While college can be a lot of fun, the excesses of the weekend can wreak havoc on your figure and your health if you don’t take care of yourself.
From mass consumption of beverages to going back for seconds at meal hall, most freshmen put on at least five pounds during their first semester.
Whether you want to look extra cute in the sorority letter shirts you’ll get once you successfully rush your favorite sisterhood, or if you simply want to give yourself the strength that will make everyday living easier, there are exercises which will help you reach your goals.
In the paragraphs below, we’ll go over a few that can be done in the comfort of your dorm room.
Dips
Dips are an exercise that focuses on the triceps and chest muscles. It does this by raising and lowering the body, using your arms as the force mechanism.
This movement can be performed by sitting on the edge of a sturdy chair, sticking your legs straight out, and placing your hands behind you on the chair pan, with your arms forming a 90-degree angle.
Lower your body towards the floor, and then use your arms to raise your body back up. Repeat until exhaustion.
Planks
Few things look good on a body quite like chiseled core muscles. In order to build up your abs and other associated muscles, perform planks, as this exercise is the simplest and most effective way of working this region of your torso.
There are several variations of this exercise, but we like the following one best for its simplicity. Position yourself so that you are on all fours. Prop up the front of your body using your elbows and forearms, then straighten your legs until your knees are fully extended.
This will engage your core muscles with a great degree of intensity – hold the position as long as you can. As time progresses and you last longer, the stronger and better defined your abs will become.
Push Ups
We couldn’t write an article on floor exercises without mentioning this classic movement. If it has been a while since you busted some out, push ups are performed by getting down on all fours as if you were about to plank, only this time, you’ll support your weight with your hands, positioned shoulder width apart.
Keeping your knees taut, lower your body to the floor until your chest touches, then push it back up to the starting position in one clean movement. Repeat until exhaustion.
