By Hailey Rogenski
Working while going to school can be extremely difficult. This semester, I am working two jobs while going to school, and I barely have time to take care of myself, let alone trying to do the things I enjoy.
Exercising is something I enjoy, but barely have time for. Some exercises I really love are yoga, walking and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Unfortunately, due to the overload of work from one class to another, as well as my work schedule, I can never make time to exercise for more than an hour. If I even take 15 minutes out of my day for exercise, I feel like I’m in a time crunch. If I did start exercising more, I would struggle to keep up on all of the homework I’m assigned.
When I do exercise, I use the FitDesks on the third floor of William F. Maag Jr. Library. The FitDesks are shaped like bikes with a platform on the front end you can use to do homework or study. I recently started using these while I study in between classes. They are a great way to multitask and help relieve some of the stress of trying to squeeze several activities together within a few hours.
The FitDesks also help me because they are a low-impact workout. I was in a car accident over the summer and I am currently undergoing treatment for my back and neck, which is another reason I haven’t been able to exercise as much.
Although FitDesks are only a minor solution for now, it would be helpful if they put some on a quieter floor. Using the FitDesks helps to drown out some of the noise others make. They are, however, located on the group study floor and most people who work on those floors don’t make an effort to talk quietly. It is extremely hard to focus with the extensive amount of noise.
Another low-impact exercise I haven’t had time for is yoga, but I would love to pick it back up again. It’s as good for your mind as it is for your body. When I do yoga, it helps relieve some of the stress I feel from the overload of work. It also helps with my back and neck pain because a lot of stretching is involved.
Yoga is my favorite way to exercise and it is something I can do at home. I don’t typically go to yoga classes, but I can find a lot of yoga videos created by instructors on YouTube.
Prior to treatment, I took Jiu-Jitsu classes and will continue classes after my treatment. I enjoy Jiu-Jitsu because I enjoy combat sports and it is an effective program for self-defense. Combat sports can teach you how to take down someone larger by using your bodyweight rather than just your strength.
It’s nice to be active, but it’s not so great when school, work or other activities in your life distract you from that dedication. Lately, my dedication has been toward school and work solely. This has caused me to realize that I don’t take enough time for myself.
Let this week be a reminder for you to take time for yourself to do something active and fun.
