College students are super busy and making a college workout plan is usually the last thing on our minds.
But this post will give you the best tips on how to create a practical workout plan.
Working out is one of the best things you can do for your body as a college student. Forming a college workout plan is so important.
Here are my tips and advice for starting a workout plan!
How To Create a Workout Plan in College:
Table of Contents
These years are the most important times to be active. You don’t have to be the most athletic or energic person to work out.
Creating a work schedule can seem impossible during class time. It took me a long time to time to work out in college. I am a busy student and couldn’t fathom the idea of having a workout plan in college.
But with some time management and figuring out what I wanted to do, I form a college workout plan that works perfectly with my class schedule.
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed trainer or fitness coach. I am just a college girl who likes to work out and give advice. Please do more research into fitness programs and diets before starting them.
1. Figure out what your fitness goals are.
The first thing you should do to start a workout plan for college is to write out your goals. Different goals require different workout plans. One thing you need to do before picking out workout plans to know what you want out of working out.
For example, when I started working out in college, I wanted to be more flexible, so I started attending yoga classes at my university recreational center. Now, I’m working on strengthening my back, so I do workouts related to back strength.
Your main goal shouldn’t also be something so unrealistic. Setting unrealistic goals can lead to more problems down the line. In the beginning, your fitness goals should not be to lose 20 pounds in a week. Completing a difficult workout or even actually showing up to a workout class are nice goals as well.
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself either. Start out easy and work your way up.
2. Research!
The next step in forming a workout plan is to do research. Research what exercises work best for your goal. Also, research what foods will give you energy and healthier recipes. Find out what your body type is (ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph) and what it needs to gain muscle or lose weight.
If you are taking on a workout plan that you found online, look up reviews and not just results. Different bodies will react differently to the same workout.
Research also can give you tips to not injure yourself. One mishap I had beginning with workouts at home was doing them EVERY SINGLE DAY even when I was in extreme pain from soreness. Your body needs to rest.
For example, one of my fitness goals was to gain strength in my lower back due to my scoliosis. There are certain exercises that I can not do or it will actually put more pressure on my back.
3. Eat healthier and better. Not less.
One thing that I had to implement into my college workout plan was to eat better. I usually didn’t have enough energy to complete a workout, which was scary. I needed more energy.
My relationship with food became extremely obsessive when I got into YouTube workout videos and wanted to gain muscle. My diet wasn’t the best and I’m learning to improve.
Figure out an eating plan (not a diet plan) that works for you. Include foods that you love and new foods. Diet culture is dangerous and is high amongst college students and has increased due to social media.
So many fad diets are out there and are NOT healthy. There is also so much false information on social media. If you truly want to lose weight or even gain weight, do research and preferably contact a doctor.
This is also why I recommend researching before working out and going on a fitness journey! Be mindful and aware of what your body needs.
4. Space out the time you need to work out.
One of my biggest flaws, when it came to forming my college workout plan, was planning it but not following through with it. I scheduled quick 10-minute exercise videos on YouTube, which has some of the best workouts for busy students. But when the time came, I couldn’t get myself to my mat or find the time to work out.
One thing I try to do is to do short workouts. 5-10 minute workouts feel more effective and better for me instead of forcing myself through a 40-minute workout.
You should find the best time for you to exercise. A little each day eventually adds up.
5. Find beginner (or whatever level you are on) workouts that you can do.
A simple YouTube search for “workouts for beginners” or “beginners yoga” or “pilates for beginners” can give you so many videos. Find videos of workouts that are doable for you. Don’t try to overdo yourself when you first start. Beginner workouts can sometimes get intense and take a lot of energy.
Do not allow the word, “beginner” to intimidate you or make your feel weak.
Chloe Ting’s beginner workouts are some of the best for students because they are quick and she has a whole plan ready for you.
6. Find workouts that you like.
My college workout routine includes yoga and various fitness videos online. There is nothing more than I hate is doing a workout that I loathe. It took a long time for me to find a playlist of challenging yet effective workouts on YouTube.
You do not understand how much I loathe up and down planks. I hate them! So whenever a video I use required it, I find an alternative.
