Fitness and Stuff

I’m about to reveal to you one of my greatest struggles, a challenge I face nearly every day. Real serious stuff. Ok, you ready? Here it is: 

Climbing the staircase in Thom.  

Really! It’s a struggle of mine. Every day I’m embarrassingly out of breath, dragging my legs, thinking, I run cross country! I do cardio all the time! Why is this so ridiculously hard?! But alas, my complaints do not make the staircase any shorter, nor do they aid my dying legs and lungs as I battle furiously against the evil forces of gravity. Forget about climbing the metaphorical ladder of success – I’m out here struggling with the literal staircase of transportation! 

Climbing three consecutive flights of stairs is a struggle for everyone, no matter who they are or what their workout routine is. But the burn in my calves once I reach the top always makes me think of my physical fitness, and maybe it does the same for some of you. Fitness can be hard to maintain in college, especially if you aren’t involved in athletics. Luckily, it’s not impossible, and it can be lots of fun. 

If you want to get or stay in shape, but aren’t part of a sport or don’t quite know where to begin, here is a list of five steps that can help:  

Step one: find a buddy. This will make the fitness journey much more enjoyable, since you’ll have someone to talk to and joke with, plus it increases accountability. It’s a lot harder to skip a day or slack off if you have a buddy expecting you to show up.  
 

Step two: make a plan. You and your buddy should choose what activity (or activities) you’d like to do and when to do them. It could be anything you like. Maybe you’d like to go for a walk together every morning, or play a one-on-one basketball game every Tuesday and Thursday.  Whatever your activity of choice is, make a plan and try to keep it consistent. 

Step three: do your research. Find a few agility drills online to help you practice on the basketball court, or if you choose to use Concordia’s weight room, located on the bottom floor of Walz, find some basic lifting videos, start light, and ask Coach Berner (Concordia’s strength training director) or the weight room assistant if you’d like a demonstration of an exercise. 

Step four: be patient. Fitness takes time, and results don’t come fast. Don’t give up if you’re not seeing or feeling improvement right away. Also, remember to be patient with yourself. Getting into or staying in shape is not always smooth sailing. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day or it doesn’t go as well as you had hoped.  

And step five: enjoy it. The point of fitness is to be healthy, both physically and mentally. It is meant to be beneficial, not stressful or overwhelming. So be sure to have fun. Change up your routine from time to time and try something new. Make an awesome playlist to listen to. Get to know your buddy more. It doesn’t matter if you finish with Chris-Hemsworth-like muscles or not. If you have improved your physical health, even a little bit, and had a good time doing it, then your mission has been accomplished. 

See you on Thom mountain!