Everyday objects that can be used for exercise.

    If there’s one thing Garry Y. Itkin knows about college life in the U.S., it’s that it’s incredibly expensive. Because of all the expenses college students face in school alone, they have very little left in their budget for anything else, including health and wellness.

However, Garry has come up with ways to maintain a health and fitness lifestyle minus the heavy price tag that often comes with it, and he has shared these ways via his series of blogs.

For today’s blog, Garry lists a number of everyday things at home or in a dorm that college students, or anyone else for that matter, may use for exercise. 

Image source: inquirer.com

Plastic bottles and containers

Water and soda bottles, and other household containers, when emptied, by themselves, may be virtually weightless. However, put water in them and they become good substitutes for light dumbbells. Garry Y. Itkin recommends ones that can be gripped easily or with handles.

Stairs

Many fitness enthusiasts use good old-fashioned stairs for their cardio routines. Going up and down a flight of stairs is great exercise. When done repeatedly under time, it can really burn calories and fat, and boost heart and lung capacity.

Image source: thenational.ae

Chairs

A good sturdy chair can be used to many different exercises. From chair squats (for those who have trouble doing full squats) to chair dips, chairs are one of the most overlooked equipment in terms of fitness, adds Garry Y. Itkin.

Some exercises for upper body toning without weights.

Living the college life truly presents you with limited options to do the things you want to do. However, in the case of freshman biology student Garry Y. Itkin, this has not stopped him from doing one of the things he is passionate about, which is fitness. In this blog, he shares some exercises that can help you tone your upper body, without using any equipment. 

Image source: popsugar.com

1. Push-up Push-ups are very popular for those who really want a good workout on the major muscle groups of the body, but with a limited space to do it. This particularly strengthens the shoulders, abdominal muscles, and the chest. For beginners who may find this a tad too challenging, decrease the resistance and use your knees as your fulcrum instead of your feet, suggests Garry Y. Itkin.

2. Plank The plank is simple enough to understand because all you really need to do is use up the same space as you would in doing pushups, and hold your position while remaining as motionless as a wooden plank. However, this is not simple to undergo because it really challenges your core. That’s what makes it effective in sculpting and strengthening your abdominal muscles. 

Image source: menshealth.com

3. Triceps box dip This exercise specifically targets your triceps, shoulders, and chest. Sitting on the floor, you can start with your back facing a step or a chair with your feet extended forward. Place your hands on top of the chair with your fingers pointing towards your body, and gently lift yourself up. This will surely tone your arms perfectly in the long run, shares Garry Y. Itkin.

The simple fact is, you don’t really need a lot of space or equipment to be at the top of your fitness game. What’s more important is your commitment to go through the motions with these simple upper body exercises.

Budgeting your finances in college for better and healthier living.

     Many young adults discover in college that newfound independence can be costly. They might end up spending their allowances on non-essentials like junk food and end up shorting their own wallet. If this is your or someone you know, the good news is managing your finances is a habit anybody can learn. Here are following things you can do to start being financially secure while staying in school according to Garry Y. Itkin.

Image source:  bestow.com

The first thing you need to learn is categorizing items into needs versus wants. When we say need, it’s something essential to living like food, clothing, or housing. As for wants, these are things that are nice to have but are ultimately things you can do without like a Netflix subscription. Once you know what those are, you can start zeroing on things that you must absolutely have room for in your budget according to Garry Y. Itkin.

Now you need to make an actual budget which is a laundry list of items you need to spend on for a particular period of time alongside their costs. This will help you ensure you’ve covered all your bases while tracking how much money you have left. This will show you if you’re financially healthy or you have to tighten your belt until you get your next round of finances as per Garry Y. Itkin.

Image source: secureservercdn.net

Of course, it won’t be all roses all the time. If you’re working with less money that you really need, will need to sacrifice spending on luxury items like eating out or subscribing to video streaming services. You’ll have to make sure you stop spending and recalculate your finances accordingly. Just divide your money and mindfully live according to your daily limits.

Budgeting can be difficult but if you have a lot of self-discipline, you’ll get by and manage.

How hard workouts can benefit the mind.

 Among Garry Y. Itkin’s favorite things about going hard on workouts are the mental benefits it carries for him. He explains that these benefits aren’t more evident than when he does HIIT and CrossFit routines. 

Image source: crossfittidalwave.com

 
Here are some examples of how hard workouts can benefit the mind.

