How to pick the right exercises to do in college to improve your fitness

This post is all about creating the perfect dorm room work out.

Staying fit in college is HARD… And it can seem even more impossible if you’re relying on dorm room work out routines.

But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be hard. You just need to find the right routine that works for you and continues to keep you motivated.

One of the biggest myths out there is that you have to have a gym membership to actually be fit. That’s just not true! Having a bedroom workout routine is totally effective.

How do I know?

I’ve stayed way more fit just by doing dorm room workouts in my apartment bedroom than when I had a gym membership that I was too busy to use.

Dorm room work out routines save you time, money and are just as effective as working out in a gym, if not more effective.

This post is all about creating the perfect dorm room work out.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Our full disclosure policy is pretty boring, but you can read it here.

DORM ROOM WORK OUT TIPS:

1. Stick with exercises you can do in a small space

There are so many exercises you can do in a small space for a solid dorm room work out. If you have enough floor space to lie down, you have enough floor space to do a killer workout.

From weight training to cardio, you really only need a small open space to accomplish all your fitness goals.

When you consistently exercise in your dorm room, you’ll quickly become the master of small space cardio.

Think about all the exercises you can do:

• Squats
• Push ups
• Burpees
• Lunges
• Calf raises
• Crunches

And these are just a list of the basic ones!

I love using Fitness Blender for all my dorm room work out routines because most of their workouts can be done in small spaces, and if an exercise can’t be done in a small space, they’ll usually give you a variation that you can do in a small space.

This all proves that living in a dorm room or small apartment can’t stop you from getting the recommended exercise for college students!

[RELATED POST – Tips on Meal Prep (+ 3 Cheap Breakfast Ideas for Students)]

2. Get adjustable dumbbells

I will forever use these adjustable dumbbells for almost every small space workout. Although they’re a bit of an investment, you’ll never regret buying them. I bought mine more than five years ago and I still use them almost every day to stay fit in college. In the long run, getting these dumbbells is cheaper than paying for a gym membership for a long period of time.

Living in a dorm room will NOT stop you from building crazy muscle and staying super toned if you have these adjustable dumbbells!

Thinking about it, but not convinced?

If you need some perspective on this, having these rather than paying for a gym membership has saved me $1100 in the last five years. My cheapest local gym’s membership costs $25 per month. Over five years, that would have been $1500. So, you can see how investing in some good equipment is worth it!

3. Resistance bands, ankle weights, and pull up bars are the best

You don’t need the giant machines that your local gym offers you (for a pretty significant monthly fee, might I add).

We all know that the biggest challenge with dorm room work out routines is the very limited space of dorms. That’s why I love this exercise equipment for college students: these tools are crazy effective for workouts, but they take up next to NO space.

You’ll use these items for years to come. So, if you’re in a dorm room or apartment and want to stay healthy without paying a pointless monthly gym membership, then you have got to get these items:

• Resistance bands (I have these ones)
• Ankle weights (great for pilates or even just to wear on walks!)
• Pull up bar (I’ve heard this is the best pull up bar for college dorm!)

4. Go for runs and walks

I get that the limited space of a dorm room isn’t the only hurdle when it comes to dorm room cardio.

Sometimes you don’t want to deal with the noise, your roommate watching, or the possibility of a friend barging in asking to hang out.

So, when you just don’t feel like dealing with that, keep it classic by just going for a run.

If you hate running?

Try a hike. A long walk. A walk with ankle weights. Even just a simple stretching routine. Anything that keeps you moving and keeps you in good health!

5. Have a rotation of good workout outfits

Every college student knows that it’s not always easy to find the time and energy to do laundry frequently.

Having a few workout outfits on hand is super important because you won’t have to worry about washing your workout clothes every time you exercise, and you won’t have to put back on smelly clothes, either.

If you have five workout outfits, then you can just wash them once a week and have fresh workout clothes every week!

Here are some clothing items I really like to have on hand for workouts (just click the picture to get the product!):

6. Follow Fitness Blender

I already mentioned Fitness Blender earlier in this post, and there’s a good reason for that.

I’ve been using Fitness Blender workouts since my freshman year of high school because they are the best workouts and they show you variations of every exercise so that you can do it in a small space.

What else?

You can pick your workout based on what type of exercise you want (e.g. strength training, cardio, HIIT, pilates) and the difficulty level you want it to be at. I love this because it allows me to quickly select what type of workout I feel like doing on any given day. And I can always be sure that it’ll be a good use of my time!

The way Fitness Blender workouts are structured, you can get in a really great workout in less time. These work outs are seriously so efficient and effective.

By the way, this isn’t a paid sponsorship, I just genuinely swear by Fitness Blender, but… Heyyy, Fitness Blender, wanna make it one? Haha!

Some of my favourite Fitness Blender workouts that are perfect for dorm rooms:

7. Put your work outs into your schedule

If you don’t like time management, then I’m sorry to break it to you, but you need to also think of your workout routine from a time management perspective.

If you don’t schedule out your workouts, or at least have a regular routine of knowing when you want to do your work outs (what day and what time of day), you’ll fall off the workout wagon real quick and probably won’t end up reaching your fitness goals.

Sorry for that truth bomb, but you needed to hear it.

I give lots of credit to my iCloud calendar for being the tool that has kept me accountable when it comes to working out. I schedule out all my workouts at the beginning of the week so that I know what days I can squeeze one in and what time of day I’m going to do it (it’s always the evening, so that makes things easy).

I’m convinced that if you do the same, you’ll get a lot better results from your workouts and you’ll follow through on it a lot more.

[RELATED POST – Time Management for College Students: 21 Success Tips]

8. Workout quality over workout quantity

You’ve probably heard this before, but you need to hear it again:

A challenging, smart, effective 20 minute workout is way more effective and a way better use of your time than an hour on the treadmill.

The longest amount of time I spend working out is 45 minutes. And that’s on the long end for me. Because I know from experience that I’m way more sore and way more fit from consistent 30 minute workouts than I am from going on sporadic long runs!

9. Find some motivation or accountability

Whether it’s a podcast you like, music that makes you feel energized, or a friend that you want to commit to a health goal with, having something or someone you can turn to for motivation is essential to keep you on track with your fitness goals!

10. Have fitness goals

Having goals is essential because it keeps you focused and motivated. Even if you don’t want to put all your time and energy towards your fitness, having a simple goal that will keep you on track is key.

It could even be something as simple as saying you’re going to work out at least 4 times per week for 20 minutes. Or it could be something more specific like getting more toned, being able to lift a certain amount of weight, or increasing the distance you can run.

Whatever your goal is, it is critical that you outline something you want to achieve!

And hey! If you want a tool that will help you plan out your fitness goals, as well as goals in all the other areas of your life, I have a free printable for you that will help you outline your goals and track your progress on them! Just put in your email below and I’ll send you the printable right away!

What dorm room work out tips do you have for other college students?

This post was all about creating the perfect dorm room work out.

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