This past summer was full of ambition. Of my goals, I wanted to write more, read more and, of course, be healthier.

Unfortunately, the closest gym was a whole town away. A 30 minute drive is not only discouraging, but also incredibly long, boring and could not fit into my schedule of browsing the Internet while simultaneously tanning. It was impossible.

Coming back to Creighton, I was faced with the convenience of the gym. In McGloin, the walk to the Rasmussen Center and the KFC is respectively about a 5-10 minute walk, completely doable compared to the 30 minute drive, and I wouldn’t waste gas either!

Yet it’s  already halfway through the semester, and I’ve only been to the gym once. The cause: no motivation.

The challenge is pure, simple and relatable. How does one gather motivation?

Found online are several articles and websites dedicated to this endeavor, but few of us are able to put such advice to use.

I had planned, scheduled, expected and hoped that I would regularly exercise when I came back to Creighton. Unfortunately, that did not happen.    

College is stressful. There’s never any time for anything but classes, studying, working and thinking about doing things outside of classes, studying and working.     

Like most people, I turn to the Internet when things get rough. But the only thing productive about the Internet is finding out the top 10 reasons Beyoncé is better than everyone else, or how much homework I haven’t done yet. 

Despite all the excuses, there is time for exercise. It’s the time spent watching dumb YouTube videos and the time spent complaining about homework. Why spend such valuable time on nonsense?          

The interesting dilemma about stress is that at times it can be very physical. You can feel stress weigh on your back, crush your skull and drag your feet. It’s very easy to get caught up in your own head and dwell on problems. Though it does not solve your problems, exercise can give you a small sense of accomplishment. Unsurprisingly, that accomplishment is astronomically rewarding.

This article isn’t just to convince readers to exercise – it’s for myself as well. Exercise is not just to keep in shape. Exercise is important for your mind and body. For students, the rewards for the mind are extremely important. It gives you more focus, helps to de-stress and takes your mind off of things. Keeping in shape just happens to be a nice side-benefit.