At the beginning of the global pandemic, many others and I turned to at-home workouts to stay in shape after the closing of gyms and workout centers. Chloe Ting was the big name, and everyone was doing her YouTube workouts. While I did her famous “2 Week Shred Challenge,” I did not necessarily have the best results, but I can thank this challenge for getting me into a solid workout routine that I have luckily stuck with until now.
Staying fit as a college student is hard. You don’t have space. The gyms are currently closed. The weather is starting to get worse. You are surrounded by unhealthy food. Not to mention the masks. Luckily, from the past five weeks of living on-campus, I think I have a pretty great understanding of what I can and cannot do to stay healthy during a pandemic! This is a guide to the best free workouts on YouTube that you can do with minimal space and minimal equipment (sorted by muscle group and type of workout, of course).
- HIIT/Cardio Workout #1: Best for cardiovascular exercise and weight loss
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This is a 13-minute workout for a full-body cardio workout. Short and sweet, and there is no need for a ton of space!
- HIIT/Cardio Workout #2: Best for cardiovascular exercise and weight loss
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This is a longer, 30-minute full-body workout, with low impact options for those of you that live above other people!
- Arms Workout #1: Strength and toning for triceps/biceps/shoulders
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This is a 13-minute arm toning workout; you do need light dumbbells for this one! Life hack: if you don’t have dumbbells, use books, canned goods or gallons of water!
- Arms Workout #2: Strength and toning for triceps/biceps/shoulders
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This is a 15-minute upper body tone and sculpt workout. Light dumbbells are also needed.
- Legs Workout #1: Strength and toning for outer and inner thighs
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This is a 10-minute inner thigh workout. No equipment is needed, and you will use minimal space!
- Legs Workout #2: Strength and toning for outer and inner thighs
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This is also a 10-minute inner thigh workout. Pair the two leg videos together to be sore the next day!
- Abs Workout #1: Upper and lower ab burn
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This is a 10-minute intense six-pack workout. You will need one dumbbell for this workout.
- Abs Workout #2: Upper and lower ab burn
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This is 10-minutes of lower ab burning!! No equipment is needed, and it can fit right into your busy day.
These workouts can be done easily with no more than a yoga mat and some dumbbells. This is what I have been doing for the past five weeks to stay in shape on campus, so I hope they can be put to good use!