Being a student is tough. Believe me, I’ve been there. With studying, assessments, societies and socialising, it’s easy to neglect your health and fitness. Identifying a healthy balance as a student is something that takes time, and I speak about ways to establish and execute balance more generally in another blog post. But, for now, here’s some advice on how you can work fitness into your routine as a student.
time management is your best friend
You may have heard this one before… but it really is the key to any success. When at university, time may be something that you lack and it’s very easy to spread yourself thin. So it’s essential to manage your time well.
Use a calendar (Google calendar is the GOAT) and plan out EVERYTHING. From your lectures, to even your meals and chill time. If you schedule everything, you’ll be able to see how much time you have left over. It may be that you only have an hour between lectures or a couple of hours in the morning, but that is enough time to hit the gym or prepare meals. If you plan as much as you can, you won’t miss a beat.
It can be easy as a student to sleep in until the late hours of the morning and, whilst it is important to rest, getting up an hour earlier than usual won’t do you any harm. That’s an extra hour to commit to your goals, go to the gym, get your steps in or plan some meals. It might not seem like a lot, but it will help you out massively.
Another great way to utilise your time is to combine plans. Why not go to the gym with your friend? Join a sports society? Both are a great way to socialise and commit to your goals at the same time.
set clear goals
It’s easy to get lost in the moment whilst at university. There’s so many things to think about that you kind of just end up vibing with life, which is great. But if you want to either get fit, lose weight or gain muscle, for example, then it’s imperative that you set clear goals. Ask yourself what you want to achieve, then execute. Once you’ve set a goal, make sure your actions align with what you want. For example, does going out every night align with your goals? Also, don’t feel pressured to commit to the student stereotype. Do what’s best for you.
meal plan
Meal prepping doesn’t only save time at uni, but it saves money, and we all know that the budget is tight as a student. Work a couple hours of meal prepping into your schedule and spend that time cooking a few meals for the next couple of days. This way, you have meals ready and you have one less thing to think about. This will also help you eat healthier because you’re not making meals based on hunger and cravings. If you’re not a fan of meal prepping, you can just make yourself a meal plan (or get someone to do it for you ;)). This way, it still eliminates the stress of not knowing what to eat, and it makes food shopping a lot simpler and quicker because you know what to buy.
rest
Whilst there’s pressure to always be a productive student, to commit to your goals and to be sociable, rest is fundamental to avoid burnout. Prioritise sleep and always try your best to get your 7-8 hours a night. If you do this, when you do work out, for example, it will be a lot more effective than if you had 3 hours of sleep.
get a coach
Final tip. Get a coach. Now, I may be biased, but getting a coach whilst at university is probably one of the best things you can do to get the most out of your fitness journey. Like I’ve said before, there’s so many things to think about. Getting a coach takes some of the stress away from you, so you can use that brain power elsewhere. With a coach, all you have to do is do the do. They can plan your workouts, plan your meals and lead you to where you want to be. It will make your life as a student a hell of a lot easier. Get in touch with one of our coaches now!
