It’s too cold. I don’t have time. I can’t afford that. We’ve heard just about every excuse in the book for why health and fitness is the first to-do item on the list to fall by the wayside in university (that is, if it even makes it to the to-do list).
Let’s face it, for a student with a full course load and sometimes two jobs, working out is usually the last thing on our minds. Students barely get enough sleep as it is. Why would they sacrifice an extra hour or two to go to the gym every morning, hoping if they run the treadmill every day for a month they’ll magically develop abs of steel and some wicked quads?
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that is not quite how it works. Third-year arts student Claire Stiles says to reach her fitness goals, she put her faith in a personal trainer.
“I don’t have to plan anything other than what time I will show up for our one-hour session,” she says. “Everything else is on the trainer to make sure to get me the results I want.”
Now don’t get me wrong, for some of you, this sounds like a fantastic idea. But the rates of that personal trainer and the cost of a monthly gym membership are not something completely affordable or realistic for students. So the question then becomes, what is the easiest and most affordable way to get fit, save money, and still have time to binge-watch all of your favourite shows online? The Fulcrum has two words for you: at-home fitness.
With the power of the Internet and a small open space either in a living room or a bedroom, it is easy to get in the best shape of your life in the comfort of your own home. There are plenty of free workout videos out there that are truly effective and the only skin you have to put in the game is your commitment and hard work—not a single dime more.
Number one on the docket is Bodyrock.tv. Check out Dailyhiit.com for tons of information and free workouts. These guys know what’s up in the world of health and fitness. Their motto is short, sweet, and effective. Bodyrock bases its philosophy on the concept of HIIT workouts: high-intensity interval training.
HIIT is alternating periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods that will get your heart rate up, build muscle, and burn fat. They have tons of free workout challenges available that incorporate daily-automated emails with your workout and plan, and they’ll provide tons of free accompanying recipes and information.
There’s also Zuzkalight.com. Zuzana’s health and fitness philosophy also revolves around the concept of HIIT workouts—challenging but effective. Zuzana used to work with Bodyrock, but has since branched out in her own direction opting for a much less equipment-intensive routine. This is perfect for keeping expenses to a minimum.
Fourth-year political science student Kanon Clifford says BodyBuilding.com is his go-to website to maintain his results.
“I’ve dabbled in several online fitness websites but I found that bodybuilding.com offers the most information,” he says. “It provides a ton of free fitness and nutrition plans no matter what your fitness goals are.”
With all the free fitness videos on YouTube, all the information available, and all the social media channels dedicated to #fitspo, #motivation, and #healthyliving, what are you waiting for?
