So, you know that you should be exercising regularly while at college, but you don’t have the dollar bills to spend on that gym membership. Don’t worry! There are plenty of rewarding exercises you can do without hitting the gym (and your wallet). Here are the 5 best that you can do while at school.
1. Dorm room pushups
Push-Ups are one of the best strength training exercises you can do. Using your own body weight as resistance, simply do as many push-ups as you can right on the floor of your dorm room. You can vary the type of push-up by placing your hands closer together or farther apart. You can also increase difficulty by doing decline push-ups (with feet on a chair) or diamond push-ups (hands on top of one another). Turn your dorm room into your own personal gym.
2. Dorm room yoga
Yoga routines are extremely intense workouts that can be done right in your dorm room. You can invest in a yoga mat ($15 on Amazon.com) or yoga workout DVD ($10 on Amazon.com) for less than the price of a t-shirt. Yoga not only helps improve flexibility, but it also strengthens and tones core muscle groups. Yoga is also a great stress-reducer, making it one of the best activities you can do for your body.
3. Jumping rope
Jumping rope is one of the best cardio alternatives to running. While this exercise is technically not free ($7 on Amazon.com) it is a cheap way to get your cardiovascular exercise in without paying for a gym membership. Jumping rope is great for people who do not have time for long runs, and is an excellent way to increase your coordination.
4. Dorm room ab workout
There are a variety of abdominal workouts you can do right in your dorm room. The most basic of these is the crunch, or sit-up. You can also do planks, leg lifts and other floor exercises that activate the abdominal region.
5. Swimming
Swimming is one of the most complete exercises you can do. It builds muscle strength, endurance, and cardiovascular health.
