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.

Core strengtheners: Two exercises for that midsection sculpt

Retired physical educator Garry Y. Itkin explains that what bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts knew before as abdominal and lower back muscles have been, in more recent times, grouped to be called the "core." The core, or the midsection, is where the body's power and strength come from.

For today's blog, Garry Y. Itkin looks at two essential exercises elite athletes do that strengthen the core and sculpt the midsection.

Deadlifts

The deadlift is one of the four main full-body exercises, including pull-ups, push-ups, and squats. While these four exercises work a person's core, it's the deadlift that strengthens the midsection the most. It is a favorite among lifters and is often called the king of compound movements alongside the squat.

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To do a deadlift, a person has to bend at the waist and grip the barbell from the floor to do it properly. A straight back is a must, with knees bent a little. Then, without changing form, contract the ab muscles and use the lower back's power to stand straight back up.

Planks

Moving from a compound exercise to one of the most deceivingly tough movements, Garry Y. Itkin names the plank as a go-to for core strengthening. This time-over-tension exercise is one of the most effective workout finishers ever.

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To do a plank, a person has to be face-down on the floor, propped up on their elbows and toes. The goal here is to keep oneself as straight as a board for a given period (usually 30 to 60 seconds). Holding the position will work on your shoulders, legs, and most of all, abdominals and lower back.

Improve mental sharpness through physical exercise

Studying is only one way of enhancing brainpower. Not everyone recognizes that exercise boosts mental sharpness. Garry Y. Itkin explains this connection in today's blog, hoping to inspire everyone to embrace an active lifestyle for a healthier brain.

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Physical exercise has a direct and indirect influence on memory and thinking, notes Garry Y. Itkin. The direct results of exercise are reduced insulin resistance and inflammation and stimulating the release of growth factors -- brain chemicals affecting the overall health of brain cells. Indirectly, exercising leads to better mood and sleep. It also reduces stress and anxiety. Studies also show that people who exercise regularly have greater volume around their prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex -- parts of the brain that control thinking and memory.

Aside from making you smarter, exercise also protects the brain from shrinkage, notes Garry Y. Itkin. According to a 2013 research, exercise induces neurogenesis, which is the formation of new brain cells around the hippocampus. Additionally, in another study, men who practice a healthy lifestyle are seen to have a 60% less chance to have cognitive impairment and dementia as they age. Such healthy behaviors include not smoking, regular exercise, a diet of fruits and vegetables, and low to moderate alcohol consumption.

 

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Garry Y. Itkin suggests the following exercises to boost your brainpower:

1. Aerobic exercise improves brain function, as well as helps repair damaged brain cells.

2. Morning exercises before going to school increase brain activity, which prepares you mentally with good retention skills to answer complex problems.

3. Dance classes are an excellent alternative if you want to combine body movements and cardio.

4. Circuit workout, which is a good option for some solo crunch time at the gym, spikes heart rate and helps constantly redirect attention, which is another way to train focus.

5. Jumping jacks, though quite basic, are still effective for brain improvement exercise.

Is CrossFit a viable fitness avenue for college students?

Before getting into it, Garry Y. Itkin wants to set one thing aside first – while CrossFit is a bit too pricey for the average college student, he explains that CrossFit workouts can be done almost anywhere if a person takes time to study the principles of it before attempting the intense routines.

Now that that’s over and done with, here are some important points of CrossFit, so college students may correctly gauge if the sport is for them or not.

CrossFit can be quite a shock for the first few times.

Anybody who’s trained in CrossFit can testify how challenging their routines are, especially if people don’t know what to expect. It’s high intensity interval training (HIIT) with weightlifting and bodybuilding elements. It is truly an activity that pushes people to their limits.

CrossFit may compromise form over repetition.

Arguably, one of the more controversial flaws of CrossFit is that CrossFitters have become increasingly obsessed with reaching their target number of reps that they forego proper form. Of course, this also compromises practitioners’ safety. What Garry Y. Itkin suggests is that people focus on form and not worry so much about the reps.

CrossFit has a great community behind it.

CrossFit’s biggest strength is its community. According to Garry Y. Itkin, the community is incredible tight and supportive. CrossFitters support each other in every workout and every event. This is what so many people find most appealing about it and this is why it attracts so many newcomers.

The perils of yoyo dieting.

While fitness enthusiast Garry Y. Itkin has seen more than his fair share of diet fads come and go, he still believes that nothing will ever compare to a well-balanced meal that doesn’t eliminate food groups, and has all the nutrients people need.

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That being said, Garry Y. Itkin believes that some diet fads are worse than others. Take, for instance, yoyo dieting.

Yoyo dieting is when people significantly cut back calories, only to increase intake immensely, hence the term yo-yo. In the last few decades, a lot of people have gone through this type of diet in a bid to lose weight, with very few reporting lasting success.

The reason for the failure, they say, is the sheer difficulty to adhering to an increasingly low-calorie diet. This affects their commitment to the diet, prompting them to return to their normal eating pattern, which ultimately causes them to gain more weight in the process.

For people who insist on trying out the yoyo diet, Garry Y. Itkin urges all of them to simply look at the evidence. A majority of people who’ve tried it have already cautioned others about the fad. It also has to be said that yoyo dieting alters the body’s metabolic rate so much that it gives the body no other choice but to gain weight.


The fact of the matter is, body composition is also said to change with yoyo dieting, causing a person to gain more fat and lose muscle.

Partner up: Getting other people into fitness.

Garry Y. Itkin is a college student and a fitness enthusiast. He has kept himself in shape the past few months by working out at home and writing blogs on fitness and health. He has written a series of articles that he'll be releasing to educate and inform readers on fitness and health, as well as helping them stay fit and healthy during today's global pandemic.

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With some parts of the world opening up again, Garry Y. Itkin shares his insights on getting other people into fitness with you.

First off, Garry Y. Itkin mentions that it’s imperative when looking for people to work out with you that you guys share some similarities.

While it’s always great to meet people who love fitness, when looking for a workout partner, it’s important that he or she have the same mindset and goals as you. It’s hard to work out with someone who’s bulking up if you’re routine is geared towards weight loss. It’s also next to impossible to be with someone who’s way too serious about lifting when you’re easy-going and you just want to have fun, or vice-versa.

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Also, look for people with the same level of commitment as you. It’s very frustrating to depend on someone who isn’t really into fitness, Garry Y. Itkin adds. However, when do you find your perfect workout match, working out will be as much of a joy as anything else you do in life.

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.