I’ve been doing my best to stay in shape over the last few months, but it was always just part of life. I loved working out, I wanted to see what I looked like after all that work and fitness freak. Then I got into college. But then life happened, so did time. As soon as I figured out how much time I actually had for classwork and homework — and with classes that required more than half-day slots of studying — I went from being an extremely serious student to not even considering going.

This didn’t seem like a big deal, but being a full-time athlete who worked on playing soccer and basketball in high school had meant there wasn’t really room for me in campus life. It took some effort but eventually, I found myself back at home again. And the more I enjoyed making friends at parties and hanging out with my group of girlfriends, the less I felt guilty about spending hours every week doing things I had no intention of doing during the rest of the week. Now that I’m a year into studying and living independently again.

I can finally consider how much time I had left over for gym goings-on — if only because I’ve gotten used to taking advantage of them during those two weeks or so before classes and when I find myself needing extra motivation to make it through the first couple of days of exam week. So below, I share with you the workouts that have helped me get this feeling back (and keep it up) — and the ones that will stick in my mind long after we’re done.

Exercises That Made Me Want To Exercise More:

There is nothing wrong with getting outside every once in awhile. But getting motivated for fitness freak after so many classes could only be made possible by taking some extra steps toward exercising regularly. There are plenty of ways to exercise without going too far, so let’s start by looking at some exercises that would give you a little incentive and a chance to exercise regularly.

Here’s what I recommend:

• Situps:

Set five places around the house aside for sitting spots, then turn the TV so the camera is pointed towards the person sitting on the spot as though they are doing situps. Don’t worry about doing any fancy moves – you simply want this person to look at you while doing so. After each set, take all of them off the couch and return them to the wall. Next thing you know, everyone is doing their situps and you’re enjoying watching this person do them — especially if they’re good!

• Mountain climbers:

Once per hour, climb up the tallest place on the house, then move on to the next. Keep climbing for fitness freak until the room gets too large, then take a break and come back down. Keep pushing yourself with each set until the whole house feels like it’s too hard for you to push through. Do three sets of each and repeat until everyone is able to do ten of these moves at least. You can also do basic climbing moves such as using a chair for some extra balance, or jump rope.

• Skipping twists:

Start at the end of the wall and spin as fast as you can. Then flip along the wall and reverse when you complete the entire maneuver. It requires a lot of speed, but it works great on people who don’t have enough strength for “standard” twisting movements like jumping rope. If you think you can master it, grab a skipping rope, then try it out.

• Jumping jacks:

Stand five to six feet away from someone at a sporting event, stand straight with your feet apart in front of their face until you can feel their nose. Then take two step backwards for fitness freak, almost right after they open their mouth. When they open their mouth again, drop forward and swing your arms around to go down. Continue with as many jumps as your legs can muster. After enough times, skip for another second straight at that same person, then quickly follow that with a similar sequence.

At the end of each round, bring your hands together and go back to standing again, then swing your arms and jump up, and repeat the whole process. Repeat this movement a few more times and then begin training your muscles differently. After a while, you may find that your body doesn’t need additional work every time you do a jumping jack. Just make sure that your knees aren’t shaking anymore and remember to concentrate on keeping your balance.

• Lunges:

Grab a dumbbell or something heavy enough to make your lower leg bent, then squat down to the ground quickly. Your knee shouldn’t be moving. Slowly return to starting position, then do the opposite side of the squat with the same force on your lower part of your leg. As soon as you hit the ground, lift your hips up and swing your arms upward, then keep repeating it for as long as you can. At the end of each run, bring your hands together and close.

Each time you finish a lung, count 10. Get better at throwing punches — they’re easy to throw with both hands. They also allow us to improve our balance, which is essential for sports like ping pong. For something that may sound simple but takes careful planning and execution, this move is difficult, particularly when we don’t know how to throw the ball correctly or accurately with the appropriate speed and distance.

• Planks:

If you want fitness freak try to jump as soon as you can hold up a plank position. While holding one, jump straight in to the air, and as soon as you manage to land in a balanced position, immediately resume your regular position. You can use dumbbells to strengthen your core. Instead of doing a plank in a traditional sense — a deep crunch the entire time — try doing one while holding them in the palms of your hands, then slowly bring them back to the ground. This is easier than holding a bunch of weights in front of your chest, especially since you’re now balancing it against the ground instead of pressing weights back upon a bar, which means you’ll be paying attention to your core every time you start your routine.

• Chute:

Use your dominant arm and forearm to create a new arch on your back. Press your left foot out as far as you can. Remember to bend at the elbows. Return back to your original position and repeat.

• Bodyweight squats:

Make sure your butt is facing toward the sky, then bend at the waist and slowly return to standing. Immediately go down and straighten up again. Go back to your starting position and repeat. One side does all of the work instead of trying to do it all by your waist if you’re a girl, or bending at the hip as well as you can without risking breaking your back, so keep that in mind and use this time wisely.

• Single leg squats:

First position: Leg up straight in the air. Lift your right leg as high as your thigh allows. Raise your left foot as high as your arm allows, and return to a steady state. Make sure to bend at the elbow and don’t lift the weight so far back in the direction of your shoulder. Hold as long as you can bear the weight and never push to make it come back down. Bring your right foot back to the ground when just the right way in then switch sides.

Complete a single leg squat and return your left foot to the ground, then go back to the starting position. Do the other leg. When moving back and forth, return to your starting post. Press your upper body more forcefully and without giving any extra space. Move from the starting position and back a few seconds, repeating. Take a minute; then return to the beginning position and repeat. Once you can go a hundred reps on one leg, then try one on the other. Or three-four. If you’ve mastered either stance, you can try hopping on your toes or jumping around on one foot then landing on the other.

• Bench press:

Another good way to start your workout routine is to begin with a bench press. The rules of this movement only change a bit when you stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.

• Overhead backhands:

Use your fist to support a dumbbell or some heavier weight. Then lift it up at an angle over your head, slightly touching it with the tip of your index finger. Drop slowly to the bottom and keep it there for as long as you can. Then return to your starting position with as much power and speed as possible. Only lift the dumbbell, and if you are able to go long enough without putting too much of strain on your shoulder. Then you can pull that weight back up to the middle of the back from the starting position, only to do it with your feet.

• Single leg deadlifts:

Start at the top of your height but bend at the opposite elbow. Lower your heels into the ground. Push back through your heels until your butt touches the ground. Be sure you keep your shoulders flat. Now raise your feet and slowly get to your starting position — with more power than you could possibly have produced and without letting your legs cramp up.

Then pick up the dumbbell or the weight with your right hand and return to your starting position, bending slightly at the elbow and returning as closely to reality as possible. Again, slowly get closer to your starting position and do the same for the other side and work back there. Switch your hands a few times then take a short breather and relax completely.

• Chest presses:

Finally, check out another beginner-friendly way to start with chest presses.