Use these everyday objects to exercise without having to leave the dorm.

As a biology student who's living on a budget, Garry Y. Itkin spends a lot of his time doing his fitness exercises in his dorm. You might be surprised that you have mostly everything you need at home to help you through your fitness plans so you can spare yourself from investing in gym equipment.

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Here are some examples:

1. Stool

A stool is quite versatile as an exercise aid. You can certainly do box jumps with it. You can also do some inclined pushups with your stool, which can both give you less or more resistance, depending on where you place your feet. You can practice lateral high jumps with a high enough stool, which is awesome for cardio, says Garry Y. Itkin. Once you realize how many things you can do with a stool, you'll be so amazed.

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2. Books

When you're in school, it's all about hitting the books. Since you have them around at the dorm anyway, why not use them for exercise, too? Books are great for adding resistance to your normal stationary exercises. For example, a thick enough book can act as a dumbbell that can target your biceps and triceps. You may even lay a book flat on your chest as you do crunches for that extra bit of challenge.

3. Detergent bottles

Detergent bottles are also great to have, simply because whatever you can do in kettlebell exercises, you can do with it, too. As Garry Y. Itkin suggests, deadlifts can even be more amazing when you use a detergent bottle or even two. As you hold a detergent bottle in each hand, you can climb up your building's stairs and work up your upper body for that added strength that you can surely use.

Why yoga belongs in a fitness program.

Garry Y. Itkin has helped college students over the past few years achieve peak health. He does this mainly by imparting his vast knowledge of fitness, wellness, nutrition, exercise, and ideal diets.


In today's blog, Garry Y. Itkin looks at what he believes to be one of the most underrated fitness routines in fitness – yoga. He also makes his argument as to why yoga belongs in any fitness regimen.


Garry Y. Itkin explains that yoga is an exercise routine that originated in India. Through the practice of yoga, people strike a number of poses that help promote better health and fitness through better blood and oxygen circulation, strength and balance, and proper posture, among others. On top of that, yoga has been known to provide many mental health benefits to its practitioners.


And it is an amazing supplement to any training regimen.


While not as intense or dynamic as other workout programs, yoga fits in perfectly, especially during rest and active recovery days. Garry Y. Itkin says that the poses that yoga lets a person do allow for blood to bring much-needed nutrients to the muscles and all the other parts of the body, aiding in recovery and healing.


In addition to all this, Garry Y. Itkin mentions that a yoga session is extremely easy to set up. All one needs is a yoga mat and free space.

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. 

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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. 

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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.

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

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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

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.