Having early classes, tons of homework, a job, living on campus and trying to maintain a social life can cause someone to put working out on the backburner.
With the help of Jordan Bradley, ’20, we put together a five-minute workout. Jordan, the sports editor for the Chronicle, has a much stronger exercise background than I do. She previously played for the NCC women’s basketball team, however, has not worked out in about a year. I haven’t worked out in about a year, in my eyes working out is lifting the box of cookies to my mouth.
We have five exercises that require no equipment and minimal amounts of space.
Exercise one is squats, three sets of 10. Squats help work the lower half of your body and require no additional space. Be sure to center your weight to the backs of your heels. Keep your feet even with shoulders, your knees should be bent until they are about equal with your hips.
Exercise two is lunges, this time doing three sets of eight. Again, make sure your feet are shoulder width apart and lower until your front knee is at a 90-degree angle.
Exercise three is a plank. Hold for one minute or do it for 30 seconds twice to simplify. A common error that happens often is not keeping your body in a straight, level line.
Exercise four is sit-ups. Jordan recommends doing two sets of 10. While keeping your feet hip distance apart, try to keep your back and neck straight. If you’re struggling to keep your feet flat, find something to hold them down like a chair or a roommate.
Finally, exercise five is a wall sit. Hold it for one minute, or do two walls sits for 30 seconds each. Remember to keep your back flat against the wall and your legs at a 90-degree angle. If you find this one too easy, grab a textbook to use as a weight to intensify the workout.
These exercises can be done anywhere by anyone and can be modified to fit your level of experience.
