Fitness is extremely popular online. From blogs to YouTube channels to Instagram pages, there are thousands upon thousands of workout videos, diet plans, and lifestyle swaps. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram have made fitness more available than ever with countless people able to view these videos every single day.

Workouts/plans often fall into one of a few categories; intense at-home workouts, strict diets, “transformation videos,” and influencer-led content. Don’t get me wrong I love watching toned bikini models flex on the beach just as much as the next person, but we don’t need unrealistic expectations shoved in our faces all of the time.

One thing many of these channels have in common is how they lack real life application. Workout plans will often times make assumptions about the people they are trying to reach. For students, they may assume you have hours of your day to go workout, have access to fully-equipped gyms, and can buy high-quality groceries/meals/supplements. Many routines also rely on you being consistent and following a strict routine day in and day out.

Now as a student, we know nothing about our day is guaranteed. You think you have this cool class schedule? It changes. You think you have time to workout? Deadlines happen. You think you’ll be full of energy? Umpteenth work study shifts come up. Because of this When you try and follow one of these intensely detailed or demanding fitness programs, you’re bound to burn out or lose interest.

Instead of seeing results, you see yourself fall off after maybe a week or two of going hard because life happened. You think “Well I tried the whole fitness thing and it didn’t work for me” and give up.