HOW TO BALANCE STAYING FIT IN LAW SCHOOL WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND

I hate to break it to ya but… law school is pretty much a never-ending mental marathon. Your brain is sprinting through case law and constitutional debates meanwhile, your body takes the stress toll feeling tired and stiff 24/7. But who says you can’t balance being an academic weapon while also staying fit? Spoiler: You 100% can! This guide will show you how to sneak in workouts whenever you can, even when it feels like you’re drowning in case briefs and coffee. Fun fact, squeezing in workouts during law school might actually improve your performance.

Super-Speedy Workouts That Won’t Destroy Your Study Flow

How to balance staying fit in law school without losing your mind, doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours at the gym because let’s be real, nobody has time for that in law school. You should instead focus on short, effective workouts that you can puzzle into your schedule.

Yoga and Pilates Wake-Up Call: Got 10 minutes? Don’t lie to me, of course you do. Instead of hitting snooze for the tenth time, roll out of bed and run a quick yoga or gentle Pilates sesh. It will help you stretch everything out and fix your horrible desk posture. If you’re feeling a little extra, click here to check out the channel, “Yoga with Adriene” on YouTube – she gets it. Her workouts are simple, require no equipment and will make you feel good. Yoga is also great for practicing mindfulness which will help you stay mentally sharp.

Study-Break HIITS: Whenever you feel like you have been rereading the same sentence 15 times or your face starts slowly slipping out of your hands, take 5. Instead of reaching for your phone and mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, close your computer, get on the floor and do a fast workout split. 30 jump squats, 30 push-ups and hold the plank for 1 minute. These 20–30-minute workouts are amazing for burning a high number of calories within a short period of time. You will get your blood flowing back to your brain and maybe you will even get hit with the perfect idea for your paper due in 2 days. Plus, you will look like a baddie doing it.

Ways to sneak in some daily activity all day

For me, the best way to stay active is to incorporate movement and physical activity into my social life. After the pandemic, I had a paradigm shift and have learned that prioritizing my social life is a non-negotiable and not something that I can compromise on. I came to realize that hanging out with friends that share my hobbies and interests when it comes to an active lifestyle is essential for my well-being. These friends are always down for any of the following ideas…

Walk and talk: Walking around your neighborhood at home with your childhood friends or family members is super convenient and requires very low effort. Your childhood bestie can now update you on her recent breakup while you also get your steps in! If you’re still trying to be productive, you can also take a group meeting for a project while walking or, call a long-distance family member that you have meaning to keep in touch with. Walking is a low-impact form of exercise that allows you to spend some time in the sun with fresh air and clear your thoughts.

This can help you boost your creativity while also reconnecting with nature. If you check out the bottom of this post, you can see a picture of me taking a walk mid-day with the sun on my body and my AirPods in my ears!.

Run away from your problems: Slap on those Hokas or Nikes and hit up a trail or the road right outside your house and run as long as you can. As someone whose brain never turns off and always has thoughts in their mind, running has become a form of therapy for me. Whenever I am struggling to focus or need to feel like I can accomplish something, I blast some hard rap or EDM through my Air Pods and run until something starts to hurt or until I have to get ready for my next commitment. It helps to think of running as time for yourself and your body where you get the chance to escape mentally and feel refreshed for your next action of the day. On this note, you should 100% join your city’s local run clubs! Every city has tons of run clubs already established and you can choose which club to join based on your weekly availability and the time that you like running. Personally, I attend Rise & Run in Ottawa on Friday mornings at 6:30am every week. If you’re from the area, click here to follow their Instagram account and stay updated on their upcoming events! It is the perfect opportunity to meet people my age who also share a passion for running and to challenge my pace and set new goals. Also… haven’t you heard? Run club is the new tinder. What better place to find hot, fit, athletic, disciplined, young adults who are working on themselves and have goals? To the right, I have a picture with a bunch of my friends from run club who just completed a 15km race together! Check out my Spotify playlists here for music that helps me lock-in while hitting the pavement.

Image alternative text: Me walking on a Nature Trail: I am walking in a bright red matching workout skirt set. I am walking along a paved path next to a green forest. I have my hair in a ponytail and I am wearing white sneakers. I also have my AirPods in. The angle of the picture is taken from above to capture me in motion as I walk through nature.

Image alternative text: Group of Friends at the 15km Farm Run in July: Five of my friends standing close together, smiling at the camera with race bibs pinned to our clothing. We are dressed in athletic gear, and each person has a bib with a unique number. The background shows other participants and open green fields under an overcast sky.

Feed Yo Brain and Fuel Yourself

Food is a massive part of fitness. Eating whole, healthy foods is essential to maintaining high levels of energy especially when you are overusing your brain. Trying to juggle attending your classes, reading cases and studying concepts, you will find yourself either reaching for a bag of chips from your cupboard, Uber eats-ing a greasy 3 Brothers Poutine or, just not having time to eat anything. All of those options are super damaging for your short-term and long-term health and will most likely impact your performance in the classroom. Trust me though, I am no chef. I really don’t understand people who refer to cooking as their hobby. I personally think it is the biggest waste of time because, you spend all that time in the kitchen only for the result to be devoured in 10 minutes with nothing but an empty plate remaining. That is why I like to focus on making myself healthy food that requires the LEAST amount of time spent in the kitchen as possible. Here is how I keep it healthy without spending hours in the kitchen:

Meal Prep All the Way Babyyy: Typically, on Sunday nights, I will spend an hour prepping all my meals for the week. Yep, you heard me. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I will take 15 minutes to boil some quinoa. Then, I cut up some veggies, spice em’ up and then toss them into the oven. For my protein, I will scramble up some eggs with cheese or make a tuna salad. I keep my meals easy peasy lemon squeezy and very simple because between class, commuting, soccer, running, club events, etc, I can’t even spend a second to think about what I could eat for dinner. Salads, wraps, and grain bowls are my go-to to make sure that I get in all my nutrients and ensure that I am full and focused. At the bottom of the post, there is a picture of a meal prepped chickpea salad that I made last week for inspo if you need!

Image alternative text: Chickpea Salad Meal Prep: Two plastic containers filled with a fresh chickpea salad sitting on my kitchen counter. The salad is a mix of chickpeas, diced cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, red onions, and crumbled feta cheese, displaying a healthy meal option. In the background there is a glass electric kettle and other kitchen tools which show an organized meal prep setup.

Snacks = Brain Fuel: Instead of folding for your cravings, munch on snacks that fuel your brain. Having healthy snacks that are easily accessible and already prepared really help when your stomach starts growling and you need a quick fix. Nuts, fruits, and hummus and veggies are great options. Instead of binging on whatever is in your fridge or cupboards when you are stressed, your pre-prepared snacks will give you the concentration your body needs. Artificial sugary snacks are a no-go because they will shoot you with a short and quick energy boost but, then it will be followed with an energy crash (food coma) impacting your focus throughout the day.

To wrap it up...

Law school doesn’t have to be all grind grind grind. Remember guys, your health comes first! Balance is key whether it’s through connecting with your friends through a walk, fueling your body and brain with healthy snacks or, sliding in a quick workout. Are you guys ready to start this journey? Share with me and each other your own tips and goals for staying active while balancing studies in my comments box below. Also, if you have any questions for me, add them to my comments and I will be sure to address them in my next blog post or podcast . Let’s help each other build a community where we support one another in thriving both academically and physically. Let’s thrive and shine together!