Finding time to perform strength-building exercises can be difficult during a busy semester, but these four basic workouts have got you covered.

Students often find little time to go to the gym when midterms and 10-page term papers seem to be due every week. CSUSM helps its students stay in shape with lots of stairs for cardio, but weight-training exercises are essential to develop and keep strong, toned muscles.

Here are four basic home exercises that you’re probably already familiar with. You can perform these core-strengthening workouts when you wake up, right before bed or anytime you have 20 minutes of down-time. All you need is your body weight.

Push-ups: three sets of 12 reps
Squats: three sets of 20 reps
Crunches: three sets of 25 reps
Lunges: three sets of 15 reps for both legs

The workout alternates between standing and lying on your back to keep your body busy.

Focusing on form during these exercises is especially important in the development of nice, even muscles. When performing these exercises, be sure to maintain a steady breath to help with the flow of oxygen to your muscles.

This workout is 100 percent free and easy to do. It focuses mostly on the core muscles of the body, increasing your overall strength and balance.

Since this workout can be fashioned around your schedule, you can also tailor it to fit your level of fitness. Add weights to your squats by carrying books over your head to make your sets more difficult or drop your knees to the floor when doing push-ups to make your sets easier. The level of difficulty is up to you. Maintaining proper form is what’s most important, so only increase difficulty after you add strength.

A healthy body comes from managing a balanced diet and maintaining a persistent exercise regimen. Implementing strength-building exercises early in the morning or before bed three to four times a week helps to increase a person’s level of fitness exponentially.

Staying in shape can be easy, but it’s making time to stay in shape that can be difficult, especially for college students. Thankfully, with this quick set of home exercises, you can easily stay a healthy Cougar.