CURTIS BOVEE
STAFF WRITER

As college students, ‘free time’ isn’t a very familiar concept.

Finding enough time to get to the gym and actually have a worthwhile workout might seem impossible. Utilizing some of the following alternatives will help you burn some extra calories, regardless of whether or not you are a gym-rat. Fortunately, they are alternatives that you can practice for a lifetime.

•Take the stairs instead of the elevator. At CSUSM, stairs are by no means difficult to find. Climbing stairs can provide a good cardiovascular workout while strengthening leg muscles and bones. According to the Center for Disease and Control (CDC), a 154 lb person burns five calories per flight of stairs climbed. Think of the possibilities! Parking on the bottom floor of CSUSM’s parking garage and walking to the top will burn 30 calories. Climb six flights of stairs, three times per day and you have burned almost 100 calories.

•Park further away than normal: A 154 lb person will burn roughly five calories per minute walking briskly. Park in the far corner of the parking lot, and you’ve burned about 10 – 20 extra calories just on the way to class.

•Stretch often: you can stretch anywhere. Stretching burns three calories per minute for a 154 lb person, according to the CDC. Stretch for five minutes before and after class, and you’ve burned an extra 30 calories.

Implement these natural alternatives into your daily routine, and you will not only burn more calories, but can help to prevent diseases brought on by sedentary lifestyles.