Go to your room - Dorm, Office or Hotel room fitness
If you have limited space and limited time then working out in your room may be the only option. Each year, thousands of pounds are added to the waistlines of incoming college freshmen, that
it's time for a few more tips on staying fit this fall from our experts:
Andrea Metcalf, author Naked Fitness, AnytimeFitness
1. Get out there and join a gym. Whether it's the college recreation center or elsewhere, it's a good practice to have a space other than your dorm room to workout.
2.Keep smart snacks, water and low-calorie, high-nutrition foods in your dorm room. Peanut butter is a good protein but it can be high in calories so opt for fresh fruit like apples or bananas that keep from spoiling in a day or two and that don't require refrigeration.
3. Lastly, keep in mind, when going down to the cafeteria, try to hit the salad bar first and load up with fruits and vegetables and then go back for the other items. Also avoid creamed sauces and dressings.
-Sergio Rojas, CSCS, CNS, CES
www.RedefinedFitness.net
Fitness In Your Dorm Room
Whether you’re a college student looking to prevent gaining those infamous ‘freshman 15 lbs.’, or you just prefer working out at home to stay away from crowded gyms, kettle bells -- those weirdly shaped weights with handles attached -- have become convenient, affordable, and home-friendly.Now you can even get kettle bells with soft rubber coatings for home use.
Try these two kettle bell exercises to get you started.
FORWARD THRUST: With your legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart, place your right foot forward about 4 to 6 inches. Holding the kettle bell with your left hand, hanging in between your legs, swing your hips back and allow the kettle bell to go back (make sure to keep eyes straight ahead; chest up; and low-back flat), using your hips to thrust forward, allow the kettle bell to swing forward with the left arm to somewhere between chest and eye level. Please note that most of the work comes from the hip; not the left arm. At this position, glutes and abs should be engaged. Immediately allow the kettle bell to swing back down with the left arm as the hips return to the back position. The key is to swing continuously without making the arms and shoulders do much work. Repeat for 15 – 25 reps, then switch arms and foot position.
Next, do a SIDE LUNGE to LATERAL RAISE. With the kettle bell back in your left hand, stand with your feet just a few inches apart. Facing straight ahead, take the right foot, and step right, keeping the toes pointed straight, hips back and low back flat. Allow the kettle bell and left arm to swing across the body (in front of the body). Using mostly your right hip and leg muscles, push off to your original standing position, but continue the left arm swinging until it is straight out to the left, about shoulder height. Again, most of the effort is coming from the legs and hips, and just a little effort from the arms and shoulders. Repeat for 15 – 25 reps, then do them same on the other side.
Sports
Working out at home, or in your dorm room will not only save you money, it can keep away those dreaded extra pounds we put on in college, or as we get older. Here is a great exercise to truly tone your abs, arms, and even your legs.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS: Depending on your flexibility and fitness level, these can be done on the floor, or using a platform (between 6” and 18” height). The higher the platform, the easier the exercise, so performing the exercise on the floor is the ultimate goal. Start in a push-up position with core engaged and body nice and straight. Begin to jog in place with one knee coming up towards your chest or chin. As that leg returns, the other leg comes up. Increase speed as you feel more comfortable.
Start with about 10 to 20 reps with each leg, then switch to a ROTATIONAL MOUNTAIN CLIMBER where the leg that is coming up toward the chin, now instead comes up toward the opposite side shoulder. Use your core to create the rotation, so your body should be positioned at an angle when the knee reaches its highest point. It continues to rotate as you switch legs. Again, try 10 to 20 reps with each leg. Do a few sets per day, and watch the abs flatten, arms and legs tone up, and fat burn off.
-Saran Dunmore, Traineron MTV'S "I Used To Be Fat"
Exercise is just as important as studying while you're away at college. It can help you release the stress you build up preparing for an exam or help you maintain your stamina when you have to pull an all-night study session. Sometimes you’re not going to have the time to get out of room and into the gym, so here's my tip on staying fit on campus.
Super Leg Circuit: This is a combination of four exercises that are meant to be done one right after the other. Ideally you want to do each exercise for 15 repetitions and then repeat the whole circuit at least five times.
1. Speed squat -- Do a standard squat as fast as you can, make sure to keep your chest up and not bent over and squat to achieve a 90-degree angle with your legs and back. You do not want to squat all the way down to the floor as this will defeat the purpose of adding resistance to your workout.
2. Alternating lunges -- Keep your body nice and controlled but keep a pace that will get your heart pumping while lunging forward in place. Switch between going forward with the right and left foot as you go forward and make sure you keep your posture correct by keeping your back straight and not leaning forward.
3. Power step up -- You need a platform or some raised surface that at least six inches from the ground. Take a step up on the platform pushing your momentum upward -- it’s like a regular step, but you get more energy and speed. Alternate again between stepping forward with the right and left foot.
4. Jump squat -- You will be achieving the same position as your speed squat, but instead of just raising your legs on the way back up, you are going to take a small jump. Imagine doing a type of a “leap frog” in the air and not actually going down to the ground.
Exercising in your dorm room can be fun as well as challenging but you need to do some pre-planning. You need a bowl, pen and a sheet of paper to get you started. Write down as many exercise that you can think of that you can do within the space of your dorm room -- exercises such as burpees, push ups, squats, lunges, planks, and and write them down on the paper. Rip those tips into little strips, then place them in the bowl, then one by one, just pull out the exercises. This way you won’t have to think about which exercise you do next, just do what the paper tells you to.
Another great idea is to host a fitness party in your dorm’s common area. Invite your friends and dorm floor mates to work out with you. This time you can expand your exercises if you have enough room, and any other light weight exercise materials to work with. Write down all the exercises and place them in the bowl. Do each exercise for a minute or so. Depending on how many exercises you have in the bowl, you should be able to get in a good twenty or thirty minute workout.
View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.
