It is no secret that going to college can result in unsightly weight gain. After all, the term "the freshman 15" exists for a reason. All those lunches and dinners of dining hall pizzas and dollar menu fast food items will catch up with you quicker than you’d expect. Even after just a few wild weekends of beer pong and keg stands, you’ll find the placket of your button down shirt pulling and the zipper of your favorite jeans refusing to budge. It’s clear that you need to find a workout plan, but just planning to incorporate exercise into your routine is not enough. You need to actually stick to it.
For some, working out is a breeze. Some people enjoy sweating it out on the trail, on the court, or at the gym. Yet, for others, working out is a drag. It is these college students that are most at risk for failing to follow through with their exercise and weight loss goals. For most people, beginning and sticking with a workout routine is difficult because they set unreasonable goals from the get-go. If you are a fairly novice exerciser, do not expect to be able to run five miles on your first day out on the track. Set reasonable goals so that you may eventually build up your strength and stamina so that you do not give up hope too early on and quit your workout routine.
Monotony is another danger to exercise routines. If you always hop on the treadmill five times a week, it will become boring and you will be less inclined to go back to the gym after a month or so. Switch up your routine by trying different cardio machines and even joining a class or two so that you get sprinklings of kickboxing or yoga with your usual treadmill and stationary bicycle standbys.
A bit of friendly competition is another great way to help you stick to your workout plan. Find an exercise buddy who is either on the same level as you or a little above your workout experience level and exercise together. You will find yourself pushing harder to get in those few last laps when you can see that your exercise buddy is doing the same. Likely, your buddy will be drawing the same motivation from you, making the partnership mutually beneficial.
Finally, simply dedicating yourself and forcing yourself to get off your duff and exercise is the best way to ensure that you stick to your workout routine. Do not allow yourself to skip days because this is a slippery slope that usually leads to not exercising at all.