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Wellness > Health

Simple Exercise Tips for Busy Schedules

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.

Everyone enters the new school year saying they will study more, eat healthier, and work out more often. Sometimes this happens, but other times it’s difficult to section off even an hour and a half of time to workout and shower during gym hours. This list is your guide to improving your tally of workouts during the busy week!

1. Focus on one portion of the body

Many have heard about “leg day” at the gym, but not everyone follows the trend of focusing on one portion of the body each day. Being able to separate days for arms, legs, core and back lessens the daily time commitment. Cardio can also be incorporated as a dedicated workout area to separate into its own day. A little bit several days a week seems much less daunting than long, tedious workouts.

2. Download workout apps

There are unlimited amounts of apps and workout plans on YouTube for people to follow, but finding one that can work for you in your dorm or apartment between classes or when you get home might be the most difficult part. Find an app like Nike Training Club that has multiple workout options and also allows you to choose your level of physicality and equipment.

3. Choose stairs and walk more often

This seems like an easy fix, but this is another “easier said than done” situation. When the weather is not ideal, most people jump into the car or hop onto a bus, but these steps could add up to miles in a single day. While elevators also seem like a great idea in apartment buildings and on the way to class, going up and down one flight of stairs burns way more calories than standing in the elevator for a few seconds.

Although these tips still aren’t easy ones to follow and require a lot of will power, this is an easier way to live up to your goal of working out more often without dedicating a lot of time. Push yourself to take every opportunity you get (even if it’s something simple like taking the stairs instead of the elevator) to lead a more active, healthy lifestyle this semester!

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Emily Steinmetz

Illinois '19

My name is Emily Steinmetz and I'm a senior studying journalism at the University of Illinois. As one of the Campus Correspondents for 2018-19, I'm excited to bring together women on campus who come with different perspectives of college-life to better serve our peers!
Gloriann Lance

Illinois '19

Hi! My name is Gloriann Lance and I am a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I am one of the two Campus Correspondents for the 2018-2019 school year and I have been on Her Campus for 3 years.