#student motivation

A lot of people think of January 2nd as the day resolutions go to die. But for me, the end of semester has always marked the end of promises, unfulfilled bucket lists and loose ends. Every year I promised myself that I would stay on top of my fitness routine and every fall as the semester started, it would dissolve in a few weeks when school picked up pace. 

So this year I am determined to set goals, have routines, and make myself a healthier person in general. I wanted to share it with you guys for two reasons. One to hold myself accountable and two because I am sure many of you guys get busy and want to know and share tips!! So here is how I plan to set and keep a fitness routine. So get your pen, notebook and lets make our routine!

1. Set realistic goals
   

I have always had high expectations for myself and while that is a good thing at times, it can also be the equivalent of setting yourself up for failure. This semester I am going to set small achievable goals. Here are my goals (I think 5 is a great number to start with)

• (goal 1) exercise at LEAST 3 times a week where two sessions are one hour and the other one is 30 minutes.
  
• (goal 2) be able to run for 25 minutes straight
• (goal 3) eat fresh with only 2-3 types of processed food every week
• (goal 4) drink at least 2 bottles of water a day
• (goal 5) go to bed by 9:30 / 10 pm each day
  
  2. What do you want to focus on? How are you going to do it?

You have to know what you want to improve. Is it your flexibility, mindfulness, or just tone your body? For me personally, I want to tone my body and become more mindful. I also really despise the gym and it makes me feel more depressed than anything else. So I plan on using YouTube videos and running outside to work on fitness. Here are some of my favorite yoga and toning videos:

https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene/videos?disable_polymer=1

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSoKaD27LRI9nBPJ2KB1lnQ/videos

3. Set up a reliable schedule. 

If school is starting soon, you probably know your schedule, now is a great time to find out when you have free time and how much time you can dedicate to fitness. I know for sure I can wake up early on the weekends and exercise for one hour. I also know that I can sacrifice 30 minutes of sleep on any one day to dedicate to fitness. I choose wednesday to help me out of that mid-week slump. So here is how I am going to organize those days.

Wednesday: 

• ab workout (10 minutes)
  
• thighs workout (15 minutes)
• cool down (5 minutes)

Saturday

• Outside run (10/15 minutes)
  
• yoga practice (20/25 minutes)
• HIIT cardio (15 minutes)
• More Yoga practice- headstand and poses (15 minutes)

Sunday

• same as saturday!! Just different videos and variations
  

Extra things you can do everyday:

• take the stairs when possible
  
• take a walk once in a while
  
• play badminton ($5 for a set at walmart)!!
  
• stretch in the morning for five minutes
• stretch while brushing your teeth
• treat yourself to new activewear after each milestone (e.g. every 1 month of regular exercise)

Obviously if you are looking to get seriously shredded this is not the schedule for you, but this is a great place to start if you are a beginner and don’t know how to incorporate fitness into your lifestyle. Obviously as you get more advanced, you can make certain day leg day, arm day, abs day and create your own workout plans from what you have learned but that seems so intimidating when you are starting. Starting with videos online help you get better form and perfect the smaller moves so that you can create your own plan. Another helpful place to look is Pinterest. They have lots of tips, diagrams, and inspiration for someone trying to get healthier. 

I hope you guys liked this! I know it is something new but let me know what you guys think!!