How to stay motivated to exercise while at UD

Shout out to Little Bob Gym

If you know me, you know that I genuinely enjoy going to the the gym, running, and any kind of physical fitness. After a long day or a few hours of studying, going to office hours, etc. it always excites me go workout. I never really keep an exercise routine as that can get old, but I’m always switching up what I’m doing and trying new things.

Balance is key 

From being a Blue Hen, college has taught me a plethora of lessons – including the importance of balancing academics and physical fitness. I don’t have to be at the gym at a certain time or do a certain number of sets or anything like that; instead, I have a general idea of what I’m doing when I’m at the Little Bob Gym or going jogging.

Don’t keep waiting for tomorrow

Rock climbing!

My mom is the most motivated person I know and has gotten me to where I am today. I’ve always admired her positivity, discipline, and exercise routine (elliptical 6 days a week and weights 3 times a week). I’ll never forget when I watched this fitness show back in high school and immediately wanted to become a better version of myself. I upped my game at the gym and started eating healthier. I even won quite a few athletic awards without realizing I was good enough to.

Use your leisure time productively 

What I’ve gotten out of attending UD is that you should be productive with your leisure time. Designing a lifestyle with exercising involved seems to be one of the best decisions you can make. Whether it’s working out at the Little Bob a few times a week, jogging in Newark, at the reservoir, in White Clay, doing zumba, yoga, fitness classes, club sports, intramural sports, or joining Healthy Hens, I encourage you to do something. There’s definitely something for everyone regardless of whether or not you actually enjoy exercising.

Doing intramurals with my sorority sisters!

You have to do more than just exercise 

Though I’m not the biggest “foodie,” I have to say that eating healthy makes a huge difference. Throughout high school, I went from eating less healthy and more greasy foods consistently and late night snacks or milkshakes to healthier eating in controllable portion sizes. Over time I even lost about 10 pounds without any intention to lose weight.

At UD, as anyone that is friends with me knows, I’m obsessed with burrito bowls, veggies, and guac (cough cough the occasional Chipolte stop). Newark Natural Foods on East Main Street is awesome, as are places like Salad Works, Honey Grow, and eating local foods such as from farm stands.

Allow others to motivate you 

The University of Delaware is an amazing place with countless opportunities available. From having the perfect college town and Main Street, it’s also a great place to exercise too. You never know until you try, but I dare you to take your motivation a step up from what it is now to see what new heights you can achieve and mountains you can conquer.

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