Keeping Fit Whilst On Holiday
Booked your summer holiday but wondering how you can maintain your fitness whilst away? You can keep fit on holiday without having to take any bulky equipment with you. Just use what you can find in the villa or hotel - or better still your body weight.
Here we show you how you can perform great exercises away from the gym. These can also be great if you are away on business and know that you will miss those regular gym or fitness class visits.
Exercises for Your Holiday
Some exercises are really simple and straightforward to do. Even just walking on sand can give you a good leg workout as sand constantly shifts, which forces your muscles to work harder in order to keep balance and to maintain your walk. Packing your running shoes and simply going for a run can also be great. And of course there's swimming in the pool or sea.
But here are some other ideas that you may not have thought of.
Calf Raises
These can be performed whilst standing on a flat surface but can be more effective whilst standing on the edge of a stair. If you have free weights with you (packing some light free weights could be a good idea) or simply hold some bottles of water and rise onto the balls of your feet. And then come back down to the starting point. Repeat this 15 times. This small, but very effective exercise, will strengthen your calves and hamstrings.
Push Ups
All this needs is a flat surface. Ensure that you keep your back flat and your abdominal muscles engaged. Place your hands about 36” apart whilst holding yourself up at arm’s length. Lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale. Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting point. If this is too tough you can always do a push up on your knees or perform this exercise against the wall in place of the floor. Push ups are great for the chest, shoulders and triceps and all you need is a floor.
Hip Bridge with Leg Lift
As with the push up this exercise just needs a flat surface. Lay down with your knees bent at 90 degrees and lift your hips off the floor without arching your back. Then take your right leg and lift it up to the ceiling. Lower and lift it three to four inches three times then repeat with your left leg. Repeat 10 times with each leg. This will work your hamstrings and glutes but it will also work your abs as you need to balance yourself.
Squat Jumps
For this you will need to have packed your gym shoes to ensure you don’t damage your muscles. Go into a deep squat position without lifting your heels off the floor. Then jump into the air and try to land as softly as you can bending your knees so you can absorb the impact. Repeat these 20 times. These are great to work out your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and will also add some cardio into your routine.
Crunches and Back Extensions
As with the exercises covered above all you need here is a flat surface. Lay on your back and bend you knees 90 degrees in the air. Put your hands behind your head and curl your body so that your chest and knees try to meet. But to make the crunches even more challenging do eight small pulses before lowering yourself back to the floor. Repeat this 20 times and your abs will get a fantastic workout.
Then lay on your front, place your hands under your forehead and lift your head shoulders and chest off the floor. Hold the position before you return to the starting point. To make this more difficult after you have come up reach your arms out to the sides for four counts. This will continue to work your abdominals but is great for the muscles in your back which are often forgotten.
Lunges
Everyone’s favourite as they are so effective. They require no weights and again only a flat surface. Stand with your feet hip distance apart, toes pointing forward. Take a step forward with your right leg whilst bending your left knees until it almost touches the floor. Push off the floor with your left foot and return to the start position. Variations include the side and reverse lunge. Lunges are great for your abs, glutes, thighs, hips and calves.
Don’t forget to do a good stretch out after these exercises. A few of these circuits each day and you will keep that fitness level up and return from holiday as fit as when you left.
Make a Change
Above all else, getting a holiday in doesn't need to mean you have to down tools for the week (or two if you are lucky). Use the time and break to swap your routine around. If you workout in the gym a lot, then take a suspension trainer like the TRX with you. Easy to pack and lightweight, you can keep your tone whilst using your bodyweight.
Secondly, instead of the gym go for a run instead or try 30 - 50 lengths of the pool to get that heart rate up. yes it will be difficult and you may nearly drown the first day or two, but your body will thank you fgor it later in the week.
If you run a lot, then yes you can take your shoes for a run in the heat of the midday sun or at the end of the day, but why not do some floor work like lunges, press ups or combing with squat jumps. Again, you'll be raising that heart rate and challenging your body to do something it's not used to.
