Social StudentStarting or returning to uni can mean students find themselves indoors a lot more than we would normally hope for, revising, lectures, social gatherings and just resting are going to increase our time inside. Along with the potential unhealthy food options and increased alcohol intake, this can be a recipe for disaster. We should all enjoy our time in uni, but there’s no reason why we can’t keep our fitness levels high. Even if you’re fitness levels are already good, there’s always an opportunity to improve.
So what are our options and can we maintain them long term?
Start Cycling
Not only is cycling a very healthy exercise, but it can also be a lower-cost form of transport too. There are many students turning to riding a bike rather than taking public transport now. With cycling, however, there does come a level of maintenance to keep you on the roads. For example, tyre pressure is important, not only for maintenance purposes but if you are going to be taking cycling seriously then a higher PSI can actually reduce your route times. The Ruzer mini bike pump with its 200 PSI capacity is a great option when it comes to your cycling toolkit for this very reason. Your Strava app will be able to confirm this for you when you try it out for yourself. Of course, you can choose to try the indoor, freestanding bike options such as Peloton, however, to really feel the benefit of your training many will agree that there’s no substitute for a real road bike.
Take Up Running
Throwing on your workout gear, putting your ear pods in and pounding the pavements is not only exercise for many but also a form of stress relief and thinking time that we can use to process everything going on, and in uni there is plenty to think about. This is why we see so many running clubs popping up in more recent times. Not only that but it is completely free, except for the cost of good footwear, so this is appealing for a uni student’s budget.
Get Swimming
Many of us remember taking swimming lessons as a child, and maybe swimming in hotel pools when we go on holiday, but we don’t tend to take things further than that. So checking in with your local health club or swimming pool, and asking them what their current opening hours are could be the first step to finding that enjoyable form of exercise you have been looking for! It’s great fun and can be invigorating, so many people choose to start their day with a swim, it’s even shown in studies to be helpful for concentration too. So that’s a win-win situation.
You can take up one of these, or all of them, but at the end of the day, it’s about doing what you enjoy and getting the most out of every single workout, no matter what you do. Consistency and keeping it going is key though.