Cornell can be a busy place. It is easy to sit in the library for hours, forgetting to make time for a workout. With constant prelims, essays, meetings, and interviews, exercise often becomes our lowest priority. Plus, gym memberships are expensive! Luckily, we go to school on a giant hill, and Cornell provides plenty of opportunities to incorporate workouts into your daily routine (whether you want to or not).
1When you race someone to a table in Zeus
If you want a table at Klarman at lunch time, you better be quick on your feet and prepared to race from the soup line and elbow people out of the way if you are lucky enough to spot someone getting up from a table. It is a great way to improve your agility and speed. A real life hunger games- may the best man win.
2When you carry your textbooks around with you all day
Even though you probably won’t find any time during the day to actually open the textbooks, carrying them is still a great arm/core workout! Bonus points if it’s an orgo textbook so you can show off how smart you are while getting your daily workout in.
3When you jog up the slope to your 8:40 because you woke up at 8:37
We’ve all been there: you accidentally hit snooze one too many times and you have to turn a twenty five minute walk into a three minute walk. Don’t worry though- this is a great opportunity to squeeze in a morning workout before class.
4When you stand for 45 minutes in the Terrace line
While standing around does not normally qualify as a workout, on a busy day, you’ll take what you can get. Feel free to jog in place, do some squats, or try some other inconspicuous exercise while you stand in line to keep your step count high.
5When you rearrange the furniture on the second floor of Mann
Build a fort using green couches, white boards, and tables, so you can sit and work with 12 of your friends, while also building up your arm strength. Just ignore the glares from all the people around you- you need to get your workout in somehow.
6When your first class is in MVR and your second class is on the engineering quad
When you were signing up for classes, 15 minutes seemed like it would be plenty of time to make it from one end of campus to the other. Now the extra cardio is a beloved part of your morning routine.
7When you make a million trips between Libe and the stacks
Stair workouts are great for your glutes, calves, and abs. So after sitting in the stacks all day, take the stairs instead of the elevator to get your blood flowing. Nevermind that after each of these trips, you come back with an iced caramel macchiato, a cookie, and a bag of chips.
Although some of these workouts will probably do more to increase your muscle tone than others, Cornell really does provide a lot of opportunities to avoid the Freshman 15. We are lucky to go to school surrounded by trails to run on and gorges to hike, so there are tons of ways to stay in shape, even if you hate the gym.
