Winter is in full swing in the northeast, but the frigid temperatures and cold weather should not be an excuse to give up on working out. Sure, it may be too cold to take a run outside or head across campus to the gym, but there are still various ways to undergo intense workouts right in your dorm or living room. Along with eating the right foods, having a consistent workout routine all year is essential for the healthy results you are looking for!
As students come back to campus from winter break, remember that staying active during the winter months is important for both your fitness and personal health. Keeping an activity schedule in the cold months will help you to lose (or maintain) body weight, keep your immune system healthy to fight off winter illness, and stay positive thanks to the released endorphins that can boost your happy mood.
Here’s some great indoor exercises you can do right in your dorm or apartment in order to keep you healthy and in shape leading up to the nicer spring weather:
Push-Ups:
Start in prone position down on the ground, hands down with arms shoulder weight apart. Raise and lower the body using your arms. Make sure you keep your back straight!
Main muscles you are targeting: Chest
Secondary muscles you are targeting: Shoulder & Triceps
Equipment needed: None
*Push-ups can be done anywhere on your room floor
Dips:
Put your arms straight down and shoulders over your hands, then lower your body until your arms are bent to a 90 degree angle at the elbows, then lift your body up, returning to the starting position. Be sure to cross your legs for stability.
Main muscles you are targeting: Triceps
Secondary muscles you are targeting: Chest & Shoulders
Equipment needed: Couch
*Utilizing your surroundings is essential when exercising indoors. Use your couch or chair to place your hands while performing triceps dips
Arm Circles:
Extend your arms straight out by the sides with light weights in each hand. The arms should be parallel to the floor at a 90-degree angle. Make circles of about 1 foot in diameter with each arm for about 10 seconds and then reverse.
Main muscles you are targeting: Shoulders
Secondary muscles you are targeting: Traps
Equipment needed: Weighted objects preferred
* Stand arm length apart from any walls or anything that will interfere with your motion
Bicep Curls
Make sure each hand is at arm’s length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward. Your upper arms should remain in place. Curl the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Slowly begin to lower the dumbbells and then repeat.
Main muscles you are targeting: Upper arms
Equipment needed: Two equal weighted objects
*Always keep your elbows in!
Body Weight Squats:
Stand feet shoulder width apart and place your hands behind your head. Flex your knees and hips, sitting back with your hips. Lower yourself in squatting position and then come up. Make sure to keep your head and chest up, pushing your knees out, and keep your back straight!
Main muscles you are targeting: Quadriceps (legs)
Secondary muscles you are targeting: Glutes & Hamstrings
Equipment needed: None
* Squats can be done on any flat surface in your room
Lunges:
Put one leg forward with your knee bent and front foot flat on the ground while the other leg is positioned behind. Step forward with your leg approximately 2 feet or so from back foot. Then lower your upper body down, while keeping your torso upright. Be sure you keep your front shin perpendicular to the ground. Alternate from one leg to the other.
Main muscles you are targeting: Quadriceps (legs)
Secondary muscles you are targeting: Calves, Glutes & Hamstrings
Equipment needed: None
*Lunges can be done on any flat surface in your room
Sit-Ups:
Sit with your back on the floor, typically with the arms across the chest or hands behind the head and the knees bent up in an attempt to reduce stress on the back muscles and spine, and then elevating the upper body using your mid section to rise up and come as near to your knees as you can.
Main muscles you are targeting: Abdominals
Equipment needed: none
*Working your abdominal can be done anywhere on your room floor
