By CHLOE GRUSING
Editorial Editor
As a student athlete, I have always been a person that goes to the gym. I have been competing since I was 12, but before that I was training year round.
I have been lucky enough to experience the mental and physical health benefits of fitness and remaining active. Staying fit and getting active everyday is key to becoming your best self. I strongly encourage everyone to exercise to help ease their mental health.
College is extremely stressful and I know every student has experienced an assignment that makes them want to pull their hair out.
Honestly, finding ways to calm down and self care can be hard and even time consuming. There are many ways to relieve stress, but honestly my favorite is getting active.
This could mean going for a walk, lifting at the gym or doing an abs workout.
Everyone has the ability to find some sort of fitness that fits their needs and can help relieve stress.
It is key to know your body and limits and find exercises that fit best with your health. According to the National Institute of Health, exercise is linked to relieving stress, anxiety and improving self esteem.
Most people don’t exercise because they feel overwhelmed or are unsure what to do. Overcoming the fears you may face surrounding the gym can be another stress relief in itself. Starting slow can be helpful when first going to the gym.
For example, on your first day exercising, going for a thirty minute walk is more ideal than doing a three hour powerlift.
Being able to determine the duration and intensity of a workout in the beginning may be hard, so I would look up a workout video for beginners.
There are many resources available to use to find appropriate fitness routines for your skill level. Before your first workout, I suggest doing some research about what a beneficial workout would be for your fitness goals.
Another important step in starting your fitness journey is creating goals for yourself. These goals should be realistic and have a clear outline of what you want to complete and the timeline needed to accomplish this.
For example, running on the treadmill every day for twenty minutes over a three month time span. This goal gives a timeline and a clear goal that needs to be completed.
Starting your fitness journey can be extremely rewarding and help relieve stress. Taking the first steps and beginning research and taking inventory of your abilities will help you succeed in the long run.
Creating realistic goals and working out consistently will help relieve stress, and improve self esteem.
Anyone is capable of starting their fitness journey.
Completing a fitness goal will make you feel accomplished and you may even impress yourself with your abilities.
Throughout my time in the sports world I have seen many people overcome their own doubts and make great strides in their personal journeys.
The first step is the hardest, finding the motivation to start can be hard. In situations where I feel troubled I think about the reasons I started pursuing an athletic career.
Being able to have a strong mentality will help a person in all aspects of life. From completing work issues to juggling homework assignments, exercise can help teach valuable lessons.
I feel that everyone should at least try to get active everyday and work on improving their mental health.
This can greatly help you in the long run of life and teach a person valuable life skills. I encourage everyone to start their fitness journey.
