When you’re a busy college student, it can be majorly difficult to find time to get to the gym. While it’s tempting to take that 30-minute nap instead of going for a quick run, exercise is vital for your health. If you regularly exercise, just 30 minutes each day, you’ll be infinitely healthier, will have more energy, and feel overall more positive. Maybe it really is nearly impossible to regularly get to the gym, but the good news is that you can do plenty of workouts in your dorm room!
Plank
Like most abdominal exercises, you don’t need any equipment to do a plank. Merely rest on your forearms and toes and make your body into a straight line. The hardest part is making sure your hips aren’t jutting up into the air. Keeping your body properly aligned gives you the best workout. If you do not have fantastic core strength, start with a 15-second plank, then add a few seconds each day until you can do two one-minute planks. You can also do side planks or plank in a push-up position.
Squats & wall sits
These exercises are your friend! They’ll hurt like crazy when you first start doing them, but that also means they’re working! For both, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and then squat down. To do a wall sit, lean your back against a wall, as though you’re sitting. Hold this position as long as you can. When squatting, lower your butt until it’s almost touching the ground and then stand up straight. Repeat until you feel a burn, then do a few more.
Tricep & bicep exercises
There is a plethora of exercises you can do that will work your triceps or biceps. Purchase a set of weights that makes you work, but aren’t too heavy, then stand with a weight in each hand. Curl your arm up as though you’re touching your shoulder and then slowly lower. Repeat until you feel a decent burn. For triceps, lift a weight behind your head and slowly lower it up and down until you feel like you can’t do more.
Jump rope Jump roping is insane cardio and it’s fun! You’ll feel like a kid again and it’s easy to do to music or watch television while jumping. Jump roping for about 20 minutes can burn calories equivalent to running (and more than elliptical). At first, it might be hard to continuously jump rope, but you’ll get the hang of it after a few workouts.