top of page
Writer's pictureJames Calder

Surviving Uni: Staying Active

This one's trickier than it sounds, there's always something else going on, it takes a lot of discipline and hard work to stay/ get active while being a student especially when exam season comes around, so hopefully, some of these tips can help you out.


(This one actually has me in it for once, the guy on the floor)

Tip 1: Buy the membership


If you're looking to join a gym but keep putting it off, maybe because you don't think you'll go enough to make it value for money, just buy the membership, trust me when you have very little money, spending this much on something that you know you should be using will be a great motivator to go. I buy the semester-long membership at the uni gym on the first day of term and I am straight out the door trying to make the most of my money, maybe it's stingy but hey it works.


Tip 2: Experiment with different activities!


This one is absolutely crucial!! Finding your way in the gym involves a lot o trial and error, just know that unless you're trying to compete in bodybuilding tournaments or be a pro athlete, just about any exercise is gonna be a great addition to your workout. So that means that you can choose the ones you like the most (as long as you're balancing out what parts of your body you're working, don't skip leg day!). For example, I hate lunges, but I love squats, so I do heavy squats and I replace lunges with other exercises like leg extensions. The same applies to all you cardio lovers, hate running? Cycle! Maybe you'll even find a new sport that keeps you active, I've been playing rugby for years but I've never really tried anything else, so this year I'm going to go along to a couple of volleyball sessions and see what it's like, and I'm going to play some 5 aside with some of my friends and maybe the geography society, it's all about experiments because there's a chance you'll find a life long passion!


Tip 3: If you're struggling, try to find something that barely feels like a chore


This tip is so useful for anyone who's struggling to get started or even for people who are already active and are maybe sick or injured. My favourite is walking, I frequently am doing 25+ thousand steps a day and not even realising because Edinburgh is such a walkable city, but even when I'm not walking to uni or the shops or anything I enjoy just clearing my head with an early morning or late night walk, the cold fresh air does wonders for me, and it's some light exercise, it's a win-win! I used to love cycling around my local park in Glasgow, but I've left my bike back there so walking is my replacement, when I bother bringing my bike up here I'll be whizzing around having a great time while also doing a great cardio and strength exercise! Find your cycling, it may be something you've never thought of, like swimming or dancing, but when you do find it you'll have this base level of activity that you look forward to every day, and that makes a huge difference to your health, both mentally and physically.

4 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page