Doing workouts that make you feel like you’re having fun or at least kind of. Don’t force yourself to do a workout that is difficult or if you’re not liking it. Not every workout will be one for you.
7. Don’t force yourself to workout every day. Give yourself breaks.
When I began my workout journey, I used to work out every day even when I was in pain and could barely move sore body parts. This was not healthy at all.
Your body needs a rest day (or days) from exercising because you can seriously injure yourself. Our bodies need time to repair muscle. Resting is completely fine.
8. Use apps to track your meals and calories.
If you are into calorie counting or keeping up with what you ate during the day, try downloading apps such as Lifesum and MyPlate Calorie Counter. I used Lifesum when I had time to manually keep up with my meals. It honestly helped me realize what was healthy and what wasn’t.
9. Listen to motivational fitness videos and read motivational quotes.
Pinterest is my go-to for motivation, but there are tons of motivational videos for working out on YouTube. I personally find them a bit intense for my liking, but you may like them.
10. Buy workout gear and outfits!
I know, this one sounds so superficial. But it works. Instead of working out in my old t-shirt and shorts, I put on a sports bra and a pair of leggings from Aerie. It puts me in the mood to workout.
I especially love wearing yoga pants for my yoga practices because it makes me feel so carefree. Wearing workout clothes can definitely boost your motivation and drive to complete a workout.
Workout gear also became a big motivator for me as well. You should always have a yoga mat and a yoga strap too. No matter what you are going to eventually need one.
I also invested in resistance bands for my butt workouts. They are also great for doing leg workouts at my desk.
If you plan on working out on the floor, use gloves. My left wrist began to hurt after months of doing side planks simultaneously playing guitar a few hours later. To protect my wrists, I bought these gloves from Amazon and they have been a big help.
11. Work on body positivity and self-love, too!
This tip is one of the most important. I am a huge self-love advocate, especially on my personal Pinterest account.
Working out should all about see what your body can do. It’s also about taking care of your body and muscles. Exercising has so many benefits outside of weight management. It gives you a boost in energy and happiness.
You should never work out to punish yourself for eating too much. You should develop positive and healthy exercising habits.
While working out, you should also learn how to love your body. Look at all the things your body did while working out. It can run, jump, twist, turn, and so much more. Self-love and care should be huge components of your college workout plan.
YouTube Workout For Students At Home:
Over the past year, I started working out a lot. I did three Chloe Ting Challenges and increased how long my yoga practices are. I totally recommend that you have a YouTube playlist saved with your workouts. These videos are some best workouts for college students, in my opinion.
The best workouts for students at home include:
Yoga:
Don’t let yoga fool you. Power yoga and hot yoga are intense and create enough heat for you. Yoga is a nice start for anyone who wants to become more flexible, have better balance, and become more toned. Seriously, workout videos I follow actually use tons of yoga poses.
Yoga With Adrienne:
Yoga With Kassandra:
Cole Chance Yoga:
Workouts:
Bailey Brown
Chloe Ting:
Psyche Truth:
My College Workout Routine:
Finally, I wanted to share my college workout routine to give you a realistic idea of a college girl workout plan.
- I don’t beat myself up when I can’t work out. Some days, I’m busy and just can’t. Some days (esp. during my period), I don’t feel well enough to work out. It’s fine.
- My goals are most likely different from yours. I want to gain muscle and strength and see what my body can do.
- Please do not mimic my routine. Create your workout routine for college. My workout plan probably will not work for you.
- My workout routine is not yet a habit for me. I usually try to workout 2-3 a week, especially for my back muscles and abs. I have to be active.
I practice daily yoga in the morning.
On a good day, I complete a 5-minute Baily Brown workout.
On a great day, I reserve an hour to workout in the evening.
Then, I do yoga at night.
Somedays, I end up walking 1-2 miles on campus.
Overall, my college workout plan is pretty relaxed. When I have an urge to workout, I do it. I don’t force myself to. Usually, working out gets rids of my back pains and makes me feel better and more overall good.
This blog post was all about how to create a college workout plan.
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