Everyone knows about the Freshman 15 before they start university, but no one seems to consider the more damaging Fourth-Year Fat Suit.
The first-year weight-gain is caused mostly by the high-calorie, low-nutrition foods in residence. Fourth-year students, however, are so busy they end up eating whatever convenience food is available because time does not allow for boiling water, let alone preparing balanced snacks and meals.
As a result, grads leave school a little bit more portly than when they entered four years before.
Common sense dictates they should buy a gym membership and their weight problems will be solved in a few months with considerable effort and discipline. However, due to student loans, consumer debt and being either unemployed or underemployed, many new grads cannot afford to purchase a gym membership.
Luckily, there are plenty of creative ways to get some exercise that will help you get rid of that excess weight and won’t cost you much (or anything)!
Walk or bike where you want to go instead of driving
Even if you don’t live in a major city where everything you need is right outside your door, chances are the nearest grocery store, drug store, coffee shop, etc. is only a few kilometres from your house. If you’re just running out to grab a few items and you have the time, grab your cloth bags and take a walk or jump on your bike instead of taking your car for such a short distance.
Running/Jogging
All you need is a supportive pair of shoes and somewhere safe to run. To cut down on the impact on your joints, run on soft surfaces such as grass. Better yet, do some cross-country running in parks and conservation areas to add hills to the mix and make the workout more difficult and effective.
Lift it, eat it, then lift it again
Cans (vegetables, soup, etc.) can be used as small hand weights and gallon-sized jugs (like those you use for milk), once emptied and refilled with either sand or water, can be used as heavier weights.
Take the stairs
I played three years of varsity soccer in high school and part of our pre-season training included running up and down stairs for 20-40 minutes. It was a great cardio workout, especially when sprints were added to the mix. Cardiovascular workouts help with heart health and burn large amounts of calories.
Go on a Hike
Many conservation areas and provincial and federal parks have trails that vary in elevation and terrain. Even if you are slowly walking (and maybe snapping a few pics along the way to post on Facebook) you can still get a decent workout. Wear a backpack and carry heavy things (like your homemade weights, or bottles of water and picnic lunch) to make your body burn extra calories.
Jump rope
Skipping is another great (cheap) cardio workout. You can purchase a synthetic jump rope from a store for a couple of dollars, or you could always use some stiff rope from your garage.
Have sex on a regular basis
Yup, you read that correctly. I think it’s pretty straight-forward, so I’m not going to get into the mechanics of it all. But make sure you use protection, otherwise you’ll end up with another kind of weight-gain…one that hangs around for the next 18 years or so (or longer if our generation is any indication).
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