How do you gals/guys do it? I am taking 18 hours and my commute to school is 2 hours a day. What are some tricks of the trade? I have been avoiding rush hour by working out after class but today I was just to darn tired and have too much work to do. I feel only a little bad for skipping the gym.

I am conflicted at what should come first in my life school or getting fit! Argh! Frustrating!

I would definitely try to get a workout in after classes, especially if you would be avoiding rush hour. Bring some fruit or something to snack on to give you a little bit of energy before you go to workout. Also, see if the gym at your school offers group classes that you can take those are usually a lot of fun!

Group classes are great. I have quite a few scheduled into my week and they keep me going!

School will always come first in my life. I'm paying for my education and darn it, I'm going to finish on-time, with the best grades I can manage. IMO, school is my job right now. Granted, I don't have a two hour commute ( i could walk to my campus in less than two hours), but I just have to learn to plan my time better to be able to fit in both school work and gym time.

That being said, maybe a traditional gym isn't right for you right now. Grab a couple exercise videos that you could do at home, get a set of weights for strength training and turn your living room into a gym. that way, if the mood strikes for you to work out at three am, you can do so.

I too am taking classes, spend hours every week waiting for buses. Am only starting on my "getting fit" mode though, so just the numerous walks across campus are doing it for me! Is there a health center at the school? Mine has workout classes, a pool etc, (though I have yet to go). Wonder if that is an option for you? Between your other classes? Best of luck!

This is my opinion on it and I can def. relate. I was working full time, going to school full time, AND trying to lose weight. It is a tough thing to do. But if you get in the mindset that those 30-60 minutes of working out is just like any other responsibility, you will fit it in your schedule. Think of it like this, when you have an extra "meeting" outside of work, or a group study session or grocery shopping; these are all responsibilites that you make time for no matter how inconvenient because you know you have to do them. Think of the gym as another course youre taking in school. Its just your last class for the day! It's easy to talk yourself out of the gym when you have a lot on your plate. Heck! Even when you dont. But it will be worth it in the end. Dont think of the long run and all that you have to do. Take everything day by day. That will help out a lot with stress!!

Good luck hun!

Thanks for all the kind words and advice. It is not that I do not want to run, I love running and look forward to it everyday, but some days I literally can not stay awake even in class and then have to go home to read 200 pages and write two essays. This is the best I can manage my time. I wake up at 8 and go to be at 2 with out much of anything besides school and working out. I browse the internet on my train ride cause 1. I need a break and 2. I cannot concentrate enough to read my school work. I guess I just needed to vent. I am sure as the semester goes on everything will get worked out. I just DO NOT want to give up the one thing I love in my life and loves me, right now and it seems school is gunna make me do that.

I can relate, I work almost 40 hours a week, but I am going to join a team so that I am accountable and will have a ton of fun!. Maybe your school offers intramurals?

Yea I take classes so I have to go. Its hard though, I find sometimes I need to make a decision between studying and working out. At the moment working out is winning so my weight loss is going really well but I'm just scraping through my courses

I'm in grad school, so not quite the same thing, but I do work 40+ hours a week and commute 2 hours to school 2 days a week - I just tend to leave work early to avoid rush hour and work out in my "down time."

I'd definately recommend working out after class, or before class, if you can manage. Just schedule it into your day, and as someone said, make sure you have a snack that can energize you. This is probably terrible, but I tend to have iced coffee on my drive up to school. By the time I get there, I'm ready and raring to go.

Yeah. I am in that same boat. I normally work a few days a week 5am-either 11am or 2pm. Then come back and work 430p-8p. SO my time is very valuable as i normally am in bed by 10... unheard of in college right? I just try and fit it in. I work at a pool so swimming for me is always an option. But I also work in downtown indianapolis and theres a canal thats abtou 3miles i can always run. So it's really about using your resources and time management. It kinda sucks because it's kinda taking away from my personal relationships but at the same time i know that this is bettering me. just keep focusing on the positive. and like Dianne said you have to make time for it like anything else.

The easiest way I found to combine school and fitness was to pick my classes with a built-in break long enough to go to the school's fitness center. Last semester I put 1.5 hours between my classes. That way, I'm either sitting around bored or I go to the gym. I usually go to the gym. It's just enough time to be motivated to get busy while I'm there... otherwise I just dick around for an hour lol