You know the drill. During finals week, there’s no time for food, sleep or anything but studying — and definitely no time for exercise.
But exercise is a great stress reliever, and if you have even five minutes on your hands, you can get an effective workout. Take a quick break from studying, get your body moving and try some of these easy finals week workouts.
HIIT Workout
One of this year’s hottest workout trends is HIIT, or high-intensity interval training. These are cardio or body-weight exercises that are done for a short period of time with rest in between. They don’t take too long — only a few minutes. Try this HIIT workout, adapted from Pinterest.
Squats: 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds
Pushups: 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds
Situps: 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds
High-knees: 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds
Lunges: 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds
Squat jumps: 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds
Total time: six minutes, or 12 if you want to go through it twice
Core Workout
Core workouts can also be a quick way to get toned. If you’re stress-eating your way through finals week, but you still want to work on your summer body, try this quick core circuit.
Full situps: 30
Plank: one minute
Crunches: 30
Side plank: 30 seconds each side
Flutter kicks: 30 seconds (lay on your back and kick your legs like you’re swimming)
Side crunches: 30 each side (lay on your side and crunch)
Plank: one minute
Stretches
For those of you who don’t even have time to consider working out during finals week, try some of these stretches that you can do while you study, adapted from Pinterest.
Neck stretches: Gently pull your neck forward to your chest and to each side.
Shoulder stretch: Pull your arms above your head and reach for the ceiling.
Forearm stretch: Extend your arm out straight in front of you, and pull your hand back toward your body by using the opposite hand. Repeat this with your other arm.
Tricep stretch: Pull your elbow behind your head with the opposite arm. Repeat this with your other arm.
Chest stretch: Put your hands behind your head, and push your elbows back.
Leg stretch: Extend your leg in front of you. Flex it and release five times. Repeat this on the other side.
Hip stretch: Cross one leg over the other, and pull it toward you. Repeat this on the other side.