New to St Andrews? A Student's Guide to Staying Fit This Term

Welcome to St Andrews! Whether you've just arrived or you're back for another year, the start of term is a good moment to think about how fitness fits into your routine - not as one more thing to squeeze in, but as something that can actually make the rest of term easier.

Why it's worth prioritising early

The first few weeks of term set the pattern for the rest of the year. It's easy to tell yourself you'll start exercising "once things settle down" but things rarely settle down, and routines built in freshers' week tend to be the ones that stick. Starting early, even with just one or two sessions a week, makes a real difference to energy levels, sleep and stress once deadlines start piling up.‍ ‍

You don't need to know what you're doing

One of the biggest barriers for students trying a gym for the first time is not knowing where to start. That's completely normal, and it's exactly what coached classes solve. You don't need a programme or a plan, you just need to show up, and a coach guides you through it. Whether that's a CrossFit class, Yoga, Spin, or Reformer Pilates, everything at SALT is coach-led, so nobody's expected to already know what they're doing.‍ ‍

Classes are a good way to meet people, too‍ ‍

Turning up to the same class each week is a genuinely easy way to build a routine and see familiar faces, something that matters as much socially as it does physically, especially in your first term somewhere new. Bringing a flatmate or coursemate along tends to make that first class feel a lot less daunting, too.‍ ‍

Mix it up

Don’t feel like you’re locked into one type of exercise. Many of our student members do a mix across the week - Spin for cardio, Yoga to unwind before exams, CrossFit or Hyrox training for something more intense. Trying a few different classes early on is the easiest way to find what you actually enjoy, rather than guessing.

Building a routine around your timetable

The easiest way to stay consistent is to pick a couple of set times each week for example the same slots, ideally around the same lectures or free periods, rather than deciding on the day whether you'll make it. Check our full class schedule and block those sessions out like you would any other commitment.

That said, term-time is unpredictable, and some weeks won't go to plan, a deadline creeps up, plans change, you miss a session. That's completely normal, and it's not worth stressing over. What matters is picking the routine back up the following week rather than writing the whole term off after one missed class.

Everyone's welcome at SALT‍ ‍

Our team is used to helping people navigate their very first class. Check out our membership options or pop in for a chat with one of our coaches on Kilrymont Road.