Sometimes even the most diligent students can’t manage never-ending homework, deadlines, and exams. But making time for sports is even more challenging. In fact, being physically active can have a significant impact on your academic performance and results.
So how can students fit exercising into their college schedule? The answer lies in this article!
Delegate Your Work
Being overloaded with homework is one of the reasons students can’t make time for their hobbies and sports. Most people are pushing themselves to the limit in order to improve their academic results. But they forget about the importance of physical activities. As a result, they end up facing academic burnout.
In order to prevent such a situation, students can make use of modern technology. Instead of puzzling over and being overwhelmed, they can just delegate their work to someone else. For instance, you can order custom essays from EssayPro. The team of specialists will deliver splendid papers at a low price.
Set Realistic Expectations and Goals
Usually, people do sports whether to lose or gain weight or just to be in good shape. One of the ways to achieve this is by going to the gym. The problem is that some people might be too impatient and want to see results as soon as possible. That’s why many of them ignore studies by making the gym the first priority instead of combining these two essential things.
But the thing is, as a busy student, you can’t go to the gym six times per week. If you see that it is not feasible, you need to set a realistic goal and stay patient. The best middle ground is to attend the gym two to three times per week. Determine the time when you are free and have less homework to add a gym to your schedule.
Time Management
The power of time management is incredible. In order to make a spare moment for exercise, you have to arrange your carefully thought-out schedule for the week. However, not all students know how to manage time properly. In this case, you can make use of modern technology. Here is a list of apps that will teach you how to plan your schedule and track your time:
- ClickUp
- Todoist
- Google Calendar
- Any.do
- Clockify
- Notion
- ZenDay
- Rize
Wake up Earlier
Usually, people need six to eight hours of sleep to maintain a healthy sleep pattern. If you stick to the schedule, don’t procrastinate, and pull all-nighters, you will have enough time for exercising or going for a morning run if you wake up earlier than usual. Plus, if you go to the gym while everyone is sleeping, you will most likely have all the equipment just for you. Waking up early and working out in the morning helps to get more energy and boost your mood, motivation, and metabolism.
Take Your Gym Clothes With You
If you carry along your gym clothing, or, if it’s possible, wear comfy shoes, running shorts/pants, and a t-shirt directly to college, there will be more chances to pop into the gym after class.
Choose the Long Way to College
If you miss the morning running session, one of the greatest ways to sneak in a 20-minute workout is walking the long way to college instead of taking the campus shuttle, catching a ride with a friend, or taking a shortcut.
Ride a Bike to Class
In case you are in a hurry, you can always ride a bike. Thus, you will not only have a chance to exercise but also help the planet by choosing environmentally-friendly transport.
Exercise Between Classes
Some students use their break to chat with friends, grab a coffee, or just mess around. Instead of wasting time on this, you can hit the gym for half an hour. But if you use the break to study in a library for hours, you might soon feel yourself dozing off because you don’t move enough. To prevent this, you should take a break from studying and use it as a chance to work out.
First, you can just jog in place, then you can go to the college gym and get some push-ups and sit-ups. You can set a few personal goals you can achieve within this short break. For instance, do ten squats during the first break and twenty during the second one. It is actually killing two birds with one stone: you will do some working out and focus on studying simultaneously.
Do Your Homework at the Gym
In case it is your gym day today, but you are overloaded with homework, you can complete some small tasks between exercises. If you are given some less-than-exciting reading tasks, you can combine exercising and completing these tasks. You can download the audio version of the book, set yourself up on a bike or use a treadmill, put in your headset, and listen to the audio while also getting through your workout.
Join an Intramural Sports Team
One of the greatest ways to find time for sports is by joining an intramural team. First of all, you will be supervised by a coach. That means you will have scheduled training, a properly selected set of exercises, a diet, and a mentor.
Secondly, you will become a part of a team, and you will make a lot of new friends with whom you can work out and share the same experience. And last, when taking part in competitions, you gain key skills like teamwork, leadership, and cooperation that will be useful in the future.
Join a Fitness Club
If you don’t want to become a part of an intramural team, you can just join a college fitness club or gym. You can choose between a powerlifting club, cycling club, or yoga club, depending on what your university can offer.
The good thing about joining such clubs is that they are pretty easy to fit into your schedule, and it’s located directly in a college. So being a member of a fitness club or college gym is a great opportunity to relieve some stress and get rid of your daily routine while keeping in touch with people who share the same interests as you.
To Sum It Up
Doing sports has a huge impact on both mental and physical health. But it is also proven to significantly increase brain functioning and cognition skills. With the tips mentioned above, you will have no problems finding a spare hour for working out, even between classes.