10 Steps to Win at Fitness in Your 20s

We are thrilled to have guest writer, Colleen Mita, filling us in on how to win at fitness in your 20s! Colleen is 25 and lives in the Philadelphia area. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 2011 and played on the women’s varsity volleyball team while she was there, in addition to being a sister of Alpha Phi. Currently she works full time in digital marketing. In her free time she enjoys teaching Jazzercise, cooking and hanging out with her family, friends and adopted pugs, Graham and Maple.

Life in your early 20s is hard. You’re out of college, but not really quite sure if you’re a functioning adult yet. You might have roommates, you might be on your own for your first time, and more than likely, you’ve got a job where it’s “encouraged” to put your time in. The last thing on your mind is maintaining a healthy lifestyle, particularly when you consider making it to work, on time, WITH REAL PANTS ON, which is a major win for the day.

I don’t know about you, but I never realized how different your lifestyle is once you’re out of college. Instead of walking everywhere, you’re usually stuck behind a desk for nine or 10 hours a day. Gym memberships aren’t free anymore, and afternoon naps aren’t an option to catch up on your sleep debt. Forget the freshman 15, a lot of girls I know gained the post-college 20. Even those ex-college athletes (like myself!) struggled with adjusting to life after college.

But fear not! Achieving your fitness goals in your 20s (or at any age, really) is more than possible. It might take some time to find what works for you, and you might fall off the wagon from time to time, but that’s okay. Here are the top 10 things I learned in my quest for fitness from 2011 to now.

What You Need to Know About Fitness After College

1. Don’t judge a program by its reputation. Try different fitness programs or approaches. You never know which one will work for you, whether it’s CrossFit, training for a race, barre classes or even Jazzercise (Seriously. It’s my favorite workout).

2. Build healthy habits now. It’s so much easier to establish your goals and habits when you are younger so that you can maintain them as you get older.

3. Don’t be intimidated. Just because you don’t know anyone else in a fitness class, or at the gym, doesn’t mean you’ll always be alone in those situations. If you start to attend regularly, chances are you’ll start to make some friends. Don’t be afraid to make the first move either! I find an outfit compliment is always a good way to break the ice.

4. Being healthy doesn’t always require a lot of money. Money can be tight when you’re first starting out in the world. Do your research and find the program that works for you and your budget. That might mean a gym membership where classes are included, or following free online workouts. Some gyms even offer discounts to younger members. There are so many options out there at a low cost. Keep an eye on sites like Groupon and Living Social for deals, and don’t be afraid to ask for a gift certificate for fitness classes for your birthday or holidays!

5. Don’t try to do everything at once. Focus on making small changes to start. While it might seem like you need to overhaul your diet and workouts and sleep habits all at the same time, it’s better in the long run to focus on just one aspect of your life at a time.

6. Find an instructor you LOVE. Dragging your butt to class when you’re not feeling it is a whole lot easier when you find an instructor that you connect with and admire.

7. Don’t underestimate your nutrition. When you’re younger, often times you can pretty much eat and drink whatever you want as long as you work out consistently. Sadly, this changes as you get older and are more sedentary at a full-time job. Focus on eating whole foods, keeping your alcohol intake in check, and always eating breakfast. Be sure to check out a local produce market or farmers’ market for the best deals on healthy food.

8. Think about teaching. If you find a program you love and feel like you want it to be a permanent part of your life, find out what it takes to become an instructor or trainer. There might be cost associated with training, but they are usually paid off in the long run with your instructor salary.

9. Don’t fear an early morning class. Does this scenario sound familiar? You work all day long, and at 5:15, when you’re ready to get out to the gym, you get a call from a client or coworker asking for your help. Since you’re still working your way up the ladder, it’s likely that you will put in the extra time and skip your workout. If you work out before you head into the office though, you can be sure that you never miss a work out and still have the time to log extra hours at the office.

10. Have fun with it. Being in your 20s is challenging, and there are definitely days that make you wish you were back in school. Do your best to embrace the chaos and use fitness as your escape from every day stresses. Once it becomes a fixture in your daily life, you’ll likely find that you have more energy, less stress and feel like you can conquer the world.

Okay, just kidding on the conquer-the-world part. But seriously, make the investment in your fitness and health in your 20s. You’ll be amazed at the positive effect it has on your life — both personally and professionally.

And if all else fails, remember my favorite fitness saying, “The only workout you’ll regret is the one you didn’t do.”

Any other advice for fitness success for those in their 20s? —Colleen