As an Exercise Science major I get to learn about the health and well being of people over the span of their lives. One topic I have become passionate about from what I have learned in my classes is the positive benefits of physical activity. The list is enormous but I will just mention a few applicable ones; major stress relief, better skin health, increased focus, positive endocrine reactions (feel good chemicals), and a longer life. Now as a college student it can be hard to be healthy between classes, lack of quality nutrition available, and stress from other areas in life. One way to improve your overall health is exercise! Now before you give a negative reaction I am not talking about going to CrossFit nine times a week, just some low impact movement. Here is a list of some exercises that do not take much time that you can do in the private comfort of your room. (P.S. some of these are great to do while studying!)
1) Variety Push-ups
If you are not confident that you can do a proper pushup please look up proper form before putting this into your daily life, improper form can do minor damage over time. This is a great upper body exercise that requires no equipment and has tons of variations to mix into your routine. Pushups are one of a few exercises that you can alter to target specific muscle groups, this can incorporate arms, abs, and hamstrings all at once! A great way to get started is to look up Pushup routines, there are tons of resources to help you make this a fun and fulfilling exercise.
2) Mountain Climbers
Unlike Pushups, Mountain Climbers are almost a complete whole body workout that works a large number of muscle groups. Some examples of what this exercise works are: Deltoids, Biceps, Triceps, Pectoralis major, Rectus abdominals, Quadriceps, and Hamstrings. Now while this exercise is not the quietest (especially for the room below you) it has amazing benefits and is not as tiring as most full body workouts.
3) Stretching
Believe it or not stretching is a great way to exercise the body when done correctly! Now of course no one is going to become a model of fitness by doing some toe touches everyday but stretching is an important supplement to any workout. The typical recommendation is to stretch from 10-15 minutes during your workout but for different people this number varies.
