How to stay active/adhere to an exercise program after gradation

We all know how it feels (or will know in the next few weeks/months): walking across the stage at the end of your college career and thinking, “what in the heck am I going to do with my life now?” Getting out in the “real world” is probably one of the hardest things you will ever have to do. Unless you have a job lined up in your field (which is pretty hard to do), you don’t know what is going to happen. Where are you going to have to move? Will you be able to find a job in your chosen career field to help you gain and maintain knowledge? Those are some of the most common questions asked after graduation. One not commonly asked is “how am I going to have time to stay active?” Just because you graduate and move on doesn’t mean you will be able to stop staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You just have to do so in a different way. If you are currently this person, or think you will be this person once you officially graduate, here are a few things to consider.

The first thing you want to do if you have a job lined up or during interviews for prospective jobs is consider asking your employer/future employer if they offer fitness programs or if there is a gym they have a contract with. There are quite a few jobs that offer corporate wellness programs and other various programs. With the increase in obesity and sedentary lifestyles, companies want to see their employees stay healthy, especially if you sit for a long period of time in an office. According to an article from the CDC called Benefits of Health Promotion Programs, “Employers can benefit from workplace health programs through enhanced productivity, decreased employee absenteeism, and lower insurance and workers compensation costs. Employers who implement a comprehensive set of strategies to address employee health and safety including policy and environmental strategies benefit by having the ability to reach most if not all employees at the worksite simultaneously.” So these programs aren’t being implemented for just the heck of it. There are good benefits for these programs.

Some of the programs offered are just as intense as personal training. If you find that your job/future employment does not offer corporate wellness programs, ask them if there is a gym they have a contract with. Sometimes businesses will have contracts with gyms that will allow the employees to use the facility for free (or a reduced rate) and the business pays a discounted corporate rate. This is also a great program, and I have personal experience seeing this work. Where I intern, Henry County Sports Medicine Performance Enhancement, the clinic has a gym for all Henry County Hospital employees and families to use. Also, certain other companies pay the hospital for the use of the gym for their employees. It is a fantastic program since they want to see their employees stay healthy after working all day. However, if your employer/future employer doesn’t offer either of these, ask if they would be willing to pay for a gym membership close to your home or the building where you would be working. There is a chance they wouldn’t pay for all of it, but they might be able to pay for some of it and put that in your weekly pay. Something small to consider when you are looking for jobs after graduation.

If you find out that your job/future job doesn’t offer any of the programs mentioned or won’t offer to help pay for a gym membership, find a gym that you would be comfortable joining. Depending on work schedules and other situations, a 24-hour gym might be the best option, you will be able to go whenever you have time. Time management is very difficult in college and after graduation, so that is why a 24-hour gym is a good option. One other problem that quite a few graduating seniors have is money. There are quite a few gyms that have very high rates, which isn’t reasonable for some people who just graduated. By finding a gym that has more reasonable rates, you will not feel the crunch of finances, and will still be able to afford everything you need. This is something that I personally do and I absolutely love it (even though I have not officially graduated yet). Not only am I able to stay active, which is very important to me, but also I am able to afford everything else I need. Make sure you do your research on what all is offered at the facility; whether that is personal training, classes, and other programs you might be interested in. That way you won’t be surprised when walking into the facility or after you talk to an employee.

When you find yourself a program or a gym that fits your needs both personally and financially, you have to then start thinking about when you will have time to get to the gym. You have to work with your schedule and other obligations you might have to see when you will have the most time. If you find yourself not having to report to work until later in the morning or in the early afternoon, get up and go before you have to go to work. It will take a little adjusting because we all know how much it can stink getting up earlier than you have to. It doesn’t have to be super early either, just early enough to be able to get in what exercises you want. You will start to feel good in the morning since you will be more awake for work. You will also sleep better at night if you are doing everything correctly. In my last semester of college, during my internship which was as intense and time consuming as a job, I was able to get up and workout before I had to report to the clinic. I felt amazing throughout the day, and when it came to going to bed, I was super tired and had no problem falling asleep. Getting up early is not for everyone, especially when your schedule is hard to work around.

