Varying exercise routines is one way students can stay fit Fall Semester. Credit: Molly Tavoletti
As summer slowly drifts away and takes the desire for a bikini body with it, there is no reason you can’t carry your healthy summer habits with you through fall — and into those skinny jeans. If you have become comfortable with a fitness routine, often your results may begin to plateau. In order to keep your body guessing, it is essential to break away from your typical practice and try out new means of breaking a sweat. It’s a new semester, so why not try some new fitness techniques — starting with these three contemporary workouts.
Kettlebell
These modern weights pack a lot of punch for their size and can serve a number of purposes for your fitness needs. Whether you are using them for one set, or an entire one-hour workout, you will feel the burn. So what exactly is a Kettlebell? It is a small round weight with a handle, making it easy to lift and swing. Many gym-goers (females especially) avoid the Kettlebell because they assume it is merely an arm workout, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Kettlebells allow you to combine cardio, legs, arms and core all-in-one, and to a generation known for multitasking, that should sound pretty good.
Interested? Currently, Ohio State Recreational Sports offers a Kettlebell group fitness class and free weight Kettlebellsare located at Jesse Owens North and South.
Tabata
Many college students take pride in getting the most accomplished in the shortest amount of time possible. Want to raise your heart rate and burn as many calories as a 1 mile jog in just four minutes? If you said yes, then Tabata is for you. Tabata is a high intensity interval training style that requires 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for eight sets. The beauty of Tabata is that it can be done with any exercise at any time (even during TV commercial breaks!). Just choose an exercise like burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks or high knees and feel your heart rate sky rocket. You can use a standard stopwatch, or you can download a Tabata timer app for free. Interval training not only increases your metabolism by keeping you burning for hours after your workout, but also helps improve your overall endurance over time.
Bikram Yoga
Even though the warm weather will soon end, you can still keep sweating like it’s summer. Yoga alone provides health benefits for all ages and levels, but when combined with heat, those benefits multiply exponentially. Don’t let yoga’s slow and calm reputations fool you. Bikram, or Hot Yoga, provides both aerobic and anaerobic advantages, all in an 80 degree or hotter room.
No matter what you’re looking to gain from your workouts, mixing up your routine will always be beneficial.
Molly Tavoletti is the vice president media chairman for CHAARG.
