Exercises You Can Do In Your Room
How to Stay Fit Without Leaving Your Dorm
It’s often difficult to find time to get regular work-outs in during a busy school semester of studying. Add that together with microwave meals, junk food snacking, sodas, and beer and you’ve got the recipe for unchecked weight gain.
Eating well and drinking plenty of water are huge but equally important is getting in regular exercise and that is the focus of this article. Just remember that hydrating (with water) and eating a well-balanced meal prior to working out will give your body energy to burn.
There are many exercises you can do in the comfort of your dorm or bedroom. (photo by Africa Studio – Fotolia)
You don’t need to go to the school gym or freeze outside (although shivering is good for burning calories) in order to get a work-out. There are plenty of exercises you can do without leaving the comfort of your dorm room. We’re going to focus on two types of exercise: cardio and strenth training.
Cardio activities burn calories and includes movement of both the arms and legs. It will strengthen your heart and lungs and help relieve stress. Not to mention 20 minutes of cardio during your study breaks are a great way to wake up your brain by getting your blood pumping. Aim for 20 minutes of cardio a day for three days a week.
5 Cardio Exercises You Can Do in Your Dorm:
1. jumping jacks
2. march or jog in place
3. walk up and down the stairs in your dorm building
4. dance
5. kickboxing moves with punches
Strength training helps build muscle. Maintaining muscle can be difficult, so aim to do any of these exercises twice a week.
5 Strength Training Exercises You Can Do in Your Dorm:
1. Squat Jumps:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lower yourself until your heels start to lift off the floor; keep your back straight and head straight ahead. Once your body is lowered, jump up quickly, fully extending your legs and land softly on your feet. Tighten your core and keep your back straight through this process. Start with small jumps for 10 reps.
2. Walking Lunges:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Straighten the back and tighten the abs as you step forward with your right foot, lowering yourself until the knee is at a 45-degree angle. At the same time bend the left leg until your left knee almost touches the floor. Step forward for each lunge, alternating legs. Repeat 15 reps on each leg.
3. Planks:
Planks are a great way to strengthen your core and work your abdominal muscles. To do a plank, go into push-up position, lower yourself onto your elbows and hold your body in that position. Try to lower your butt so your back is aligned and your butt is not lifted too high. Try three one-minute sets to start out.
4. Body Weight Squats:
To do a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes facing forward. Hold your arms out in front of you to help you balance. As you begin to squat, make sure youʻre looking straight ahead, your back is straight and your heels are firmly on the ground with knees bent right over your heels. Try to get lower each time you squat, until your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Add 5 lb. weights to this workout to strengthen the arms.
5. Push-ups:
Get into a push-up position (either on your knees or on the balls of your feet). Lower yourself by bending your elbows then slowly push back up and repeat 10 to 15 times.
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