Unless you consider yourself “a runner,” (you know who you are) running can kind of suck. A lot. Sometimes it feels great to feel the wind through your hair and know that you left the equivalent of a 5K in the dust, no sweat. Other times, you barely make it to the end of your block before thoughts of turning home to the comfort and safety of your couch and DVR creep into your head.

And then there’s the whole debate over whether running on a treadmill is the same as running outdoors. Some “runners” will swear up and down that running on a treadmill is inferior to running outside, belittling the 3 miles on the treadmill that you just called your workout as not as hard, not as fast, or not as long as the treadmill said.

Well, here’s your chance to put those people in their place. Studies have proven that treadmill running is just as hard (and good for you) as running outside! Yayyyy! For better or worse, the treadmill and the great outdoors will burn your booty just the same when running is the name of the game. Read More »

Today is the first official day of Spring, ladies! Sure, you might not feel it yet (I know I wore a winter coat to the bar last night), but that is what the calendar says, so bust out the Havianas and madras and embrace the new season!

It’s amazing what the weather can do for your mood. Just the thought of rocking my new Ray Ban’s with a pair of flip flops has me jumping for joy. Seriously, the guy who lives below me just jabbed his broom at the ceiling. Maybe once he sees the sun shining he’ll stop being so grumpy.

Anyways, I. LOVE. Spring. It’s my favorite season of the year by far. Jean jackets, spring dresses, sangria on the porch – there is nothing better. And the rest of the CollegeCandy writers agree. See what they love most about spring. Read More »

Midterms, sleep deprivation, icky weather, oh my. In these gray, stressful times, exhaustion can take over. So if you’ve already downed that 10th cup of coffee but are still looking to revive yourself (for more than five minutes), here are five ways to do it:

Open the Window Shades. If you have them. I am blessed with a bay window in my dorm room, and I use it to my advantage. Light is a beautiful thing. And it’s an instant pick-me-up when all you want to do is sleep yourself into oblivion. So raise those blinds and let it shine! And if you have no windows, get your ass outside!

Take a Cold Shower. Though it may be unoriginal, this renowned technique really does the trick—cold showers are both refreshing, and invigorating! They’re also especially good for hangovers. So come out from your down comforter coma, get off your tush, and jump in the shower! It might be painful, but it will certainly wake you up. If you’re looking for something a little less severe, you can get the same effect by finishing off a hot wash with a 30-second burst of cold. Rumor has it that these chilly splashes make for shinier hair…so jump in, cool off, and rev up that energy!

Exercise. Though counter-intuitive, exercise has been proven to boost energy and reduce fatigue. Convincing yourself to leave that squishy mattress in exchange for a treadmill may be difficult, but it will be well worth it. Plus, you’ll burn calories and suppress your appetite. Believe me—in retrospect you’ll be happy you worked out instead of munching on Cheetos in your jammies. The best energy boosting exercises? Running, Yoga, and Kickboxing. (If not energy, toned muscles, flexibility and useful self-defense moves should persuade you…) Read More »

Spring fever affects everyone differently, but personally, I’m filled with a dread for bikini season. I love summer, but the process of getting in shape for it is always terrifying until I’m about a month into it. I can’t motivate myself to start moving again and take advantage of the weather, and come June, I’m not quite where I want to be.

A friend of mine decided it would be fun to sign up for a race in Central Park, nothing “too serious,” just over three and a half miles. It’s far enough in advance where we all would have the opportunity to start “training” and whatnot, and so she worked her salesperson magic and spun it as a great, fun, healthy bonding activity. We could all run outside together when it got warmer, we could do it for ourselves instead of an actual win, it’d be great.

And it sounded stellar via email, so sign up I did. And as I printed my registration form, complete with runner number and team captain name, I calculated how long it had been since I had even seen my gym. I wasn’t sure I remembered how to get to it. Sure, last time I’d been I could run almost four miles on a treadmill, no problem… but that had been in January-ish. And there may have been an exceptional soundtrack to guide me.

The last time I ran outside I lasted fifteen minutes without falling over dead, and I willed my roommate my new pumps (even handed her the receipt so she could return them for her size). Read More »