Last week, in discussing my new (academic) year’s resolutions, I mentioned that one of my goals for the year is to run three times a week. It’s relatively easy for me to promise myself something like that right now, as I’m on leave, and aside from some travel and some project meetings, my only real time commitments are to myself.
Personally, I’ve found that maintaining a regular exercise program is way more difficult than that during a regular semester. I always start out with all kinds of good intentions, and feel great as long as I’m still working out regularly. But school-oriented commitments inevitably start creeping in: that one meeting that has to be scheduled during my usual gym time; that article that I’m not finding enough time to work on; that class that isn’t quite as prepared as I’d like. And almost invariably, when I start feeling pressed for time, the first thing that falls by the wayside is my commitment to exercise.
It’s ironic, of course, as exercise is precisely what I need in order to burn off stress, and yet the stress convinces me that I’d be better off working than exercising. It’s that kind of choice that leaves me, a few weeks from the end of a semester, feeling like a brain on a stick and bracing for the inevitable cold that will strike as soon as I slow down a bit. The neglected body, after all, will find a way to strike back.
It’s clear that finding ways to prioritize exercise is a key not just to good health but to continued productivity. Amy has encouraged us to find a balance between work and the rest of our lives, Erin has reflected on the ways her dog helped her focus on things other than work, and Natalie has suggested that we add exercise to our conference schedules so that our good habits aren’t disrupted. These are all fantastic bits of advice, but at certain points all such tips wind up sounding to me like variants on “just do it,” in response to which I find myself thinking “but how?”
I have a few strategies that I’ve used in the past to keep exercise a priority. Each of them has worked for me, at least for a while:
- Exercise first. I’m much more likely to get a reasonable workout in if it’s the first thing I do when I roll out of bed. Of course, this runs into direct conflict with my first half-hour of the morning writing plan, and so there’s a trade-off there. And it only works because I’m not responsible for getting anyone other than me out of bed and off to school.
- Make an exercise date. I’m much less likely to blow off a workout if someone else is counting on me, so setting a time to meet a friend for exercise can be a big help. Of course, if your friend is just as stress-prone (and thus workout-blowing-off-prone) as you are, this may not work for long. But the guilt involved in letting someone else down generally lasts longer than the guilt you feel when you’ve only disappointed yourself.
- Keep it short. I have a bad tendency to be all-or-nothing about exercise, so finding ways to convince myself that half an hour of exercise is sufficient are important. I can squeeze that thirty minutes in fairly easily; an hour and half is much harder to come by.
Even with these tips in mind, however, I have difficulty keeping exercise high enough on my list of priorities to sustain my fitness through a stressful semester. So I’m asking you: how do you prioritize your physical health and wellbeing? Please share your hints and suggestions in the comments!
[Creative Commons licensed photo by Flickr user Aaron.]
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17 Responses to Prioritizing Exercise
annehelenpetersen - August 30, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Great post, Kathleen. I’m a huge proselytizer for regular exercise as an academic — not only does it burn off stress, but it makes you feel good about yourself, which is always awesome, especially when going through a confidence-demolishing activity like, oh, this year’s job market. My own tips:*Take advantage of your school gym to the fullest. If there’s a faculty/staff locker room or separate gym, as there is here at UT-Austin, use it. It’ll make you feel less weird around undergrads who may or may not be your students. If your school offers exercise programs for cheap, as ours does (including ones just for faculty-staff that are *really* good and not crowded), sign up for it. Paying the money will help motivate you to go and get your dollar’s worth. And forking over 30 bucks or so for a locker will make it *much* easier to just pop over the gym.*Figure out if you can multi-task while exercising. Not everyone can and should — some really need the clear headspace. I’ve found that I can make far less excuses about getting to the gym if I can also use the time to check something off my to-do list. I read — either magazines with articles in my field in which I’m interested or easier journal articles. I even read (gasp) fiction. I also periodically watch shows I’m behind on using my iPod Touch — “work” for me, since I’m in media studies — or listen to Podcasts related to my field, such as Kim Masters’ The Business.*Yoga, Yoga, Yoga.It costs an arm and a leg to pay the monthly fee to my yoga studio, but I might have to give the studio a shout out in the credits of my dissertation — that’s how much it’s helped me get through the stress of dissertation/job market/teaching/etc. etc. I practice hot vinyasa, which not only gives you a tremendous workout, but offers incredible peace of mind as well.
