My College Workout Routine
I have always been a very active person and coming to college, I was nervous to see how my exercise routine was going to change. At home I loved going to group exercise classes with instructors but, I knew that would be different in college. The first few weeks I was still trying to figure out the perfect routine and it was frustrating. However now, three months into school I believe that I have mastered my perfect workout routine that has helped me stay healthy in college.
Since my past exercise routines relied on following the instructors, I wanted to find a platform that would allow me to continue to exercise in that same fashion. I was lucky enough that my friend introduced me to the app Obé. This app offers a variety of instructor taught classes (HIIT, sculpt, strength, dance, and so much more) that are usually around thirty minutes long. They offer both live classes and recorded classes in addition to having express classes that focus on areas like arms, abs, legs, etc…. There is a monthly fee of $27 but it is much cheaper than my gym memberships at home. In addition, I have noticed that the services on Obé are way more accessible and definitely worth the cost.
When I workout at school, I usually take a sculpt class or an express class if I am crunched for time. Each day is different, but I usually prefer the pre-recorded classes because I am not always available for the live classes due to my busy college schedule. Another thing I love about the pre-recorded classes is that if I really enjoy a class, I can take it again the next day or as many times as I would like.
I would also like to take some time to discuss is the frequency I exercise at school compared to home. At home I went to the gym six to seven times a week in addition to playing club and high school sports. Looking back, doing this much physical activity was terrible for my body. Especially since the majority of my workouts were cardio based I was always hungry because I was burning so many calories. Since I have been at school, I have seen a shift in both the frequency and intensity of my workouts. Like I mentioned before, I have been focusing more on sculpting and training using light weights. At school I only work out four to five times a week depending on how busy I am. A lot of the time people think the more you exercise the healthier you’ll be, however I have learned that is not the case. I also think that doing less cardio has been extremely beneficial at school because I walk so much. I usually walk a minimum of around six miles per day (according to the IPhone Health app) and at home I did not walk nearly as much. I am curious to see how this changes as the Syracuse winter approaches.
One thing I want to clarify before wrapping up this post is that I am not saying cutting out cardio is the key to a healthy workout schedule. First of all, I still LOVE cardio because of the endorphins released when I am running or cycling. Even though I do less cardio compared to home, I still do cardio in moderation. I occasionally use the treadmill or bikes at the gym in addition to having soccer practice three times a week.
Everyone’s body is different and finding what is benefits you and your needs is important because we all have different goals we want to reach when we go to the gym. Going to college has been a major life change and I hope that this post helps you reach your goals and live you best life at school.
XOXOX,
Peri