Physical Wellbeing

Question #1. What are some great ways to be active?
Answer #1: I personally think that exercise and increased physical activity are more enjoyable and more successful in the long run (pun intended) if they naturally blend into your daily schedule. For example, I do a lot of walking due to my lack of driving and need to take public transportation; I often have to walk ten or twelve minutes between bus stops, sometimes uphill. This is a daily mini work out for me.

Question #2. How do you maintain an active lifestyle when you have so many other demands on your time?
Answer #2: I do not exercise and have not in years. I stopped playing soccer when I entered college and that was the end of my regular exercise routine. I find that I don’t want to exercise before I leave my house at 7am, and I am so exhausted by the time I get home at 9pm that I can’t even fathom the idea of working out. On the other hand, my boyfriend is in law school. He has consistently gone to the gym 3-5 days a week for seven years, even when he was at the height of his stress from school. He makes it a part of his routine. When he makes his schedule for the semester, he plans time for the gym, both for weight lifting and running. This is something that is a priority for him; he finds that it releases stress and anxiety. However, the concept of going to the gym is stressful for me. My schedule is just not conducive for exercise; I barely even have time to sleep.

Question #3. How do you find a balance between all of the things you are supposed to do to stay healthy?
Answer #3: I find it extremely difficult to make my physical health a priority. I got extremely sick a few months ago and was nauseous and vomiting daily for three months. I didn’t deal with it for six weeks because I didn’t have time to go to the doctor. Eventually I did go to the doctor and had to have an abdominal ultrasound and an endoscopy. That required a late arrival and a day off, respectively, from work. This could have been avoided if I had made my physical health a priority. I don’t eat well because I don’t have time to eat. I barely eat because I get home so late. I don’t exercise. I am basically not physically healthy at all.