After a month of rain, clouds and general finals’ season gloominess, May has finally come to an end. I don’t know about you, but the last two weeks of school seemed particularly brutal this year. One anonymous junior reported that she “ordered a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich from The Tombs three days in a row to Lau,” while another anonymous source revealed to The Fourth Edition that she “stressed baked two trays of gluten-free brownies and finished both [herself] while stuck in the confines of her Village B apartment”.

But you know what? It happens. People stress eat. Life goes on.

Sadly, it’s now June. Weekend getaways and afternoons spent soaking up the sun after a long day in your cubicle are quickly approaching. But unlike those brownies, those pesky finals-season pounds won’t just disappear. Luckily, The Fourth Edition has some tips for you to gear up for a summer of sunshine and layer-shedding celebrations.

1. Get out there. 
   As the the man formerly known as Louis Stevens once said…

   

   The only way to begin making changes in your life is to, well, get started. Hop off the couch and take a walk outside. Just do something!

2. Make a plan
   Set that alarm for 5:45 and make it to spin class. If you’re still in DC, head to the monuments for a sunrise you will Instagram on the spot won’t soon forget. Consider emerging from the great depths of the Metro and walking an extra block, or two, or six. Just make a plan and stick to it.
3. Find a buddy
   Do you have a friend who #FoundHerSoul at SoulCycle? What about a gentle acquaintance who you heard refers to himself as the “Crossfit King”? Latch onto that guy or gal! Many fad fitness classes offer discounted rates for first-timers, and sometimes, seeing how in shape others are is just the motivation you need to better yourself.
   And if there are simply no golden retrievers in your circle of friends, grab your fellow roly-poly pug out of bed and start YouTubing at-home exercise routines. I’ve heard The Pussycat Dolls Workout works wonders…
4. Don’t overdo it
   As a gentle warning from us at 4E, we’d like to remind you that you are by no means in the same shape you were in during, let’s say, high school. Your legs will not forgive you if you subject them to a five-mile run on your first day hitting the pavement.

   

   Relax! Ease yourself back into a routine. The only thing rushing you is the waning summer sun. And if all else fails…

5. Improvise Be that guy at the office with the yoga ball-desk chair. Go ahead. Own it. You’re on your way to becoming a better “you”.

Gifs: giphy.com