Fun and Fitness: Lift weights instead of pints

It's kind of hard to believe that four weeks of school have already passed. I guess time flies when you're having fun and not studying. At the same time, you can tell October has kicked in because everyone's starting to trip out. Students are now getting the taste of tests that are worth twenty to forty per cent of their class grades. Assignment due dates are creeping up as well. There's usually no in between sort of balance in college; either you have two weeks straight where school isn't hounding you much at all, or you have two weeks straight of tests and projects. Entire semesters can be polite or mean; one semester you're bragging to your friends because it's so easy, the next, you're pissed because you don't have a free night to chill with your buddies. Regardless of the madness, there's always time to fit in you're exercise routine.

I often hear people saying they are too busy to get into the gym or that they have too many assignments to get out and do the activities and sports they like. Well I'm calling bullshit on all of those people and every one of you who even thinks along the same lines. It isn't tests and assignments that prevent people from getting to it, its laziness and lack of desire. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just kidding themselves. Don't get me wrong here, we've all got days where things are completely out of our control and we can't get in the time for our daily exercise gig. When it becomes a seven in a row day affair though, that's when you have to ask yourself whether or not it's because you're too busy or because you just don't want to. The answer should be obvious. If you've got time for Tim Hortons, television, talking to your friends for hours, playing video games, arguing with your other half, boozing and napping, give me one good reason why you can't spare three to four hours a week for your body and well-being.

That's right, three to four hours a week is all it really takes. It's amazing what a few hours a week can do for the human body. Even less then a couple hours a week can produce impressive results. Most people fall under the impression that you need to spend a ludicrous amount of time exercising in order to improve one's self, but there isn't anything farther from the truth. Ask my friend and co-employee, Jordan, and he'll tell you the same thing. He can finish his leg workout in as little as 20 minutes. Most people assume 20 minutes isn't enough time to produce a strenuous enough leg workout in order to achieve any gains in strength, size and definition, but let's just say Jordan can push a small civic out of the snow with the tree trunks he's built!

Everyone should make time for what's most important. You should always make time for family and friends. You should always make time for education and business opportunities. You should always make time for future ambitions and you should definitely always make time for what makes you happy. If exercise makes you happy, make time for it. Who knows, you might actually be one of those extremely rare people who has so much on your plate, there is no time to do what pleases you. If that's the case, maybe you should spend less time being busy and more time doing what makes you happy.