Surviving College Life

Get Fit: Dorm Room Workouts

February 24th, 2009 Jamie

Hey, um, do you work out?

Maybe you did… Last week… Or last month… Or last year. Maybe you hate the gym because nobody there looks like they need to work out at all. Or maybe you just can’t find the time in your busy schedule. Or you’re too tired.

But did you know that working out can actually give you more energy? It releases endorphins (remember, we learned that from Elle Woods), and those increase energy and put you in a better mood–woo hoo! Plus it clearly helps your body get (and stay) stronger, and it’s a great way to release tension. Sweet.

Where to Start

There are a few cardinal rules of successful exercise routines, so here’s a super-quick refresher course:

• Warm Up. Be sure to do a 10 minute or so warm-up before you exercise such as jogging, or a few low intensity minutes on the stationary bike, treadmill or elliptical machine.  It is surprisingly easy to injure yourself doing a workout if you don’t prepare your muscles first.
• Cardio & Strength. Don’t focus on just one of these–doing both cardio workouts (where you really get moving!) and strength training (where you lift weight–be it an actual weight or just your own body) is crucial to build strength & endurance.
• Choose Something You Enjoy. There are a lot of ways to work out–you don’t have to go to the gym and run on the treadmill. Try doing things you enjoy, like swimming, biking, or even throwing a frisbee around–you’ll be more likely to keep up with your exercise regiment if you enjoy it.
• Make it Routine. To be successful, you need to make exercise a part of your schedule, so set apart some time in your calendar.
• Be Careful. This is a no-brainer. If you’re trying something new, be sure you’re doing it correctly so you don’t get hurt. If you have any condition that could potentially make exercise difficult or dangerous, always talk to your doctor first.
• Stretch. It is important to stretch out after your workout when your muscles are warmed up so you can minimize your soreness and not cramp up (plus it feels really good after a hard workout!)

Fitness from Your Dorm Room

If you want to work out without hitting the gym, here are a few (free!) resources you might want to check out:

• Ab Exercises (a whole list!) from College Candy
• Arm Workout you can do with a regular chair.
• Full Body Workout ideas from Sparkpeople.
• Work Out With Gwyneth Paltrow’s Trainer (on Your iPod). How much do I love Gwynie for sharing her trainer with us?! You can download this workout vid to use on your laptop or iPod–the universe is smiling on us today!
• Oprah’s Dr. Oz’s Free Dorm Room Workout . Aww, thanks Oprah.

photo: Exercise in the 1950’s by hortongrou

Related Posts

• Dorm Fit: Links to Help you Work Out & Get Healthy
• 3 Easy Ways to Get Healthy This School Year
• Your Handy Dandy Back-to-School Roundup
• Make More Time: How to Study While You Work Out
• Goal Time: Making Your “I’m Going to Work Out” Goal Stick

Entry Filed under: health