Gym Chronicles: Finding Exercise in Unfamiliar Places

As college students we are constantly trying to figure out how to efficiently manage our time. We need to find time to study, go to class, write that paper, attend club meetings, and even go to the gym. However, it’s easily said than done. In the midst of a slew of papers, back-to-back exams, or planning club events, we may not be able to devote as much time to our other endeavors as we would like. So, as your gym-blogger I have come up with 7 ways to multi-task and to use time to exercise when you least expected it.

1. On the way to class. Is your class on the third floor of Diamond (or Lovejoy, or Arey, or anywhere else)? Don’t take the elevator, don’t even walk up the steps slowly; take the stairs by 2’s! If you walk up the stairs by 2’s to the third floor it probably takes 3-5 minutes. If you do that 3 times a day that’s burning about 100 calories in addition to the walking around, not to mention your butt and thighs will love you for it. So, if you’re pressed for time, on the way up from Bob’s, to your favorite cubicle in the library, or on your way to class, take the stairs by 2’s!
2. While watching your favorite TV show. Maybe you have a lot of work this week, but you don’t want to sacrifice that hour of Glee on Tuesday night, so you give up that hour at the gym instead. Well, you don’t really have to give up anything. Hang out in plank while you watch the Glee club belt it out, or sit-ups, or push-ups, or even tricep dips off the edge of your bed! No need to compromise, you can do it all. Make it a group thing and get all your friends involved—see who can hold plank during the entire song!
3. At the library. Your brain doesn’t have to be the only thing working when you study. A discreet and easy way to do core while you’re sitting in the library is to lift up your feet off the ground. It’s your core that is holding your feet off the ground so when you do this it engages and tightens. Hold it for 30 seconds, then 1 minute, maybe even 2 minutes! Are you sitting at a table? Straighten your legs while you hold them up. Holding this position for several seconds or minutes repeatedly is like doing crunches on the gym floor.
4. In the bathroom. We all (hopefully) brush our teeth in the morning, why don’t you do squats while you brush? You’re supposed to brush your teeth for 2 minutes, if you squat the whole time you will definitely feel the burn. Maybe that is too embarrassing for you? Instead of squatting lift your heels off the floor, it’s a little more discreet and a great way to tone your calves!
5. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Forgo the soda or coffee, and reach for a glass of water or tea instead. No, this is not an exercise, but water will keep you hydrated and healthy, while tea will be cleansing or give you a healthy boost of caffeine. Sodas and coffee may seem like a good choice when you need to pull an all-nighter, but in reality they will make you crash harder after the initial high and sodas and flavor shots in coffee will add unnecessary calories.
6. When getting ready for school. Do you usually hit the snooze button once? That’s 8 whole minutes you could be doing something else. Instead of hitting the snooze button jump out of bed! In 8 minutes you can do 20 push-ups, squats, sit-ups, tricep push-ups, planks, and lunges…maybe even twice. So when you’re time is limited don’t snooze, get up and get a little exercise in. It will actually make you more awake than those 8 extra minutes of sleep would.
7. Before bed. After a strenuous day of midterm deadlines, exams, class or meetings, stretching will help you wind down. Take 10 minutes before bed to relax and de-stress. Make sure you stretch out your hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, back, chest and neck. A couple of great yoga poses that will help stretch are Child’s Pose (21), Intense Side Stretch Pose (10), and Upward Salute Pose with side bend (2).

 
These ways to find exercise in unfamiliar places are great ways to fit in fitness when you don’t have time to get to the gym. If you’re able to do all of these things each day you can’t make it to the gym you will not be losing out on too much. Doing all these things will also make the transition of going back to the gym after those crazy weeks easier and smoother.

Picture Sources:
http://www.insidecolby.com/photos/viewalbum.php?id=152#slideshowwell
http://lifestyle.sg.88db.com/the-fit-homebody-exercising-at-home/
http://hubpages.com/hub/Yoga-Poses