Story by KRISTIN GALLAGHER, Business Manager— 

The Rec Center seems a little busier these days, and for good reason.

It seems that more college students are pushing to get healthy by getting active.

With spring break in the near future, the struggle to lose those love handles is crucial.

Still, getting healthy does not only entail working out your body, but also working out your mind.

Going to the gym everyday is great if you are doing it for the right reasons. Improving your overall health should be your main goal.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to slim down or tone up, but it is easy to become overwhelmed with wanting to lose weight.

My advice is push your body for the right reasons.

Hit the treadmill because you want to feel good about yourself, not because you want to look like someone else.

Consuming yourself with your personal appearance can give you a warped perception of your body, and that can alter your mental health.

I actually feel that people who stress constantly about how they look are those that dread going to the gym the most, and only go because they feel obligated to.

Instead of stressing about the gym, work out your stress in the gym. Think about how relaxed you will feel after a good workout, rather than how think you will look.

Think of your gym time as your time away from homework, your job and your worries, and I guarantee you will enjoy it a little bit more.

Focus on a workout that challenges your own body, not what someone else is doing to challenge theirs.

Find a routine that feels right for you; one that will give you that good sore feeling in the morning.

Getting fit is not about being thin or looking better than someone else. It is about feeling good about your body and developing a healthy sense of self-confidence.

So forget everyone else around you, put on your headphones, climb on that treadmill and work it UCM!