Oh, for the sweet taste of collegiate freedom.

There's something truly liberating about eating Ding Dongs with taco sauce or pork rinds and beer for breakfast without having anyone suggest that you're going to ruin your appetite, not to mention your breath and stomach lining.

And then comes the day when you realize you've pudged out so much that there's no way to zip up those favorite jeans, even if you lie on the floor and suck it in for all you're worth.

The horror. The horror.

At Indiana University, I found that eating in the dormitory cafeteria was the best way to avoid the "freshman 15." One look at the greenish-grayish meat blanket they were dishing up turned me into a vegetarian for the next 20 years.

Running around campus is a great way to keep in shape, but when you're studying like a maniac and pulling all-nighters, even hoisting a coffee cup can seem daunting.

So here's a great workout that can be done without moving a muscle, which makes it perfect for dorm-dwellers (and their parents).

It's all about isometrics, which is all about pushing or pulling an immovable object, much like trying to drag your teenage daughter out of bed in time for school.

When you contract opposing muscles with equal force — flexing a biceps — or contract a muscle against an external object or force — holding the complete works of William Shakespeare with your arm outstretched — you are working the muscles isometrically.

Remember the exercise that involved pressing your palms together like you were praying? When I was in high school, everybody said it would make your chest bigger, so we all prayed and prayed for that. It worked too well for some and not at all for others, so I'm guessing that isometric had no appreciable impact on bra size. (It can, however, make your assets somewhat perkier — or make those manly pecs even studlier — by toning underlying muscle.)

The exercises I'm doing here take mere minutes to do, but they can strengthen those all-important core muscles and help make it easier for you to get things done.

So pick a chair, any chair — and hold that pose!