Although the Recreational Sports Facility removed its reservation system, you may still be hesitant to go considering its limited amount of equipment and an increased chance of close contact. Whether you’re worried about how you can stay fit or debating whether or not to purchase a local gym membership, rest assured — here are some ways you can integrate exercise into your everyday life to stay fit without the gym!

Power walk to your classes 

Wear walking shoes and power walk through the hilly campus for a full workout. For extra movement, shuffle your arms sideways as if you’re marching. Make sure to wear deodorant beforehand and try to keep a straight back despite having a backpack on; you can tighten the straps if the backpack bounces too much. Walking is great not only for your stamina, but also for your legs and core. 

Strengthen your arms with heavy groceries

Milk, yogurt, apples, meat — with whatever you purchased, the heavier the load, the more intense the workout will be. Decide if you want to work out your triceps or biceps and start by balancing the groceries evenly in two bags — one for each hand. For your biceps, try bicep curls by lifting the groceries up in front of you with your palms facing upward. For triceps, pull your elbows behind with your palms facing downward or, if you are able to, lift them above your head for some tricep extensions. For both, your arms should stay parallel to your sides.

Work your butt and thighs while standing

Whenever you have a chance to stand still — while cooking, brushing your teeth or standing in line — get some butt exercise through leg kickbacks. Kick your right leg to the right first, then your left leg to the left, right to the back and left to the back. Try matching it with whatever you’re doing; if you are brushing your teeth, kick the right leg while brushing your right teeth. You can even take breaks in between sets to incorporate squats or lunges around the kitchen for an additional push on your quads.

Build abs during Zoom classes

For all your virtual classes, whether you’re sitting in the library or at your desk back home, hold your legs out straight to strengthen your abdominal muscles. If your professor uses presentation slides, try to hold out your legs for each slide, taking breaks only during transitions. You can also alternate this with thigh workouts, where you can hold an object, such as a pen, in between your knees. The challenge is to keep a straight face, learn the class material and participate in discussions through it all.

Wind down by breaking a sweat

Just before you sleep, get some exercise while laying down on your bed. Get in some cardio with air bicycles or strengthen your core with leg raises, scissor lifts, reverse crunches and bicycle crunches. The bed is also a good place to stretch out your muscles! Stretch out your full body vertically and stretch your back by getting in a pretzel position. If you don’t want to sweat before going to bed, try them in the morning as soon as you open your eyes to wake up and get blood pumping through your body for the day.

There you have it — a full body workout you can incorporate throughout your daily routine. Whether the RSF is too full or it’s your schedule that is too packed for the gym, we at the Clog hope you can maintain a healthy body with these exercises.