Now that you're in college you're probably discovering how stressing out over tests or staying out too late is affecting your eating habits and consequently your weight. It's so easy to put your health on the back burner when trying to focus on school, and unfortunately the pounds can start to sneak up on you quickly. I'm sure you've heard of The Freshman 15, and trust me it is no joke. It doesn't just happen freshman year, it can quickly turn into Sophomore 20 and Junior 30. My freshman year I was intimidated by the campus gym but I wanted to still maintain a fitness routine so I resorted to getting creative in my dorm room. If you're not able to be active outside or are intimidated by the gym, working out at home can be a great way to tone up. Here's some of the exercises I did in my dorm room that helped me stay toned -- and feel less guilty about how much Taco Bell I consumed.
Arms:
When it comes to arm workouts, unless you have a set of weights it can be difficult to find ways to work the different muscles, but I found a few great ways to tone my arms at home.
Push ups: These can be done in a few variations and using your own body weight is one of the best ways to build strength. If you're not strong enough to do regular push ups start out with inclined push ups using your wall, bed frame or desk until you build the strength to do them on the floor.
Triceps dips: Using your desk chair you can work your triceps with this super easy exercise.
Shoulders: A simple way to tone your shoulders is to grip a textbook with your arms down in front of you, slowly raising the book to eye level then back down again, keeping your arms straight the whole time.
Legs:
If you have a pretty open floor space you will be able to do almost any leg exercise, these are a few of my favorites.
Squats: Fill your backpack with textbooks or other heavy things and wear it backwards across your chest and stomach. Keep your heels on the ground and arms stretched out front when squatting.
Lunges: Grab your heavy textbook again and hold it, arms straight, above your head and do alternating lunges.
Step ups: Using your desk chair you can do high-knee step ups like this picture shows, or raise your free leg straight out behind you.
Booty:
Squats and lunges are a surefire way to build the booty, but there's a few other exercises I like to incorporate into my workout, too.
Bridge ups: Make sure to slide a yoga mat or some sort of padding underneath you to make this exercise less painful. Raise your hips as high as you can and hold at the top for a few seconds for each repetition. On the last rep I like to hold it at the top as long as I can.
Donkey kicks: These are my favorite because they not only target the booty but also help get rid of cellulite!
Abs:
What I like to do for ab exercises is search on Pinterest and do a different workout each time, my favorite so far has been the "300 Abs". One thing I always incorporate at the end of my workouts is a plank and hold it for as long as I can.
This short workout alone isn't always enough to combat the Freshman 15, but exercise combined with healthy food choices, plenty of rest and water, and avoiding alcohol you can guarantee that you wont gain unnecessary weight.
