Everyone knows about the freshman fifteen; you get to college and your freshman year you gain fifteen pounds. But that doesn’t have to happen; here are seven easy yoga poses you can use to fight the dreaded “freshman fifteen” right from your dorm room and become flexible as you do them too!
Yoga is a well-known type of exercise that is also really good for relieving stress, which can release chemicals that cause weight gain. Luckily for us stressed out college students, yoga is something that you can easily do in your dorm. You don’t even need a yoga mat! Just lay out a towel or a blanket and stretch out. On average, each yoga position should be held between two and five minutes to get an optimal stretch and workout!
Lotus Position is a yoga position that is good for helping posture, breathing and stress levels. The position is a good position to start your yoga workout or any workout with. You do the position by sitting on your floor with your legs crossed, and your palms towards the ceiling and the back of your hands on your knees with your back straight and your head tilted up with your shoulders back. Similarly, you could do the same pose with your palms down on your knees, depending on what is more comfortable for you.
Forward Fold is a beginner’s position that primarily stretches the lower back and the back of your thighs. To achieve this pose you will stand with your feet together and bend at the waist, as if you were going to touch your toes. Then, you will reach back with your hands to grab the backs of your ankles, such as the photo below. Please note that you may not look like the photo the first time you attempt the pose but with practice you can achieve full flexibility in this pose.
Downward Dog is another beginner yoga position that is good for stretching your back and legs as well as strengthening your core. Starting from Forward Fold you can simply release your legs and place your hands palm down on the ground and walk them forward two to three steps, until you achieve the position as shown below. Be sure to read the image as it helps you figure out if you’re doing this pose correctly!
To achieve The Cobra, start in Downward Dog. From there you will, in a fluid motion, bring your head up with your palms flat on the ground. Then move the rest of your body in the same motion towards the ground, arching up until your hips and legs lay flat on the ground and your body is arched up, such as the photo below!
The Bridge is a pose that is one of my personal favorites; you start off on your back with your feet flat and shoulder width apart, and your hands palm down on the ground with your fingertips touching your shoulders. As a beginner you’re simply going to use your arms, legs and core to push your hips and abdomen towards the ceiling and hold the position. As you get more advanced and used to the position, you can walk your hands towards your feet to make the gap smaller and get a better stretch, or lift your heels off the ground to go higher and strengthen your thighs! To release the position, slowly lower yourself towards the ground with your arms and legs. To avoid injury, do not hit the ground with your head first; instead let your shoulders touch first, followed by your head and the rest of your torso.
Similar to The Bridge, Camel is a pose that stretches out the front of your body, primarily the front of your torso and thighs. To achieve this pose you start off with your knees on the ground and the rest of your body upright, then you bend your back so that your head is hanging behind you and your palms are on your ankles with the inside of your wrists facing outwards, such as below.
Finally, we finish with Child’s Pose. To achieve this pose you can start from Camel Pose and release your ankles and go back to starting position. Then sit back on your ankles and then bend forward at the waist so that your stomach is lying across your thighs. Lastly reach forward with your hands like the picture below.
And there you have it! A set of seven yoga poses that can last between 14 and 35 minutes, depending on how long you hold each pose. Enjoy discovering your inner yogi all from the comfort of your dorm!
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