The ever dreadful freshman fifteen, as it turns, it is not as much of an urban legend as I thought it was. Even with a commuter lifestyle, I found that I was not exempt from the coffee stations, the chicken tenders at Bruno’s, and the occasional sugar cookies. Even with the increased walking between classes and the hills at Behrend, I found that without the physical activity I had in high school from gym class and sports, along with my lack of sleep, my metabolism is falling faster than I can keep up with it. However, with classes and work (and everything else), it can be difficult to add in activities I actually want to do, let alone the ones I don’t. With this, I have a compiled a list of fitness tips for people who, like me, hate fitness.

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First, do not think that in order to get a good workout in, it has to be thirty minutes or longer—it doesn’t. I know on certain days, my class schedule is hectic, and there is no way I could squeeze an hour block to workout. With this, I spread out my activities. Sometimes, I will wake up and jog a mile. No, this does not necessarily take that long, but it is still activity. Later on, I might do some calisthenics that take fifteen minutes, and I just like to add these mini-workouts in throughout the day. This way, I find that I do not have to mentally prepare myself as much as I do when I spend an hour in the gym.

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Also, increasing activity does not even mean adding in a workout necessarily. Another trap that people who want to get into shape fall into is thinking that the only activities they can do are go to the gym or go for a run. Although those are both helpful, they are not the only options. Some days, I hate the gym. I want to exercise, but I also do not want to spend the entire workout thinking about how I am working out. On these days, I ask my boyfriend if he wants to throw around a basketball with me. Neither of us are basketball stars or anywhere close to it, but playing games helps to burn calories while not thinking about how awful it is. It is extremely important to find activities that are active but still fun.

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Lastly, as with everything in college, workouts are something that are different for everyone, and a key factor is keeping it enjoyable. For example, I hate running. I can do it, but I can only think about how awful it is for the entirety of the run. However, when I am in the pool, I feel like a fitness guru. I could swim laps for hours on end, feeling myself sweat and my heart rate increase, but just not care. Both running and swimming are intense, but for some reason, I absolutely dread one and gladly embrace the other. To stay in shape, it is all about finding something that is not only bearable, but actually enjoyable and stress relieving. When you find the exercise that is right for you, it makes you realize that workout is not so horrific after all (and it is a great excuse to eat anything other than a salad for lunch).