heatherwhitney - August 30, 2010 at 3:33 pm
I’ve got to admit, I probably would not exercise regularly if it were not for encouragement from my spouse. He sets the times for us to meet up at the gym and gives me encouragement if I work out really hard. Exercise is important to him and I know that exercise is good for me, but I do it mainly because he loves it when I join in with him. Knowing that he would be disappointed if I didn’t meet him at the gym keeps me going!
nmhouston - August 30, 2010 at 3:57 pm
I feel so much better when I exercise that it’s really a necessity for me. But there are ways to make it easier: (1) Pack your gym bag/set out your running clothes/put your yoga mat in the car the night before. This makes it that much easier to get out the door (and properly equipped!)(2) Look at your calendar, plan when/where you’re going to exercise this week, and put it in as an appointment with yourself (if you don’t have a gym buddy). If you’re aiming for 3x/week, find those 3 time slots now rather than waiting for them to magically show up.(3) Come up with a plan for 15 minutes of activity you could do at home if all else fails. (crunches, lunges, jumping jacks, sun salutation, etc) Your mantra: “Some is better than none.” Even 15 minutes can help you feel better.
nicoler - August 30, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Take a class – It’s a lot more fun, and your classmates will miss you – and hold you accountable – when you’re not there. Plus, I skip far less when it’s a choice that involves wasting money I’ve already paid. I joke a lot that I pay for motivation. Paying for motivation via a class got me started and in the habit, and now that I’ve got it, it’s much easier to keep it. Excercise before going home – I’m not a morning person and I have to be at my desk by 8, so there’s no way I’ll be awake early enough to exercise and shower. If I make it home and onto the couch, I never get up agan. But if I hit the workout between leaving work and going home, it becomes just another part of my routine.
stanb - August 30, 2010 at 4:41 pm
My only success is if my exercise is practical, so I commute by bike. It’s faster than public transportation, simpler than finding parking. And I end up with an hour’s worth of exercise (round-trip) each day.
chrismdaley - August 30, 2010 at 4:51 pm
No coffee ’til it’s done!
drnels - August 30, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Lots of great thoughts here. I will say that I avoid the school gym largely because I don’t want students seeing me naked. I saw two of my profs in the shower at the gym as an undergrad, and it just felt really odd to sit in class the next day and know what everything looks like all over their body. I pay more to be a member of another gym, but the “privacy” is worth it.@maxpower090, you make a great point about chairty. But you know what really works? I can’t remember where I read it, but instead of making a contribution to a charity you believe it, force yourself to make one to a group you don’t believe in. If I know that giving up a week of exercise means giving $20 to a group I support, it’s still pretty easy to give up. But if the money is going to a group whose actions and politics I can’t stand, I really will force myself to hit that gym.
kfitz - August 30, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Ooh, fantastic ideas, all! @drnels, I have to say I’m with you on the school gym issue; I really don’t need to see my students or colleagues when I’m that sweaty (and mine’s a very small institution, so there’s no invisibility). And I also like the money-where-my-mouth-is idea from you and @maxpower090.I’ve also been using the RunKeeper iPhone app and website of late, less as an accountability mechanism than to satisfy the nerd in me: if I can see charts and stats documenting improvement, I’m likely to continue.
brianborchers - August 30, 2010 at 9:48 pm
In my experience, scheduling exercise early in the day is the one thing that reliably works. If I try to schedule something for the evening other than a class, I’m simply likely to get distracted by other priorities and never get around to exercising. I have found that I do OK at attending regularly scheduled classes that happen to meet in the evening. If I’m going to work out first thing in the morning, I pack my work clothes into my bag, dress in my gym clothes, and go straight to the gym. If I’m not planning to go to the gym I often bring a gym bag with me to work- if someone cancels a meeting or an appointment I can get in an extra hour at the gym. One huge time saver that I’ve learned is to plan to take my shower for the day at the gym after my morning workout. Avoiding that extra shower saves a few minutes on most days. Having a locker at the gym is extremely helpful- I don’t have to go home to shower and change. I also have a locker at our campus swimming pool. Another important thing that I’ve learned is to construct a weekly schedule that includes days for different kinds of exercise. I save the longer workouts (e.g. runs of more than an hour) for the weekend. I try to keep at least one day of cardio and/or yoga in between weight lifting days.
