Ask the Health Educator: Finding time for fitness
Written by Crow's Nest Staff, Oct 9, 2013, 0 Comments
Q: I’m so stressed out about living healthier! I have no idea how to fit in an exercise routine along with all my classes, my part-time job in the evenings, and then family responsibilities on the weekend. How could I possibly find time to work out for an hour or more when I’m having trouble fitting in time to study and sleep?? I just don’t know how people do it! But I really want to live a healthier lifestyle because I know that exercising helps with stress and sleeping better. Do you have any tips for me?
– Stressed in a Healthy Way
A: Dear Stressed in a Healthy Way,
This is such a great question, and I think nearly everyone on earth, not just college students, deal with figuring out how to balance all the demands of your life and wanting to be healthy. I know it seems hard but I promise it’s easier than you think!
First, it’s time to work on your Personal Check Time Book. A Personal Time Book helps you understand how you’re spending your time. Write down all the activities you do in a week, and estimate how many hours a day you devote to each activity. Do you do all your homework late at night for 3 hours? Or do you 1 hour a night? Do you go on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram for 15 minutes at a time, once an hour, or do you spend two hours daily on social media (be honest!)? Do you have time for video games? How many hours do you actually spend a day on classes and/or a job? By figuring out where all your hours go (and remember, you only have 24 hours in a day), you’ll start to see some patterns of where some your time is being wasted and not used effectively.
Once you recognize that you probably do have a few hours a week that could be better spent on something else, use that time to exercise! You can take a yoga class at Campus Recreation, kayak down at the Waterfront, you could walk a few miles down to Vinoy Park and back. It doesn’t take much to start a healthy routine, and once you’ve started, I’m sure you’ll feel so much better you won’t want to stop!
-Victoria M. Beltran, MPH, CHES, Wellness Center Health Educator
Have a question related to health & wellness? Ask the Health Educator! Email usfspwellness@gmail.com with “Ask the Health Educator” in the Subject line.
