going to the gym

Heyy,


A few perks come with being a student other than the epic amount of knowledge you will absorb in your classes ~ one of them being a free gym membership (well, the cost may be added into your tuition, but hey, then I guess you really better use it, right?). 

I am not a gym person. I had free access to the gym at my previous post-secondary institution as well but I never used it because when I finished class I just wanted to go home. Living on campus give you the ease of being able to practically roll out of bed and magically end up at the gym with minimal amounts of effort. I, personally, am more of a sports fan. I like to play volleyball in particular, and that is how I got most of my physical activity hours in other than going for hikes on the weekends. Truthfully though, while I attended my previous post-secondary school, I did a lot of sitting at my computer and was really just too lazy to do anything. That's why I've decided to change. Well, for now that is. 

I've been going to the gym everyday for at least half and hour, normally an hour. I go at 630 am on monday, wednesday and friday. On tuesday and thursday I like to do something in the afternoon, so I'll go for a run/jog/hike through the woods out back. Saturday I like to go for a longer adventure in the woods and sunday I like to not be purposefully physically active :) 

Having a break is important I think to really motivate yourself to go again. Or maybe that's backwards, because when I have a break it is really hard to get back into it. Just try your best and think of the goals at the end. 

So because I have never been a gym fanatic, I don't really know what I'm doing there at all. For the most part I stick to the elliptical and rowing machine. Today I ran on the treadmill but it wasn't facing the window so I wasn't that happy. If I'm going to just run, I prefer to do it outside in the fresh air. 

Basically, my advice to any new-gym-users is you don't need all those crazy, hardcore machines. If you want to get someone to teach you how to use them that's fine, but you don't need them. Stick to the easy stuff, especially when starting out. Also, go outside. Don't be confined to a gym. Yeah, they're nice, especially in the winter when the snow is 2m deep, but even then, don't be afraid to break out a pair of snowshoes and go on an adventure. 

Make sure to take breaks, and please don't let going to the gym become who you are. Those people that have to go to the gym to get all buff and tough really just aren't appealing. I would much prefer to be someone who goes for hikes in the woods everyday than go to the gym. 

Anyways. You have a gym membership. Use it. Go once in a while. Go more than once in a while. Use it to your advantage. Use it to get healthy and fit :) 

peace