Staying Fit Without the Gym: Quick and Easy Home/Dorm Workouts

By Danielle Wirsansky on February 23, 2017

This article is brought to you by Kaplan, the leader in test prep for over 90 standardized tests, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

Everyone knows that students are busy. Juggling school, work, and a social life is difficult — it’s something we can all agree on.

Most of us make New Year’s resolutions, and oftentimes, those resolutions include getting in shape. In fact, the number one resolution (by a high margin) for 2017 was to lose weight and eat healthier, while life- and self-improvements was number two, and work out more often was number seven.

This is especially true for students trying to shave or stave off the freshman fifteen! But now that those New Year’s resolutions are behind us, students might need some more motivation to do so. There are plenty of options to help you get into gear and keep working out.

Read on to learn how to stay fit without the gym with some quick and easy home and dorm workouts!

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Workout Apps

Most people have a smartphone or similar device, whether it is an Android or an Apple product. So why not bring the gym to you and work out where you and your smartphone happen to be? There are plenty of apps that can help you be your best self and get into shape.

You can choose based on your interests — do you want to lose weight? Do you want to beef up? Do you just want to be active and healthy? Do not make yourself miserable doing a workout you do not enjoy when there are so many options and kinds of workouts available to you, and with these apps, available to you in the comfort of your own room or home.

No time to stop at the gym? Only have time to work out when the gym is closed? These apps can help you out because you can do the workout whenever and wherever! Whether you like yoga, running, or strength training, find the workout that makes you fulfilled.

Marie Claire suggests the following apps as especially great for working out at home:

•Sworkit

•Keelo

•Charity Miles

•Daily Ab Workout

•Daily Butt Workout

•Daily Yoga

•Nike+Training Club

•The Johnson & Johnson 7 Minute Work Out

•Fitstar Personal Trainer

•Relax Melodies

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Take More Steps

Another really simple step to take to give you a little workout is to travel the extra distance by taking more steps. This can manifest in many different ways, like taking the stairs, walking instead of driving, and parking far away from your intended destination.

There are stairs all around us, maybe at your apartment complex, at your residence hall, at your work, at school. Do your best to always take the stairs when it is an option. It might seem like a little thing but it will add up, staircase after staircase, and day after day. If climbing stairs seems daunting, work your way towards full stair climbing. You can start by only climbing downstairs, or by only taking the stairs if you are going up two levels or less. You do not want to start too strong and injure yourself by pushing yourself too far right away.

Maybe you live close enough to campus that you could walk if you had to but you often do not feel like it, whether that be because of weather or time constraints. Maybe you could walk to your grocery store instead of drive, even if you have to carry your groceries. Maybe you could even walk to your mailbox rather than stopping at it as you drive by. Baby steps.

If something is in walking distance, try walking to it. It can help you to get exercise as well as de-stress, unwind, and clear your head. Give yourself a few minutes each day to unplug and just enjoy your surroundings. Walking where you can is a good start.

Another little tactic to try to help you get more steps in is to park far away from your intended destination. Maybe you have to pick something up from the grocery store. Rather than parking in the closest spot you can find, park all the way at the back of the lot so you have further to go. Maybe you need to drive to campus (you get out of class really late at night or you have to go to work after class). Instead of parking in the nearest parking garage, park in one that is a little bit further away and enjoy the trek across campus.

How often do you get to just walk and enjoy the sights your campus has to offer? From puppies catching balls to students LARPing to others just laying out in the sun, let yourself be amused by the smallest details of life while getting a good little workout into your day.

Learn more about Kaplan’s test prep options and start building the confidence you need for Test Day.

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