10 Easy Exercises You Can Do In Your Dorm Room
Being a college student, I understand the struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Between classes, extracurriculars, and sustaining a social life it can be extremely difficult to find time to go to the gym. So, for all the college students out there looking for quick workouts, here are ten easy exercises you can do, all in the comfort of your dorm room.
While in college it is already difficult enough to maintain a healthy diet finding the time and mustering up the energy to leave your room to workout is just as hard. But with these simple exercises, there are no excuses to get you out of keeping up a workout routine
First things first, before starting these exercises always be sure to stretch. This will warm up your muscles and keep you from injury.
1. Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are a great way to start any workout routine.you can do jumping jacks practically anywhere and as total body workout these will warm up your entire body to prepare for more rigorous exercises. Jumping jacks utilize every part of your body and help you to move your body in ways that you wouldn’t otherwise. They are also known to help you with heart health, weight loss, strengthening bones and joints, and increasing stamina and agility. You perform this exercise by jumping to a stance with raised arms and separated legs and then jumping back to the starting position with your legs together and your arms by your side.
2. Squats
Squats are the most notorious exercises for legs and butt. Squats are a stationary exercise that you can do effectively with little space, making them the perfect dorm room exercise. Squats help to build muscle mass in the legs and glutes making them the go-to lower body exercise. You execute this exercise by standing in the starting position, legs shoulder-width apart and arms by your side, then bend your knees while moving your hips back until your knees are at a 90-degree angle and you are parallel to the floor. You can bring your arms forward to bend them at the elbows as you squat. Then, after sitting in the squat position for a second maneuver back to the starting position by standing straight up.
3. Fire Hydrants
Keeping with the legs and butt exercises, fire hydrants are another workout that you can do in the comfort of your dorm room. While, like the squats, fire hydrants are a lower-body exercise they work a different muscle. These work the side of your legs, your butt, and your hips. these are performed by starting on your hands and knees with your stomach parallel to the floor. then while shifting your weight to one side lift the opposite leg to the side while keeping it bent until that leg is parallel to the floor. Then, bring your leg back into the starting position, and repeat. This exercise is often paired with donkey kick in which you would lift your leg to the back instead of to the side.
4. Hip Lifts
The last of the lower body workouts are hip lifts. Hip lifts are great exercises to work your glutes along with your core. Another stationary exercise, hip lifts requires very little space to execute effectively. To perform this exercise you begin by lying on your back with your arms at your side and your legs bent with your feet completely planted on the floor. next you will simply lift your hips, keeping your back straight, until your body forms a straight diagonal line from your chest to the top of your knees. After you keep that position for a second, return back to the starting position.
5. Crunches
Moving on to core workouts a very popular abs exercise is crunches. Notorious for building better abs crunches work to strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles to reveal your abs. Just like with the hip lifts, the starting position for crunches is lying down on your back with your feet planted on the floor. But for this exercise place your hands gently behind your head. Then, simply lift your upper body until your shoulder blades are off the floor. Be sure not to force this position but thrusting or pushing your head up with your arms. This movement should stem solely from your core. After that slowly return back to the starting position and repeat.
6. Russian Twists
The next core exercise is the infamous Russian twist. This exercise incorporates different core muscles than the crunches. Russian twists exercise the lower and side abdominal muscles as well as the core muscles. To execute Russian twists you start by sitting on your bottom with your feet on the floor. Next, you will lift your feet so that you are now balancing on your buttocks. with your arms bent at the elbows twist your upper body to each side until you complete your reps. To return back to starting positions simply place your hands and feet back on the floor.
7. Plank
The next core workout is one of the most popular yet dreaded of all, the plank. Planks are extremely common workouts that strengthen your core muscles while also working your arms. This is perfect to do in your room because you remain in one position the entire workout. To execute this properly, begin in the starting position on your hands and knees. Next, bend your arms so that your forearms are on the floor. Then curl your toes under and straighten your legs so you are now balancing on your forearms and your toes. Be sure to keep your body as straight as possible by making sure your hips are aligned with the rest of your body and your arms are at a 90-degree angle.
8. Pushups
Pushups are another very popular workout. Mainly working to strengthen the arms, push-ups are simple and effective. To execute this exercise start on your hands and knees then curl your toes under and push off of them so that you are now balancing on your hands and toes. Next, while keeping your body straight bend your arms so that you are now hovering closely over the floor then pus back up so that your arms are straight once again. Repeat this until you have completed your reps.
9. Arm Curls
Moving on to arms, arm curls are an easy and effective arm workout. Since they only require you to move tour arms, don’t this exercise in the dorm is a breeze. Now normally arm curls are done with weights is you have your own set of weights you can use those but a trick if you don’t have weights to use in your dorm room is to roll up a T-shirt longways and lightly tug it this tension with work as a lighter yet still effective option. To do this simply stand with your feet should width apart and your hands in front of your legs with palms facing outward (with weights or a substitute in your hands). Then simply raise your forearms bending at the elbow until your hands are up to your shoulders. Then return to the starting position and repeat.
10. Arm Circles
Continuing with arm workouts, next is arm circles. These are simple exercises that work your arms as well as your shoulders and upper back. Simply stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms stretched out to the side with your palms facing down. Then move your arms forward in small circular motions. Continue this for approximately 10-15 seconds then reverse the direction of the circles. After you complete both directions place your arms back down at your side.
