College Life is so busy. Apart from the usual classes, homework, research, and studying, you’ve also got internships, side jobs, and tons of extracurricular activities. This leaves you with little spare time. And whatever spare time is left gets spent on rest, bingeing on Netflix, social media, and other forms of leisure.

It’s important to spend time on rest, but it is also important to exercise. Most students don’t realize that regular exercise provides plenty of benefits that impact studies positively.

• Lowers Stress – Researchers discovered that college students who exercised for about 20 minutes per day, three days a week reported lower stress levels and better moods. This comes in handy when you have tons of projects and homework to finish.

• Betted Focus – Regular exercise has plenty of benefits to the brain. Aerobic exercises supply more blood to the brain and increase the reproduction of brain cells. Exercise also supports the part of the brain in charge of thinking. This results in better focus during studying.

Research also shows that college students with gym memberships had higher GPAs compared to students without memberships. They were also less likely to drop out of college.

• Increases Energy – Experiments done with mice showed that exercise gives extra energy and helps fuel the brain. It may seem illogical, but using up energy in exercise provides you with more energy. So, if you always feel tired on a school day, you might want add a few workout exercises to your daily routine.

• Sharpens Memory – We all know how important memory is in studying. Frequent exercise boosts the size of the hippocampus, the area in the brain involved in learning and memory. As you enter adulthood, the hippocampus shrinking and leads to memory loss over time. Exercise prevents shrinkage and promotes regrowth.

There are many other benefits to exercise that will be helpful not only during college but also after graduating. But you may be thinking that a gym membership is not a part of your budget. Or maybe, a fitness center may not be within reach.

There’s no need to worry since exercise can be done anywhere—even in your tiny dorm room. There are plenty of exercises that you can find out there, but we’ve selected eight that can be done with limited space and without creating much noise.

Here are some dorm room workouts that you can start doing today.

Dorm Workouts

Planks

Planks are good at warming up multiple muscles, especially the core muscles. To start a plank: Place both palms on the ground and align the elbows below the shoulders. Ground your toes into the floor and straighten your entire body, especially your back and legs. Feel your core and leg muscles tighten as you hold this position. Hold the plank for 30 to 60 seconds.

Push-ups

The classic push-ups should always be part of a good routine. It uses a similar position as the plank, but you push yourself up with your palms and arms, then go back slowly to the original position. Make sure to keep your body straight.

This exercise provides similar benefits as the plank with the addition of building up arm muscles. We recommend doing 20 reps but you can increase the number as you get stronger.

Sit-ups

Here’s another popular workout that can be added to your routine. Sit-ups tone and strengthen the abdominal muscles, hip flexors, and lower back.

To do sit-ups:

1. Lie down on your back and bend your legs. Place both feet firmly on the ground.
2. Cross your hands behind the neck, but make sure you don’t pull the neck.
3. Once in position, curl the upper body moving towards the knees while exhaling. Lower yourself down slowly while you inhale.

Try doing 10-20 reps for three sets.

V-ups

V-ups are a more challenging form of the sit-up. This exercise targets the abdominal muscles, arms, and legs. V-ups also help with balance and coordination.

To do v-ups:

1. Lie down on your back and stretch your arms behind your head. Keep your legs straight and both feet together with the toes pointed.
2. Lift your legs and arms simultaneously as you raise your upper body. While moving your body off the floor, move both arms in the direction of your toes.
3. Lower yourself back to the starting position slowly.

We recommend 10-15 reps.

Lunges

Lunges target the glutes, hips, hamstrings, and thighs.

1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart.
2. With your left foot, take a big step forward while shifting your weight forward.
3. As you move forward, lower your body until the left thigh is parallel to the floor. Make sure the left shin is positioned vertically, and your knee doesn’t go past the toe.
4. Go back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Try to do 10 reps per leg.

Wall Sits

You can do this exercise as long as you have a portion in your dorm with an empty wall. Wall sits target your hamstrings, lower back, shoulders, and thighs.

1. Stand up facing away from the wall for a distance of about two feet.
2. Slowly lean back against the wall.
3. Slide down as if sitting into a chair until your knees are at a 90-degree angle.
4. Contract your abs and hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Leg Raises

Leg raises work well on your upper and lower abs. This exercise is also done on the floor, so make sure your dorm room floor is clean or you can use a mat.

1. Lie on your back with your legs together and both palms touching the floor.
2. Keep the legs straight and lift them all the way up to the ceiling. Keep extending until your butt comes off the floor.
3. Slowly lower the legs back down and hold them in position before they touch the floor.
4. Raise the legs back up and repeat.

Try  15 reps for three sets.

Calf Raises

Calf raises strengthen the calf and gives definition to the legs. You can do this exercise while standing on the floor or on the stairs. Slowly raise your heel until you are standing on your toes. Hold it for a few seconds and return to the original position.

You can add intensity to the exercise by holding dumbbells in each hand. If you have difficulty maintaining balance, you can place a chair in front of you and lightly place both hands for stability.

We recommend at least 20 reps.

We understand that college life is busy but that’s no excuse for neglecting your health. That’s why we’ve made sure that these eight dorm room workouts can be done by anyone without the need for any equipment and can fit into any busy schedule. They may be tiring at first, but in the long run, your body and mind will thank you for it.

References

1. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/exercise-stress-college-students-moods_n_3936303
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110
3. https://www.medicaldaily.com/spending-time-gym-linked-higher-gpas-college-students-mental-benefits-working-out-292730
4. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/how-exercise-fuels-the-brain/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0