You were planning on finally going to your school's gym for the first time this semester....until you came up with your daily excuse. Today, you hiked all the way up the hill to the other side of campus for class just to find out that it was cancelled. So, not only did you engage in enough cardio for the day, but your professor's failure to email the class beforehand somehow bothered you so much that it completely shattered your motivation to head to the gym (makes sense).

I have attempted to exercise plenty of times since I began attending college. On some occasions, I actually made it to the gym, other times I did not. This year, however, I've prioritized making a trip to the gym into my daily schedule. Of course, I will skip a day if I need to study and spend extra time on school work but other than that, I have not been finding any excuses. I now feel much better all around.

I've realized many changes in my lifestyle since beginning to exercise more regularly. I can now encourage others to do so as well and be able to explain to them why they should too. Overall, I am a lot more happy and energetic. I am setting goals for myself and not only achieving them, but also going beyond my own expectations. Before, I could never imagine myself having the motivation to go to the gym multiple times a week. I would try running on a treadmill and easily became bored and lost interest. I've realized that it is important to find exercises that you enjoy. Some people may love running, while others may not.

A better night's sleep is also an extremely helpful advantage of exercising. With a full schedule of 8 a.m. classes, it is crucial for me to get a complete cycle of sleep at night. A study has been conducted in regards to this topic which gained more evidence to support how beneficial exercising is for all areas of our health. According to the study from the Mental Health and Physical Activity journal, individuals who get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week will sleep significantly better and be more alert the following day. I am now able to fall asleep faster at night and wake up the next day feeling fresh and replenished.

Also, as a college student, there isn't always free time available to prepare a smart, healthy dinner. Unfortunately, some nights result in throwing together the easiest dinner possible—pasta. The Freshman 15 could most definitely be a consequence if you don't keep up with your health.

If you can find the time to watch a few hours of Netflix episodes, then you are also capable of squeezing a trip to the gym in. If the gym setting is not for you, then figure out how to accommodate based on activities you would enjoy. For example: shopping could potentially involve a lot of walking and stairs. Any kind of movement is better than none at all—your body will thank you later!