Dorm Room Workouts for the Girl on the Go

With classes, clubs, jobs, finals, and everything in between, it’s hard to work in a solid fitness routine that you have the time (and motivation) to stick to. Luckily, rather than setting yourself up for a long-term committed relationship with the gym, it’s possible to have a few quick flings that will still burn off some calories and even some stress. Here are some workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own room that only take a few minutes and will get you results:

• Jog in place…with a twist.Running in one spot while indoors can be monotonous (especially if you don’t have a moving treadmill to motivate you). Try mixing up this classic move by using variations like high knees, kicks, or using an invisible jumprope.
• Kick some hypothetical butt.Kickboxing may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you want to get a little dorm room cardio, but if you have a clear enough space to get a solid kick in your humble abode, you shouldn’t count it out. Any combination of abs, hooks, uppercuts, and variations of kicks is a great way to break a sweat (though not too much of a sweat; after all you could be working out between classes).

• Push It.Push-ups can be done on any surface; including the unexpected. Try a wall push-up: face a wall in your room, place your hands next to one another and lean in. Then push yourself away from the wall, similar to the motion of a standard push-up (see photo above).

• Use your supplies.Some moves transform your textbooks into workout tools, like the Good Morning: hold a textbook and stand up straight with your arms over your head. Bend over at the waist until your upper body is parallel with the floor. Lift up and repeat (see photo on right). Or for a great ab workout, lay face up on a mat or towel with knees bent and feet on the floor. Hold your heaviest textbook directly over your head with both hands. Keeping your abs tight, slowly lift your head and shoulder blades off the towel, lifting the book in the air. Hold for 1 second then slowly release, working your way up to 3 sets of 20.

• Dip and lift.To feel the burn in your arms and legs, look no further than your furniture. For legs, try the Sissy Squat: stand with your feet hip-width apart with the right side next to a chair, the right hand holding the seat back. Then rise up onto your toes and bend the knees 90 degrees as you lean your torso back so the body forms a straight line. Return to standing on toes and repeat. For arms, use your bed or (stable) desk chair for dips: Sit on the edge of the bed with your hands next to hips. Move your hips in front of the bed, bend your elbows and lower a few inches while keeping your butt close to the bed. Push back up and repeat for 3 sets of 15 (see photo on right).

• Keep dancing on your own. Busting a move can be just as good of a cardio workout as any; so whether you just have 15 minutes or 5, put on a few of your favorite dance songs and have a good time moving, shaking, and most importantly burning fat.