I would usually travel to the gym on my bicycle, taking it on the metro to the university stop. It was about 30-minutes of travel time. I would get to the gym early enough to make it to my morning classes, usually around 7AM.

Once at the gym, I would change into my gym shoes that I kept in my locker and take off my glasses. Exercising without clear vision was disorienting at first, but eventually I grew to prefer it.

Since I’m not a morning person (or people person, really), I tended to block things out anyway. My regimen included 15 minutes on the elliptical machines, 15 minutes of muscle training using a variety of machines, and 10 minutes of floor exercises, such as sit-ups.

I ended with some stretches to loosen up. After the workout and a shower (and later some coffee), I had plenty of energy for my morning classes. If you don’t mind getting up early, it’s much better than rolling out of bed and dragging yourself to work or class.

After keeping up this routine for a year, I realized that I don’t really enjoy the gym environment. I don’t like being around a lot of people, waiting in lines for machines, or listening to classic rock while I exercise.

Over the summer, while I was away from the university, I created my own workout at home that consists of jogging, jumping rope, and Pilates. I can watch/listen to whatever I want, and I don’t have to pay for a locker or towel service.

I use a Pilates workout from a book or look up exercise videos on YouTube. There’s a wealth of free fitness information on the web. Every other day I go through the Pilates workout and jump rope. On the days in between I run approximately 3 miles around my neighborhood. I stretch daily. I find that the regular schedule helps me stay sane, and the resulting physical fitness keeps me healthy.