Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a difficult thing to do, especially when people start throwing around the phrase, “freshman 15”. Speaking from personal experience, my week is packed with activities, including multiple classes, jobs, internship and other community activities; it is hard to even think about exercising. However, with time management and a little bit of motivation it could make the difference to give you enough energy and time to fit exercise into your busy schedule. For me, I have added waking up earlier to exercise and in a sense, get it over with. I know, I know, that is not always the easiest thing to wake up an extra 45 min – 60 minutes. Trust me, when my alarm goes off, I could think of 1000 reasons as to why I should stay in my warm and comfortable bed. It takes just one thought of “I’m going to exercise” that could change your entire routine.

After one morning of committing myself to exercising, it has made a whirlwind of a difference. I feel more motivated and awake, which helps me focus during classes because part of my day has already started and sometimes I don’t even need that extra caffeine to keep me focused. If you cannot get out of bed to exercise, then you should plan out your gym times. I find that giving an actual time and day of when you will go to the gym during the week, helps keep you committed to going because you won’t schedule things during that time. If you keep it broad and don’t really commit to a certain time, then it is easy to skip the gym and lose out on a workout. It is not easy to balance a busy schedule, but planning out as much as you can and designating certain times will make you successful in your studies, and other activities as well!