Lowered stress levels: Any workout is a great stress-reliever. However, Garry Y. Itkin notes that the more intense the exercise, the more a person can release their pent-up stress. Hard workouts also cause the brain to release endorphins, which puts a person in a much more positive frame of mind.

Better sleep: Mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, and the like all affect a person’s sleep, which in turn affects their physical and mental well-being. Hard workouts have the power to tire a person out to the point that they will be able to catch some much-needed sleep. 

Image source: fitandme.com

Increased self-appreciation: Garry Y. Itkin mentions that one of the most pleasant benefits that people received from regularly doing HIIT and CrossFit routines is developing a healthy appreciation for themselves and their bodies. With all the positive physical results, people who do these hard workouts see themselves in a different light, with much more confidence.

CrossFit and Intermittent Fasting: How effective are they?

Garry Y. Itkin is all about fitness and health, especially in the context of college life. He shares some of the things he’s learned in blogs.

For today, he looks at two incredibly popular fitness movements that have gained momentum over the past two decades – CrossFit and intermittent fasting, or IF. He has seen a number of people who have combined both and have showed spectacular results. 

 

Image source: health.harvard.edu

However, Garry Y. Itkin has become overly conscious of the sustainability of it all. After all, as far as fitness goes, if something cannot be done for the rest of one’s life, can it really be worth doing? For him, effectivity is connected to sustainability.

CrossFit is quite intense and extreme and may not be good on a person’s joints when done every day. But when done three to four times a week, it can be a good replacement for ordinary cardio and weight training. So, is CrossFit sustainable, Garry Y. Itkin notes that if one can afford it, the answer is very much so. 

Image source: health.harvard.edu

Intermittent fasting on the other hand, is a different matter entirely. While it may be effective in quick weight loss, Garry Y. Itkin explains that IF is by no means sustainable. Not to eat for over half of the day has obvious obstacles such as scheduling and the like. What he suggests is to do IF on a cycle basis, while doing CrossFit regularly.

Mindset: The other half of a sustainable fit lifestyle.

In all his years studying and learning about the important and finer points of fitness, Garry Y. Itkin has come to believe several undeniable truths. One of the most important of these truths is that in sustaining a fit lifestyle, one's mindset is just as important as anything else.

Here are some things people who are on their way to their health goals have to remember about their mindset.

Overcoming the “I just don’t wanna do it” mentality

Image source: active.com

When people don't want to exercise, they will come up with almost every excuse known to man. They don't have the time. They don't have the equipment. They feel like they're coming down with something. Whatever it is, the root of these reasons is that they simply don't want to work out.

If a person wants to, they will find ways to overcome the hurdles. This is part of the mindset of people who successfully transform themselves and sustain their healthy lifestyle.

Listening to one’s body

Image source: viralsmoke.com

Like many of life's endeavors, safety still takes priority in sustaining a healthy lifestyle. What does this mean when cultivating the proper mindset? One should always consider their limit and listen to their body. If the body says it had enough for the day, then it's time to rest.

Garry Y. Itkin explains that there is no shame in calling it a day and continuing tomorrow or the next scheduled workout session. Take care of your body, and it will take care of you.

Pandemic preparations: Improving lung health.

Garry Y. Itkin continues to do whatever he can do to help in the battle against COVID-19. Today, he shares some very important tips on activities that people can do to improve overall lung and heart health, which is key, especially given the fact that the virus targets both these vital organs.

Regular cardio

Even if it’s just jogging in place, raising one’s heart rate can do wonders for both the lungs and heart. Cardio exercises promote the excellent circulation of both blood and oxygen. Garry Y. Itkin mentions that people can go slow at first, especially those who are doing cardio exercises for the first time. Then they can gradually increase the intensity, and maybe even do full-on high-intensity interval training, or HIIT when they’ve ramped up their fitness levels.

Breathing exercises

Several breathing exercises found on the internet are pretty effective, Garry Y. Itkin notes. While breathing exercises may seem mundane at first, because it’s something people do every second of every minute, they require effort from the lungs. They expand and contract and strengthen the lungs. Inhaling steam while doing these exercises makes it twice as effective.

Sleep

Sleep may probably be the most overlooked activity in health and fitness. Garry Y. Itkin explains that in sleep, the body repairs itself. The lack of a good night’s rest can have negative effects on the body that can range from mild to severe. At least seven hours of sleep should do the trick.

Can a regular fitness routine have a significant impact on chronic diseases?

