Get up and move in your own room

Nicole Dellolio – Opinions Editor

There’s nothing more stressful than the beginning of a new school year, but that doesn’t mean that your health and fitness shouldn’t be a top priority. Trying to learn how to balance classes, homework, jobs and everything else can be a challenge but working out and staying in shape doesn’t require you to have to go to the gym everyday.

So instead of giving in to your latest Netflix addiction, pop in a workout DVD and get moving.

For me, the biggest struggle about attending the gym that you pay for every month is actually getting up and having the motivation to drive there because let’s face it, it’s so much easier to tell yourself that you’ll just go the next day. For some reason I’ve always had it programmed in my head that in order to get in shape you need to go to the gym and use the machines and weights, but recently I’ve come across a new alternative.

Over the past few years I’ve constantly heard people talk about using at home workout videos such as P90X and Insanity to help them lose that extra weight or to just keep themselves in shape. Having never used fitness videos, this idea seemed ridiculous and I doubted it would actually qualify as a good and productive workout, but I was wrong.

According to the P90X website, the goal of this fitness program is “to get you in the best shape of your life.”

I decided to give in the to the new fitness fad and tried one of the P90X workout videos. By the end of it, I realized that I had burned a lot of calories and was physically exhausted. The unique aspect of these videos is that they incorporate different exercises like yoga, martial arts, and cardio into a workout program that are specially designed to sculpt your body.

One of the most surprising things from these videos is that it doesn’t involve you lifting any weights or using any machines, only your body.  Beginners always have the option of stopping the tape at any point to catch their breath or do modified versions of the exercises that are being shown.

One of the most challenging videos in this program is the “Plyometrics” workout. It starts out slow with a long warm-up then quickly speeds up to a challenging workout that is primarily jumping. This video is not meant for beginners or people that are not in shape.

An important thing to remember when doing these videos is to not eat a gigantic meal beforehand because it’s not going to mix well with the constant movement.

Eventually after watching countless workout videos and programs you can begin to develop your own method that properly suits you and your lifestyle.

According to Web MD, exercise helps boost brainpower, melts away stress, and gives you energy.  When people exercise, endorphins are released into the bloodstream, which in return ends up giving you more energy throughout the day.  For me, that means no more coffee breaks or energy drinks throughout the day to keep me awake and alert.

Being a college student it tricky, so the only way to schedule in a work out is to plan it out ahead of time and develop a set schedule for yourself. This is important because as the semester goes on you’re going to get busier by the day as exams and papers start adding up.

So instead of wasting your time in between classes by watching countless hours of TV or losing yourself on Twitter, get moving and in shape!