I Love Working Out (Maybe Too Much)

I love to work out. I mean, I LOVVVVVVEEEEE to work out. There is just something about finishing a lift or a brutal conditioning day that makes me feel like I accomplished something for that day. Most of what I do is lifting, but some days I absolutely destroy myself with what I call my “fitness class” stadium sessions. Let’s look at my fitness journey in grad school through stadium workouts

Stadium Workouts and Fitness in Grad school

If you are not familiar with stadium workouts, they are practically the devil’s work. You run up and down incredibly steep bleachers and pretend like you are enjoying it even though you are questioning all of your life choices. I am lucky enough to have Ben Hill Griffin Stadium right down the street, so I go there pretty often. I usually run the stairs, mix in lunges, pushups, whatever feels painful in the best way.

My fitness class is a small group of friends and sometimes coworkers. Since I am a certified personal trainer, of course they want me to lead the workouts. It takes a ton of energy, but honestly, I love it. Plus I get to make them run stadiums, so if anyone is mean to me I can retaliate in a very controlled, legally acceptable, cardio based way (lol).

We have two gyms on campus, SW Rec and Student Rec. SW Rec is the powerhouse gym. It has everything and more, but it is always packed. Student Rec is smaller but perfect for a solid workout without the chaos. Most days I take about an hour and a half lunch break and head over there. That is the beauty of grad school. My schedule is flexible enough that I can take time for myself and lift whenever I want.

As I said, I am a certified personal trainer. I do not really train people for money right now, but I am hoping to start this fall. UF RecSports hires personal trainers each year and that is my goal. I took their course last fall and they offered me a position as a Wellness Associate. It is a fun job and I meet a ton of people, and since it is only one or two days a week it does not interfere with my PhD responsibilities.

I will definitely blog more about workouts and what I do. They have become a healthy outlet for me throughout grad school. It is how I deal with stress without letting it turn into an unhealthy habit. If you are reading this, I hope you are enjoying the blog so far.

PEACE