techrunner - August 30, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Here’s another thought in “put your money where your mouth is” vein. Sign up for an event. If you’re a runner, sign up for a 5k (or another distance of your choice). Or if you’re a cyclist, sign up for a ride. It’s not so much about the competition as it is a great motivator to stay on task with an exercise program. Many events even have group training programs.
phdeviate - August 31, 2010 at 8:31 am
Joining a gym absolutely helped me get through the last stages of my diss, and the ramp up to the defense. Unfortunately, I’ve been plagued by injury since then. I miss it, but there is much less exercise I can practically do right now. I might need to re-write myself a version of this post that’s called “Prioritizing Recovery” so that I can get back to my cycling, kickboxing, yoga doing ways! Another note: I was into yoga for many years before starting grad school, and started cycling in grad school, however, it was Muay Thai that got me through to the end. There is just no substitute for hitting things.
eetempleton - August 31, 2010 at 11:20 am
I’ve already talked about how important my dog is to my daily exercise, but at the risk of repeating myself, it’s really helpful for me that our daily walk (which is done at a pretty good clip) isn’t just about me. If it were just about me, I’m sure that I’d have faltered before now, but she needs the exercise as much as I do.Also, I find that spending money on exercise helps incentivise it for me. In other words, if I’ve paid for yoga classes or a gym membership, I am much more likely to go and keep going. Sure I could work out on campus for free if I had any desire to do so (and like Nels and Kathleen, I don’t), but if I don’t pay for it, the tendency is to make it less of a priority.
derekbruff - August 31, 2010 at 1:34 pm
A family member uses that Nike Plus tool to track all the running he does and post the stats to Facebook. Where I see it. And feel motivated to go for a run.I’m guessing if *I* used Nike Plus to track my own stats, that would be motivating. But it’s enough to see someone else do it!
danquigs - August 31, 2010 at 3:02 pm
OK, this is going to make me sound REALLY childish, but I went into Academia to stay 22 for the rest of my life anyway, so…What has really made it easy to do a surprisingly solid workout when I can’t get to the “Y” in the morning is the Wii Fit. I’d much rather do cardio boxing and hoola hoop than slog through rain outside.
eetempleton - September 1, 2010 at 9:48 pm
@danquigs I’m all about the Wii Fit! I can’t do the hula hoops to save my own life, but I love many of the other games and exercises, and you can frequently find me free stepping through my favorite TV shows!
prosereader - September 2, 2010 at 1:02 pm
I rowed during grad school. I wasn’t on the university crew (though I did try out, and was invited to join — too demanding a schedule), but instead found a local club that suited my needs. It transformed my experience of grad school, and I fell in love with the sport, eventually going on to compete internationally. Rowing is definitely not for everyone — a love of early mornings and spandex, or at least a tolerance for them, is pretty much mandatory — but the lesson the sport taught me transfers well: Find a sport you love and do it often. If you don’t like running, don’t run. If you detest exercise classes (as I do), avoid them. If you’re a brilliant dancer, find a dance class. If nothing makes you happier than to be scaling a cliff face, rock climb. It doesn’t have to be gym-based to be exercise, and if you love it, you’ll move heaven and earth to do it. Sadly, I’m currently too far from what rowers call “nice water” to row with any consistency, but I’ve (re)discovered road biking and running.
pengland - October 4, 2010 at 10:54 am
I’m also an “all or nothing” kind of exerciser, and it’s led to some lost time while recuperating. I’d advise planning ahead for those extra-busy weeks by scheduling shorter exercise periods. Be sure you don’t burn your last calorie the day before important classes, meetings, grading marathons, etc. I find that 20 minutes of light weights, with brief walks on the treadmill between sets, makes for a good, short workout that doesn’t leave me too fatigued to get back to work.