If you find yourself having a hard time getting up before you have to be at work or have a hard schedule to work around, go after work. This works very well for someone who has to be up at the wee hours of the morning. By going after work, you will already be awake and won’t have to worry about trying to wake your body up. You will still be able to complete all of your errands after your workout, and you will feel just as good as someone who works out in the morning. Make sure you take clothes with you that you will feel comfortable changing into after work so you can go straight to the gym. The biggest excuse for someone to not go to the gym after work is that they have to go home to change and don’t want to leave again. By taking clothes with you, you can eliminate that excuse and start to get in a routine. Not only will your body thank you, but also the chances of your employer being just as happy are pretty high.

Overall, graduating and moving out in the real world is hard enough. We don’t want to worry about staying active, but it is just as important as finding a job. Make sure you do your research and ask the right questions when you are searching for a job. With the increasing obesity rate and increase in sedentary lifestyles, employers want to make sure employees are staying healthy. Hopefully my blogs have been informative and have given you some ideas to maintain an active lifestyle. As always, the suggestions in this post aren’t for everyone, just a little something to think about as you finish college and start to look for a job in the field of your choice.

http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/businesscase/benefits/

Residence Hall Fitness Tips

Making the transition to college is a very difficult and stressful time. Along with moving away from home and getting out in the real world, living on campus can be just as difficult. You don’t know who your roommate is going to be (unless you live with a friend from home), how far away your classes are going to be, and how you are going to get along with your floor mates/other people you may encounter. Wanting to stay active while living on campus is easier said than done. It is much easier for on-campus students than off campus students due to the easy access to gyms. Off campus students have to make an effort to get to the gym where on campus students can just walk there. Quite a few freshmen (and some transfer students) come in saying they want to beat the ever so common “freshman 15.” However, they think that by doing the bare minimum they will be able to beat it.

Before we take a look at what you should consider if you want to stay healthy/active on campus while living in a residence hall, let’s first talk about the freshman 15. It is one of the most common aspects of college that everyone hears about. Quite a few freshmen that I have had the privilege of talking to know what the freshmen 15 is but don’t think it will happen to them. What they fail to realize is that it happens to more people than they think. You are away from home and have more access to food and other substances you might not have while living at home. There is also an increase in workload with classes/organizations and less free time to be active. So if you combine those two, you get the ever so common chance of gaining a little weight. It actually happened to one of my freshman roommates. He said he was going to work his butt off and we were going to workout every day. He mixed in with the wrong crowd(s) a few weeks into school and started to gain weight, while I chose to join a club sport and was able to lose weight. He didn’t think it could happen to him, but low and behold, it did. According to an article found on webmd.com ‘ “Almost one quarter of students gained a significant amount of weight during their first semester of college,” researchers Heidi J. Wengreen and Cara Moncur of the department of nutrition and food sciences at Utah State University in Logan write in Nutrition Journal (Jennifer Warner; Freshman 15: College Weight Gain Is Real).” There are a few ways to combat the freshman 15, and one of those is staying active. It can be hard, especially living on campus. Here are a few things to consider if you are someone who wants to stay active, but has very little time and lives in on-campus housing (residence halls).

One of the first things that you should consider is working out in your room. Most rooms in residence halls will have enough space for you to get in some type of workout. If you find yourself cramped for space, try moving furniture around and see if that gives you more space. There are plenty of at home workout videos floating around, so you are bound to find one that you like. YouTube is an excellent source to start your search. From yoga to at home cardio videos to even resistance training videos, they are all available. As long as you do something you enjoy to keep your heart rate up and burn off some of those calories, you will be set. One of my best friends in college did this every morning after she woke up. She did P90X and Insanity (both at home DVD workouts and at different times since they are both very intense) since she didn’t like walking to the rec center and those videos were enough for her. She stayed active and was able to lose weight during her first semester of college and continued to do so as we continued our education. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a great place to start if you want to stay active but have limited time throughout the day.

