Working out In Law School Forum

[mac.empress]

I make time to go swimming and that calms me. You are all correct. Making the time to go is key. You really do feel better after.

[98234872348]

If you spend ~40 hours a week on law school related shit, you cant find 40 minutes sometime throughout the day to work out?

of course Im a 0L so I dont really know.. do you spend/plan to spend more than 40 hours/week on law school related shit? Excluding finals time.

coming from someone who can find the time to work out...lol at 40 hrs/wk studying.

I had always heard this to be a reasonable estimate.. too low or too high?

for me, too low. maybe it works for other people, but NO ONE i know only spends 40 hrs/wk. even the ultimate slacker in my section spends more time studying than that. i haven't gotten a lot of grades back yet, so i don't know if my approach works. i spent about 12 hrs/day at the library, and probably another 12 hours over the weekend, totalling 72 hrs/wk, assuming i don't suck at math.

You spend this much time at the library on top of class time? That's like 87 hours a week, total. I mean, I was putting in about 90 hrs/week for the 3/4 weeks around finals, but, imo, that is extraordinarily excessive. I probably spend about 55 to 65 hours a week (studying and class time combined) during the actual semester, maybe hit 75-80 on a very busy week, and I did pretty well my first semester.

As for the OP, I work out 5 times a week as a rule; finding time for the gym is both possible and advantageous, since it gives your mind a release, helps to mitigate stress, keeps your body in shape, and boosts your self esteem (i.e. you don't become a fat slob living off of Domino's Pizza and Chinese Delivery).

[jcl2]

I find the time to work out 4-6 times per week now, and I work 55hrs per week and have a 2 mo old. I think I'll be able to manage next year, the hours I spend working may be as long, but my schedule should be more flexible, so I don't see it being a problem.

A few key pieces of advise that have helped me stay in shape while having a very busy schedule:

1. Run - You don't have to go to a gym to do this, thus saving the time of getting to the gym. And don't be a wuss, there is virtually no weather you can't run in.
2. Do sit-ups, push-ups, etc - even when I can't find time to do anything else, there is always time to squeeze in some lunges, sit-ups, and pushups. Plus they don't require any equipment or going anywhere, and you can do them in your pajamas.
3. If you have a road bike, get a trainer for it - I set mine up my family room and ride for 30min-1hr while watching tv or reading.
4. Do something fun at least once a week for exercise - Go hiking, skiing, or play in a recreational sports league. This way you can combine exercise with recreation/relaxing/social time. It also gives a little more purpose to the monotonous conditioning workouts the rest of the week

I do still go to the gym once or twice per week, and hopefully I'll be able to go to the gym a little more when I'm in law school, but you can definitely stay in shape without being able to get to a gym every day.

[brickman]

I make time to go swimming and that calms me. You are all correct. Making the time to go is key. You really do feel better after.

Best. I can't find any activity that calms me more than swimming. Takes your mind off of everything.

[mac.empress]

I make time to go swimming and that calms me. You are all correct. Making the time to go is key. You really do feel better after.

Best. I can't find any activity that calms me more than swimming. Takes your mind off of everything.

A refreshes you so that you can bear to study some more.

+1 to the law book workout routine though. My books are effing huge...and I'm really tiny.

[jay115]

I think im not gonna buy a car and bike around LA. I heard the hill near UCLA can be a bit nasty, but if time's a factor as everyone says it is, then I'll need all the extra cardio anyways.

[cake]

If you spend ~40 hours a week on law school related shit, you cant find 40 minutes sometime throughout the day to work out?

of course Im a 0L so I dont really know.. do you spend/plan to spend more than 40 hours/week on law school related shit? Excluding finals time.

coming from someone who can find the time to work out...lol at 40 hrs/wk studying.

I had always heard this to be a reasonable estimate.. too low or too high?

for me, too low. maybe it works for other people, but NO ONE i know only spends 40 hrs/wk. even the ultimate slacker in my section spends more time studying than that. i haven't gotten a lot of grades back yet, so i don't know if my approach works. i spent about 12 hrs/day at the library, and probably another 12 hours over the weekend, totalling 72 hrs/wk, assuming i don't suck at math.

If you're just talking about studying, and not class time, I definitely spent less than 40 hours/week, and I don't think I'm the ultimate slacker in the section. Not a huge fan of my grades, though, so maybe I got what I deserved.

[Notor]

Hey guys,

I am very into fitness and whatnot, and was wondering if you still have time to workout consistently in law school. I mean, I am sure you have free time, but I don't wanna spend all of my free time working out. I wanna go out, and enjoy some relax time too. Any thoughts?

Just make sure you build in enough time for gym, tanning, and then laundry every day, especially on days when you plan on going out or else you won't have a good time. GTL

[devilishangelrjp]

Well, I see all these people talking about time being a problem with working out, but if you happen to be like me and will be living in an apartment, don't some of them have gyms in the basement or something so that would cut down on the running around and scurrying?

[Welp2277]

There is definitely time to work out in law school. I study all the time, yet still managed plenty of time to workout. I probably worked out more during exam period for stress purposes than the semester. The key is productivity. I know some people who studied a lot but didn't study smart. I'd be willing to bet that the benefits from working out include better mental focus and efficieny during the times that you will be studying. The key is to plan ahead and have some structure in your daily schedule. I make time to workout in the morning, but I am a morning person so that may not be best for you. In any event, law school like anything else (job etc.), provides ample opportunity to still do some of the things that you love to do. You just have to recognize that you won't have time to do EVERYTHING you want to do. If you want to get a 2 hour run in, and follow it with a lifting session later in the day you may be out of luck. But, if you just want an hour or so to stay sane and in shape then it should not be much of a problem.