Issue 03

32
SPORTS & WELLNESS
THE CHEAT SHEET:
HOW TO BALANCE LIFE AT UTSC WITH THE GYM
Bogdan Stanciu,
Contributor
It’s hard enough dealing with school,
let alone juggling a social life, a part time job,
or a significant other. So how is a student supposed
to find the time and keep committed to
working out without going crazy? I interviewed
three dedicated students who’ve made going
to the gym a habit that they’ve sustained for
years. Even when their lives have been at
their most stressful, they’ve still found the time
to squeeze in a great workout.
Gaby Zhou is a fourth-year psychology
student who has been lifting for two and a
half years and has become a successful powerlifter.
In the past, Zhou also competed and
placed at several competitions. Her journey
started at the end of her first year. She shares,
“I knew I was paying for the membership, and
I thought that I might as well use the services,
so I went to the gym. At first it was really intimidating
but I started seeing progress and
ever since, I’ve continued lifting”
Consistency, and sticking to it can
be hard. For some people, they rely on friends
and gym buddies to motivate them, but for
Zhou, it was the opposite which resulted in
her finding a good rhythm. She shares, “I
wasn’t relying on anybody else to go to the
gym, I just went by myself and told myself ‘I
have to work out [for] x amount of time every
single day.’ “
Consistency also means striking a
balance. Ike Anudu, a fifth-year human biology
and psychology student, has been working
out for three years. “It’s about balance.
Everyone has their hobbies and things they
consider fun. I’m in my zen mode when I’m at
the gym.”
Anudu started working out in the
summer of his second-year with a friend. After
his friend moved back home at the end of
the summer, he started to find his own groove,
and make each workout his own. “[My friend]
was like the training wheels, and when he left
for the summer, I had the knowledge to start
going on my own and start discovering what
works for me.”
Commitment to the gym doesn’t
mean having to set aside a huge chunk of
your day just to work out. For Zhou, making
time is about setting a schedule. She says, “I
plan everything ahead of time. I know I have
an X amount of time to put towards working
out, so I know I’m going to lose two hours a
day, so with the rest of my hours I focus on
school and work. I try to make those three
things my focus.”
A training schedule doesn’t have to
be structured and planned out. Adam Darrah
is a fourth-year journalism student, who
works 30-40 hours per week as a personal
trainer at TPASC. Darrah still finds time to get
in his three to four workouts each week. “We
all have the same 24 hours. I don’t care how
busy you say you are, we all have things in
our lives, and if you choose to make it a priority,
you will find time for it.” says Darrah.
You will also find that exercising will
help you put more more quality effort in your
school work. For Zhou, it’s usually school
work that makes her tired mentioning, “I escape
my assignments and work by going to
the gym. It clears my mind, and it helps relieve
stress.”
Burning out is a problem, and that’s
why balance is so important, not just with
working out, but with everything from school
to dieting.“I’m human -- sometimes I crave
something with a little more sugar, so a small
pack of sour patch kids or cherry blasters. You
don’t have to be perfect. That’s why many
people get burnt out. They think, ‘I have to do
this seven days a week for three hours a day,
but it gets overwhelming and stressful. Don’t
strive for perfection, strive for consistency,”
says Darrah.
The biggest step is always commitment,
and Anudu has one piece of advice for
those who are struggling to commit: “If you
want to make a difference in your life, then my
advice to you is to be patient. People stop coming
to the gym after a month because they’re
not seeing results. And I feel that’s because
they’re not patient.” In other words, be kind to
yourself. Take the time you need to do what
you have to and schedule yourself accordingly.
You’ll find your rhythm in no time.
www. the-underground.ca NOVEMBER 3 - NOVEMBER 30, 2016
VOLUME 36, ISSUE 03