Additional Ways To Stay In Shape At Home

I did my very best in trying to find an at home work out routine, but I couldn't fully touch upon the topic. Many of the searches I found involved ads mentioning workout videos, and others included using weights. The approach I was going for was finding a simple, set plan that you can follow, and even though I wasn't able to completely satisfy that requirement, I did come across a few articles that mention various ways you can exercise at home without equipment. If the following information doesn't fulfill your needs, then here's a link to a more advanced workout plan you can follow: https://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/weekly-workout-checklist

The article 10 Ways You Can Exercise At Home Without Any Equipment by Suzanne Hiscock goes about listing 10 different exercises that you can do at home: walking, jumping jacks, push ups, leg lifts, crunches, jogging in place, squats, light weight lifting, dancing, and step exercises. Now before you say that's too much work, hear me out. These exercises aren't required for you to do everyday, but at the same time if you want great results, it's best to do them in moderation. Look at it this way; if some exercises aren't flattering to you, feel free to pick and choose the ones that appeals to you. Everyone is familiar with most of these exercise terms, so I'd like to just elaborate on a few of them.

Walking. This is the most easy and common exercise you can do. Going from class to class, class to dining hall, dining hall to your room, room to class, etc., are many instances where walking takes up most of our day. Hiscock's article mentions that "[walking] will help to tone up your legs, while getting some low impact aerobic exercise as well" (Hiscock, 2007). This article is a bit outdated, but another article, Put Your Best Foot Forward: Why Walking Is Good For You, backs this information up in a way: "certified fitness professional Jolynn Baca Jaekel explains: 'What I love about walking is that anyone can do it at any age and any fitness level. Plus it is good for your heart, your head and your wallet'" ("Put Your Best Foot," 2014). Walking is free and comes with benefits that can improve your body's health. You're really being physically active everyday if you think about it, but adding on additional exercises is good too.

I know my target is to inform you of exercises that you can do in your home/dorm. I am aware that an exercise I mentioned is "light weight lifting," so you may be thinking, "I don't have weights in my room," but the good news is that any type of weight will do. You know those large textbooks in your room? Yeah, they're free to use! Jogging in place is also listed, but if you live in a dorm on a floor other than the first floor, jogging in place inside is probably not the best thing to do. This is one exercise that I feel you have to plan for; don't pick a time when you know people will be sleeping (haha). I also believe that you should have fun while you stay active. Dancing is considered an exercise too, and it's also "great for your heart. Not only that, but it can lift your spirits as well, and give your overall feeling a boost" (Hiscock, 2007). If you're like me and feel awkward when you dance around other people, but comfortable when you're alone, then turn on some music and just dance in front of your pillows! Adding music while you exercise can make it more fun too; it makes it feel like you're not even working out (at least to me it doesn't). Let loose and dance on!

Hiscock, Suzanne. (2007, Nov. 26). 10 ways you can exercise at home without any equipment.

            FitWatch. Retrieved from https://www.fitwatch.com/blog/10-ways-you-can-exercise-at-

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Thomas-Bailey, Carlene. (2014, June 5). Put your best foot forward: Why walking is good for you.

           The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/05/best-

           foot-forward-why-walking-good-for-you