How I fit physical activity into my busy student schedule
17 April 2019By Raneem F., Student writer at Unite Students
How I fit physical activity into my busy student schedule
Staying healthy and in shape while at university isn’t always easy and students aren’t exactly known for their healthy lifestyle. Late nights-out with plenty of alcohol, fast-food binges, all-day lie-ins and all-nighters are reasons many students forget to look after themselves.
But planning ways to incorporate fitness into your daily routine is extremely important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And it can be much easier than you think.
Here’s how I make time for exercise even when I’m busy with uni work.
1. Work out in the morning
There’s always going to be a reason why you don’t have time to exercise. Sometimes it’s due to exhaustion after a day of classes, other times it’s because you’d rather spend your free time with friends or watching Netflix. I’ve found that the best thing to do instead of excluding exercise entirely from my schedule is to work-out in the morning because it gets me energized, helps me de-stress and makes me feel good physically and mentally.
2. Join a team or a society
Joining a sports team or a society is a great way to meet people, make friends with similar interests, and challenge yourself. And if traditional sports are not your thing, don’t let that hold you back. You can join all sorts of activities that you might enjoy - dancing, hiking, climbing. Joining a team or a society will also help you commit to working out and teach you the importance of teamwork.
3. Be active on your way around town
Instead of taking the bus or car, I usually walk where I need to go. It improves my mood and I absolutely love it. Riding a bike to campus and taking the stairs instead of elevators are also good ways to squeeze physical exercise into your busy schedule.

4. Participate in marathons and runs
The Student Colour Run is a great example. It’s an annual event that is held in Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester. It’s a colourful and a messy 5k campus run where you’re joined by thousands of participants who are all getting fit and showered in coloured powder, while making memories and having a party.
5. Plan fun activities with your friends
If you’re like me and you enjoy doing different fun activities, gather your group of friends on sunny days and try different things - wall climbing, paintball, horse-riding, carting, hiking. And if it’s too cold outside, you can go to your local bowling alley, or challenge your friends to a round of indoor miniature golf. It’s a fantastic way to stay active, and it’s so much fun!

Apps to help you keep you fit
Spending money each month on a gym you never go to? Maybe it's just not for you. Thankfully, there are apps out there that will get you fit and you won't have to step foot in a gym.
Map my walk
Best for remembering that walking is exercise too
MapMyWalk is a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin app and is great for remembering that walking is exercise too. Use it to GPS-track your walks and find out how far you've gone, for how long, at what pace and incline and how many calories you've burned. It's compatible with your fancy wearables, and you can even share your progress straight to social.
Nike Training Club
Best for getting reassurance that you're doing it right.
Nike Training Club is a beautifully-designed app that's loaded with 160 free workouts. You can create your own personalised plan, and browse exercises by muscle group or activity. Every activity is demonstrated by a Nike pro trainer or athlete – so you know you're doing it right.
Want Cristiano Ronaldo to work your abs for 15 minutes? Your dreams can come true with this app.
Home Workout – No Equipment
Best for getting fit at home for free
Human history teaches us that lots of people can all be wrong about the same thing. But the fitness experts behind Home Workout – No Equipment must be doing something right because they've got a 4.8 star rating from 110,000 reviews. This app contains a number of full-body workouts with beginner, intermediate and advanced exercises for specific muscle groups.
I found that there are so many ways to stay physically active at university, especially while having a good time and creating memories with friends. I just had to stop making excuses and open my mind to new things - and it truly makes me feel much happier.