Going along with trying to workout in your room, something else to try is using what you have available. I have mentioned this in another post, but it is extremely important for someone who wants to stay active while living on campus. We all have those expensive college books, and we all know how much they weigh. Try incorporating them in your workouts. They are not going to give you the most resistance in the world, but if you find a video that needs you to have some sort of resistance, those books are going to be sufficient. Also, use the furniture you have in your room. You can modify different types of exercises to better utilize what is available. Chairs and desks are great for certain types of pushups and tricep dips and other types of workouts. You will not be able to do everything you want to accomplish, but if you seem to always find yourself cramped for time and want to get a small workout in without leaving your room, this is a great thing to try. Combine it with a few other things and you will be set!

Another thing to try is finding a workout partner that lives in the same residence hall. Like I talked about in one of my first posts, finding a workout partner will keep both of you accountable. If one of you is missing, then you are not only letting yourself down, but also your workout partner. Most people want to use either their significant other or a best friend that lives in a different residence hall or off campus completely as a workout partner. That’s not the worst thing to do, but during freshman year it can be a little tough. By picking someone who lives in the same residence hall as you, possibly even your roommate, you will be able to keep track of each other a little easier. You can go to their room and either walk over to the rec center together or workout in one of your dormitory rooms. You won’t have to fumble around as much with schedules, so there is a chance it will be a little easier to workout with someone who lives close to you versus someone who lives in a different place and has a much different schedule.

One other item mentioned in another post is look into fitness rooms that residence halls might have. All of the residence halls at my university (Ball State) have fitness rooms for the residents of that hall to use. They are the only ones who have access to it, unless someone brings a guest with them. It is much more private than using a giant rec center facility with open access. You won’t even have to leave the comfort of your residence hall to workout. One downside is that they typically don’t have the greatest equipment and can be a little small. That is a small price to pay for not leaving your hall. From personal experience, they get a lot of use during the wintertime, as people do not want to leave the warmth of their rooms and walk to the rec center. If you find yourself cramped for time and just want to get something done before class or in the morning before you get ready, this is one of the best options for you; especially since you won’t even need to leave your residence hall.

The ever so common freshman 15 is easy to beat. Most people come in thinking they are going to be able to control their weight in college and seem to fail. By combining eating right and staying active, you will have a better chance of either keeping that weight away and/or even lose a little bit. Trying to stay active while living on campus is not an easy feat to overcome. Here are just a few things to consider if you are having trouble staying active. So feel free to use what you want, revise to fit your needs, or make up a few of your own…you will be glad that you did.

 

http://www.webmd.com/diet/20090728/freshman-15-college-weight-gain-is-real

Workout Program Plans/Ideas

Trying to create a workable schedule and stick to it is hard enough in high school and gets even tougher in college. You have more classes to worry about, a bigger homework load, and (to an extent) more free time to join various clubs and organizations that interest you. The majority of the time there is very little time in the day to workout and stay active. Once that happens, the question arises as to how many days you want to use that extra free time to workout. Most people whom I have talked to throughout my time at Ball State University in the exercise science program, have had to come up with intense programs based on the number of days they are able to workout. Being guilty of that myself, I too had to create some pretty crazy programs due to the amount of available time I had to be in the gym throughout the week.

One of the classes that I took as an undergraduate at Ball State talked about what programs should look like based on the number of days someone is in the gym. Depending on what you are trying to do, and how many days you want to be active, the most common number of days to workout is between two and six. The more advanced lifters are going to stick with the six-day programs and there are some people who feel the need to be in the gym seven days a week. On average, most people are able to workout anywhere between three and four days. Below are some tips to consider if you are having trouble coming up with programs on your own. Feel free to tweak them in any way to fit your needs.

 

Two day split:

Two-day programs are not as common as you think. Most people who workout try to get more than two days in the gym. However, if you are one of these people who can only get into the gym two days a week, the program for you is fairly simple. On the days you are able to make it to the fitness center, do total body workouts. That will give your whole body a nice little shock and you will be able to take quite a few days off for your muscles to recover. On the days you aren’t able to make it to the gym, try to do some type of cardiovascular training. Go for a run, go for a bike ride or do yoga. Your body will not only appreciate it, but it will give you the adequate rest your body needs. In my experience during high school and college, most elite runners use(d) this type of program. They run nearly every day and get into the gym two days to lift a little. Hit all the major muscle groups, and you will be fine.

