After weeks of mindlessly watching reality television reruns and only moving my body to the kitchen during commercial breaks to devour my next food of choice, I grew overwhelmed by my Christmas break indulgence of slug mode. It was time to move into action – literally.

With one click of the mouse, I had added Military Science 150X to my spring semester schedule, not knowing the new shapes my body and mind would take while in the class.

As an unofficial asset to the Army ROTC program, my typical day starts well before sunrise. Minutes before the doors open at 6 a.m., a group of men and women huddle outside – some strictly dressed ROTC members, others wearing what appears to be their pajamas, like me.

Monday and Fridays are 50-minute sessions of pure cardio blast. In cold weather, workouts may include running up and down the stairs, switching to run the track and ending with sprinting on the inside turf. An absence of snow and ice has allowed outdoor runs, and the still of campus at sunrise is distracting during the demanding morning dash.

Tuesdays may be referred to as “tight and tone day,” featuring a wide and exotic variety of push-ups – regular push-ups, diamond push-ups, wide-arm push-ups and incline partner push-ups. With little to no rest time in between the exercises, everyone leaves with a part of their body shaking from the rigorous resistance.

No matter the day, however, the clock is the enemy. Whether the time is seen in Lied Recreation or on the Campanile, energy is measured by the mind, and thoughts of falling out of the assigned group become aggressively enticing.

Once 7 a.m. comes, there is a sense of victory as the workout ends. The final 15 minutes of stretching comes after marching around while chanting Army calls. The body cools down and sweaty survival brings fulfillment as, once again, the three platoons join together for another unified stretch.

Every day is a surprise as there is always a different route to run or new exercise to try.

What is most surprising, however, is not the workouts themselves, but how these three days a week of structured sweat sessions have transformed bodies and minds.

Thank you, Army ROTC, because I now love my body. Unfortunately, not a lot of people, especially females, can say this. My body is not perfect by any means. I still have a portion of my love handles, but I would not have it any other way. I love my body because I know what we have gone through together – hundreds of push-ups and miles of pounding my feet on the pavement, one stride at a time.

I can now do moves and exercises that I could only look at in fitness magazines. I started out doing four push-ups in two minutes, but in the next physical training test that I took, I did 24 in the same time frame.

I am not sure which came first, the new shape of my body or my new frame of mind. In three weeks I will no longer have this organized exercise program, but I am now equipped and motivated to plan my workouts, eat anything in moderation and, most importantly, always go further and work harder than I think I can.

My ROTC leaders have taught me to have confidence, whether I am out of breath or in pain from a side ache during a run. They have used positive encouragement and a teamwork environment to foster an “I-can-conquer-this-workout” attitude.

As with anything in life, it is all what you put into it. I now wake up in the mornings, singing in the car on the way to training. I leave my workouts and gracefully walk with confidence to my classes during the day, knowing I have accomplished something worthwhile even before my morning coffee.

Yes, there are early mornings, and yes, it is grueling work, but the days of constant tiredness and aching muscles reap generous and healthy benefits.

All students have the opportunity to feel a sense of accomplishment that comes from conquering what seems to be impossible, but if you have no sense of work ethic or zero desire for a taste of mental discipline, please, stay in bed. You do not deserve to have a butt as great as mine.