Recently, I have been struggling with my fitness.

 

I managed to get back into a schedule and I make sure to carve out time to fit it in to my daily life, but I find myself getting bored easily. I am very used to walking in the gym, swiping my card, and heading straight for the treadmill to do my three mile run.

 

However, one can only find so many music playlists that try to make each workout seem different until they all seem like the same time consuming and laborious task of the day. Also, don’t forget that running on a treadmill in a crowded and hot gym can be enough to lose motivation on its own.

 

That is why I have tasked myself with branching out in the gym and freeing myself from the treadmill. I started this goal two weeks ago and have been doing a fairly decent job at keeping it up.

 

Last week I decided to switch it up and do an outdoor campus run instead. I love to run outside, but being on a busy campus it is hard to find the ideal time to run without feeling like you are zig-zagging through a maze. I decided that I would wake up early (around 6:30) and set off to do my runs.

 

My early morning runs were a joy for the first two days that I did them. I loved getting up early because it made me motivated and I felt more productive during the day. The air was crisp and refreshing which woke me up, and the streets were empty so there was no weaving to be done.

 

And then the cold hit.

 

On my third day I stepped outside of my dorm for my run extremely motivated and ready to tackle the day. I made it exactly five steps out the door and thought that I had frostbite. Being my stubborn self though, I still continued to go on the run. My whole body was cold and shaking and my lungs were stinging from the air. To my dismay, I decided that morning outdoor runs were probably not ideal anymore.

 

Now I had to find a different mode of exercise. I went on Penn State’s fitness and wellness page and found the schedule for their drop in fitness classes. Most classes are free to students and there is such a good variety that there is something for everyone. The classes are available in the IM Building and White Gym.

 

After scrolling through the classes I decided to go extreme on my first class and started with HIIT 45. HIIT stands for “High Intensity Interval Training” where you go through a series of circuits for 45 minutes with no breaks.

 

Wow, was this a workout.

 

Located in one of the White Building’s many studios, I spent 45 minutes of my day both wanting to die and radiating happiness. The instructor, Macy, was so sweet and supportive as she yelled out the circuit exercises that we would have to do. A combination of ropes, box jumps, side planks, tire flips, tricep curls and dips, and many more left me sweating and out of breath.

 

However, I loved the workout. It was great to get out of my comfort zone and try and different style of exercise. As someone with minimum upper body strength, I was excited at the opportunity to improve that through the classes and am excited for my next class.

 

I encourage you to step outside of your usual fitness routine or even diet. It can help you regain motivation and find areas that you can improve upon.

 

See you on the next stop!!