effect_Applied_to_Health_Games\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11541\">study<\/a>\u00a0published in the\u00a0<em>Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology<\/em>\u00a0had participants perform a series of planks alone and with a partner. The researchers found that working with a partner allowed the participants to hold their planks for a longer period of time. In fact, those who exercised with a stronger partner increased their plank time by\u00a0<strong>24 percent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Examine your circle of friends closely: are they helping you reach your fitness goals or obstructing them?<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"externalize-your-motivation\">2. Externalize Your Motivation<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes, raw perseverance isn\u2019t enough to keep us committed to our fitness goals: we need someone else to hold our feet to the fire. One effective way to externalize your motivation is to do this is to sign up for regularly-scheduled workout classes.<\/p>\n<p>This eliminates the number of times you have to figure out when and where to exercise\u2014it\u2019s already decided for you. Not to mention, you won\u2019t want to deal with those\u00a0<em>Where were you at yesterday\u2019s workout?<\/em>\u00a0questions.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have access to classes or a workout partner, apps can be an effective means of externalizing your motivation. For example,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/collegeinfogeek.com\/beeminder-goal-accountability\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11542\" data-lasso-name=\"Beeminder - Goal Accountability\">Beeminder<\/a>\u00a0has you pledge cash towards your goal and prompts you to reply with progress checkpoints (such as the number of push-ups you did on any given day.)<\/p>\n<p>If you derail, you lose the money. Beeminder is especially useful for fitness motivation because it integrates with other services like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitbit.com\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11543\">Fitbit<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/collegeinfogeek.com\/toggl-time-tracker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11544\" data-lasso-name=\"Toggl - Time Tracker\">Toggl<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"dont-break-the-chain\">3. Don\u2019t Break the Chain<\/h3>\n<p>When a young comedian named Walter Isaac asked Jerry Seinfeld how he could improve his standup act, Seinfeld offered a simple but interesting piece of advice. He told him to hang a big calendar on his wall, and after every day he wrote a joke, to draw a big red \u201cX\u201d over that day.<\/p>\n<p>In an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret-281626\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11545\">interview<\/a>\u00a0with Lifehacker, Isaac recalled what Seinfeld told him backstage: \u201cAfter a few days you\u2019ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You\u2019ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This habit-forming strategy works the same way for your fitness goal. The longer you see your own chain of \u201cX\u2019s\u201d grow for the days you\u2019ve exercised, the more you\u2019ll want to avoid breaking it.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"consistency-is-key\">4. Consistency Is Key<\/h3>\n<p>In a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1002\/ejsp.674\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11546\">study<\/a>\u00a0published in the\u00a0<em>European Journal of Social Psychology<\/em>, health psychology researcher Phillippa Lally examined the habits of 96 people over a 12-week period.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of the term, Lally and her team analyzed the data to determine how long it took each person to automatically adopt certain behaviors such as running for 15 minutes before dinner.<\/p>\n<p>On average, it took the participants\u00a0<strong>66 days<\/strong>\u00a0before their new behaviors to become automatic. This time gap may explain why it can be so difficult to develop fitness habits\u2014two months of conscious effort can be exhausting.<\/p>\n<p>However, if we manage to not \u201cbreak the chain\u201d and survive those shaky initial weeks, sticking to the plan becomes exponentially easier as time progresses.<\/p>\n<p>I asked\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mattnephew.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11547\">Matt Nephew<\/a>, a certified personal trainer and corporate fitness advisor for brands like P&amp;G and General Electric, about the importance of consistency when it comes to training:<\/p>\n<p>Rome wasn\u2019t built in a day, and your body can\u2019t be either.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodybuilding.com\/fun\/2013-100k-transformation-contest-press-release.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11548\">More than 70 percent<\/a>\u00a0of people who set fitness goals as new year\u2019s resolutions quit before reaching that goal. A lot of that has to do with our lack of patience: we don\u2019t see immediate results, so we think it\u2019s worthless to keep churning the wheels. But if you show up and put in the work day after day, you\u2019ll get addicted to the feeling and the results.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"stop-thinking-and-start-doing\">Stop Thinking and Start Doing<\/h2>\n<p>All of those motivational quotes, videos, and articles can only take you so far. At some point, the rubber has to meet the road. It\u2019s easy to confuse planning with action. But remember: all action isn\u2019t\u00a0<strong>right action<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>But once you get that blood pumping, feel those\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lehigh.edu\/~dmd1\/sarah.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"11549\">endorphins<\/a>\u00a0kick in, and start seeing results, I promise you\u2019ll never look back.<\/p>\n<p>Source: https:\/\/collegeinfogeek.com\/workout-motivation\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The fitness coach and YouTuber\u00a0Elliott Hulse\u00a0has a simple philosophy on life: \u201cThe most important part of the game is your game piece.\u201d We\u2019re all players in the game of life, and the only game piece we have is our body. If we don\u2019t take care of it, we can\u2019t play the game as well as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":1064,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,9,10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1063","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-post","8":"category-life-of-a-grad-student","9":"category-tips"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/10\/Fitness_story-Pilates-290.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1063"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1065,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063\/revisions\/1065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}