Three day split:

This type of program is a little more common for college students/ adults who want to try and stay active. When it comes to what muscle groups to concentrate on with this type of split, it is exactly the same as the two-day. When you are able to get into the fitness center, hit all the major muscle groups. Doing this will allow you to keep your body toned and will also allow you to stay in shape. On those days where you aren’t in the gym lifting, do cardiovascular training to keep your heart healthy. A very good example of this is if you are working out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, do cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You will be able to have the weekend to relax and recover. Your muscles need time to recover; so giving yourself those days off between your lifting days will be plenty. Another good example of this type of program comes from where I currently intern. One side of the clinic, called Healthridge, has a gym where the older population come and workout after they are set up with a program based off their medical history and what their doctors want them to accomplish. The wellness director only wants the patients to do the weights three days a week and cardio on the others (however, she does sometimes say that it’s okay for cardio to be done every day if they want). This example is very good to show that it’s not only young adults who need recovery time, but everyone.

Four day split:

Getting to the more “advanced” lifting programs, we come to the four-day. This program starts to get a little more complicated when compared to the previous two. You are not going to want to do total body on the four days you are able to get into the fitness facility and workout. You want to do lower body and upper body on separate days. Do upper body one day, lower body the next and then give yourself a rest day. You can flip them if you need to, just make sure to hit both of them before your rest day. On that rest day, try and do cardiovascular exercises. Your rest days don’t have to be super intense, but just enough to keep you going and get your heart rate up. After that rest day, get back into the gym and do the same thing, upper body one day and lower body another. This is the program that I personally use and absolutely love it. You are able to do several variations on those days to ensure you aren’t doing the exact same stuff day in and day out (which we all know can get boring after a while). Try this program if you are a college student who has more free time than you think.

Five day split:

The next two programs are more complicated than the previous ones discussed. Your lower body is going to be the same, but your upper body is going to be split so you aren’t harming your body. The upper body should be split into chest/shoulders/triceps, and back/trapezius/biceps. You are still able to hit all the major muscle groups, but you are giving them more isolation than when you were just doing upper body or total body types of workouts. Now, when it comes to actually planning out what you are doing on certain days, lower body along with chest/shoulders/triceps should be hit more than once during the week. Do those workouts at the beginning of the week and again at the end of the week. You will still get enough rest (even if you think you won’t) to be able to hit those muscle groups again. Your back/trapezius/biceps really only needs to be hit once because the odds of you doing exercises that are hitting those muscles groups on the other days are very high. You don’t want to over train those muscle groups, or any muscle group mind you, to avoid injury. Make sure you give yourself two rest days and, once again, try to do cardiovascular training on those days. An example of how this might look is as follows:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Rest (Cardio)	Chest/shoulders/triceps	Lower Body	Back/trapezius/biceps	Rest (Cardio)	Lower Body	Chest/shoulders/triceps

Six day split:

This type of program is by far the most intense. People using this program want to stay in the best shape possible (some even compete in physique and bodybuilding competitions) and have more free time than others. Once again, the upper body days are going to be split so you will be able to hit all the major muscle groups and isolate them. You will have plenty of rest in between to allow them to recover. Since there is only one rest day, make sure you are hitting cardio on that day to maintain heart strength and to allow you to stay in a nice routine. Your lower body days are going to stay virtually the same since you will only have two days devoted to lower body. Just make sure you are doing enough to get a nice workout in. The upper body is going to be split into two major days (but you will hit these days more than once during the week). Chest/back and shoulders/arms is going to be the most common way to split up your upper body workouts, but that is not the only way. There is a high chance that you will end up working out the other muscle groups as well, but it will not be as intense as the days where you are isolating them specifically. Like I said earlier, this program is for people who are at the gym quite a bit and are on the more elite side of either athletics or lifting in general. An example of how this workout my look is as follows:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Chest and back	Lower body	Shoulders and arms	Rest (cardio)	Chest and back	Lower body	Shoulders and arms

 

These are just some simple ideas for anyone who either wants to get back into the gym, or wants to start a program. It can be very difficult to figure out what all you need to workout on certain days and also how many days you are able to get into the gym. Take these different programs and see what will work for you. Take one and change it up a little to best suit your needs. It cannot only be intimidating, but also tough to start a program. This right here is a good start, so use what you would like!