After years of being on sports teams right through high school, I knew it would be a big change when I came to UMass and no longer had that team aspect when it came to working out. Admittedly, I definitely did not go to the gym as much as I probably should have during my first semester. This was partially due to feeling overwhelmed and lost within the Rec Center, but mostly because I struggled to motivate myself to go consistently.
The one thing that really pushed me to get back into working out regularly was finding other people who wanted to go too. Now my friend Mia and I go to the gym at least three days a week together. As a swimmer and tennis player in high school, I was never much of a runner, but her track background has motivated me to start running on a weekly basis. While I still struggle to do more than two to three miles at a time, it is certainly much better than not even being able to do a mile straight without dying back in January, and I owe it to having a gym buddy for my improvements!
Having a gym buddy to schedule frequent workout times with will not only hold you more accountable for actually showing up, but it is always significantly more fun with another person. Having someone else there to complete a workout will also help inspire you to keep going, if you feel like quitting, and it can act as some friendly competition. College is all about maintaining a good balance between your health, academics, and social life. I believe a gym buddy definitely helps.
