With the holiday season in full swing and the added stress of finals coming up, our lives seem to get extra busy this time of year! Often times, our workouts are the first thing to go when we get caught up in a hectic schedule. However, according to the Mayo Clinic and numerous other sources, exercise is one of the most important things you can do to take control of stress. Let me guess, right now you’re thinking that you have heard this information a million times and “I know exercise is good for me but I’m just too busy to go to the gym.” Well, here is some good news Bruins! By simply being active, you can benefit from boosted endorphins, a better mood, and less anxiety. Even something as simple as stretching for five minutes can have big health benefits when it comes to reducing stress. HerCampus has a few ideas for you to squeeze in a little exercise into the coming holiday months!
- Follow this 15 minute strength training routine that you can do in your dorm, apartment, sorority house, or wherever! That’s the best part about this routine; its fast, involves no equipment, and you can even do it in your pajamas! You owe yourself these 15 minutes twice or three times a week to focus on the stress-reducing benefits that exercise can provide!
Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps of each of the following exercises:
- Push-ups
- Planks
- Tricep dips
- Lunges
- 75 bicycle crunches
- If you already have a weekly exercise routine, do your best to stick to it. Maintaining your normal exercise regime will bring order and structure to this busy holiday and finals season. However, if needed, substitute one of your typical workouts for the 15-minute strength training (see above) routine when necessary. For example, if you normally do 30 minutes of high intensity cardio on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, substitute Friday’s workout with a less intense one, and do what you normally do on Monday and Wednesday.
- As college students, we find ourselves doing a lot of walking! We walk to and from class, into Westwood, to club meetings, and more. If you can’t find the time or energy to get a workout in, there are many things that you probably already do in your daily life that count as some form of exercise. So just make sure to keep up walking to and from class and take the long way or stairs when possible…remember that each of these steps will add up!
*Below are the links to the easy at home workout, and an article about the benefits of exercise
http://www.self.com/fitness/blogs/freshfitnesstips/2011/11/your-lazy-thanksgiving-workout.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-and-stress/SR00036/NSECTIONGROUP=2