For today’s blog, Garry Y. Itkin discusses how significant an impact a regular fitness routine could have on the lives of people suffering from chronic diseases.

Chronic diseases are diseases that stay with a person, and given the wrong circumstance could worsen over time. Diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and muscle and joint pain are some examples of these chronic diseases.

Image source: bodylifeonline.bodyandlifestyle.com

Fitness routines, on the other hand, range from weightlifting and running to doing sports and even simple walking. The concept with regular fitness routines is to keep oneself active enough to elevate the heart rate and boost metabolism.

Aerobic exercise is an effective fitness routine that helps those who suffer from heart disease and diabetes, as it is known to improve blood circulation and aid in weight loss – two crucial factors in the battle against these two chronic diseases. Aerobic exercises have also been known to increase lung strength, which is key for people with asthma.

Image source: everydayhealth.com

As for people with muscle and joint pain, swimming is one of the best exercises since it is both low-impact and therapeutic to the body.

However, whatever exercise a person struggling with a chronic disease chooses to do, Garry Y. Itkin mentions that it is still always prudent to consult with a physician first to get clearance.

Complete fitness: Getting the job done in 30 minutes

Garry Y. Itkin knows all too well the rigors of college life. The demands of higher learning on a student’s time and body make it easy to take one’s health and fitness for granted. Fortunately, fitness instructors have come out with a series of workouts that get the job done in half-an-hour, and they say anyone can do it.

Here’s how.

Step 1: Plan a complete routine.

A complete routine includes a warm-up, stretch, and cool-down, with each being 3-5 minutes long. This leaves more than enough time for an effective workout. To put in the exercises, one can search the internet or ask a personal trainer for examples.

Step 2: Determine how intense the workout should be.

The beauty with planning one’s 30-minute routines is that it can be molded to a particular day. For days where a college student isn’t really active, a more intense routine with more reps and less rest is ideal. However, when a student has a lot of things to do during the day, a less intense workout is a better choice.

Step 3: Have fun.

Workouts can be incredibly repetitive. Some people have even stopped working out altogether because of the boredom. However, when people have fun at it, by adding a few quirks to the routines, boredom shouldn’t be a problem, Garry Y. Itkin adds.

Maintaining a healthy diet amidst a grueling college schedule

Image source: verywellfit.com

Garry Y. Itkin knows all too well just how grueling the life of a college student can be. In a life where academics and socialization take up most of a student’s time, it’s probably hard to think of anything related to one’s health. However, Garry Y. Itkin believes otherwise.

Many students, in a hurry to finish everything they need to do, often grab the first meal they can and consume it in a flash. Most of the time, these meals don’t provide all the nutrition that the body needs to get it through the day. To counter this, Garry Y. Itkin shares a few tips to maintain a healthy diet in college.

Image source: williamscountyhealth.org

1. Perpetual breakfast: College students shouldn’t just take that cup of coffee and rush to their first class. The most important thing they should do when they wake up is to have breakfast, with coffee if they prefer. A good breakfast recharges the body after a night of not eating anything.

2. Advanced food preparation: There are countless recipes over the internet that a college student can prepare in a jiffy. Garry Y. Itkin urges college students to prepare healthy meals at night for the days ahead. Many of these meals can be stored in the ref and heated when needed.

The benefits of HIIT for the younger generation

Garry Y. Itkin has always been all about health and fitness, despite the immense demands of college life. In building and rebuilding his lifestyle to suit his hectic schedule, he considers a number of factors. One of the most important of these factors is time. For example, when it comes to fitness routines, oftentimes in terms of duration, shorter means better.

Image source: t-nation.com

This is why Garry Y. Itkin chooses and highly recommends high intensity interval training (HIIT) to his fellow college students. For the uninitiated, HIIT is an anaerobic workout routine that is comprised of compound movements designed to push a person to his limits in a short period of time. There are short intervals of rest as well between these high intensity sets. Simply put, HIIT puts in hours of exercise in a span of minutes.

Now, this has three benefits, as enumerated by Garry Y. Itkin below:

Image source: oxygenmag.com

1. HIIT workouts are known to burn fat and calories like no other workout in town.
2. HIIT workouts supercharge a person’s cardiovascular and respiratory systems, while also providing extreme strength training for the muscles and joints.
3. HIIT workouts are incredibly time-efficient, leaving people with a lot of free time to do the things they need to do everywhere else.

However, Garry Y. Itkin suggests that people consult with their physicians first before trying out HIIT.