Hot rays of sunshine on white sandy beaches. Pristine water adventures and natures explorations. Serenity spas coupled with delicious food and drinks… Ah, just the thought of voyaging off to a magical place sounds, well, spectacular!
Planning a summer vacation or even a weekend getaway will be amazing wherever you go, see, or do. But what happens with your health and fitness goals? Will you plan to be active and get a daily sweat dose or will you pass for some need R&R? Perhaps a few days off can be good to repair, but if your travels take you beyond three days, you should have a simple sweat plan packed with you!
Consistency is key to any successful plan. If you workout regularly, it’s best to keep on track and stay active. Of course, you should rest, relax, and enjoy the fun, but try not to let all your hard work take a leave of absence too. Aim to stay active during your vacation journey.
TRAVEL & TRAIN
Depending on where you travel and what type of vacation you’re on, there are always ways to sneak in some fitness sessions. Some destinations may have local gyms or studio classes, and many hotels have gyms or fitness centers for guests. But in any case, you can make the world your playground. This is such a unique way to enjoy your surroundings while keeping fit on your journey. It’s an efficient way to explore and train anywhere you travel if you have a “go to” routine.
Being active on vacation should make you feel energized and rejuvenated, not stressed or exhausted. Here are some tips on how you can stay active and while you travels:
- Walk everywhere.
Walking is natural. You will most likely do more walking on vacation than you normally would at home. Nothing beats the sights, smells, and sounds of where you explore. You also experience and see more by foot because it makes you pay attention to the details. Here’s a few examples of different environments you may find yourself in:
- At the beach. Sand creates more resistance along with balance and stability.
- Hiking mountains. Hills and uneven terrains challenge your cardiovascular fitness, balance, and muscles in different ranges of motion.
- Big cities. Skip the Ubers and public transportation and explore by walking or running.
- Seek out a new activity.
Vacations are the perfect time to try a new activity. Whether it’s hiking, biking, climbing, surfing, beach volleyball, rollerblading, hang gliding—the list goes on. Trying a new skill can be an excellent way to experience an adventure while burning some extra calories too!
- Plan ahead.
A little planning will a long way on your travels. If you head to a coastline, you may take a swim or try a water sport. If you go to a mountainous area, chances are there are trails to hike or run. Or, if you have a “bucket list” task to achieve, like hiking Machu Picchu in Peru, you must prepare by planning each days tasks, packing the right gear, and proper attire in your bag!
To make sure you stay active on your travels, I have created a series of short workouts that can be performed anywhere, equipment free! These workouts will be posted in a series of 6 different travel blogs and will consist of only 5 movements to effectively target specific muscles depending on the workout you choose for that day!
TOTAL BODY TO GO WORKOUT
To kick start this travel blog series, we will focus first on a total body workout.
Directions:
- Perform the exercises in circuit style, one exercise after the other, with little to no rest in between.
- Always begin your workout with a dynamic warmup and conclude with a few stretches.
- Aim for 20 reps for one set, or 10 reps if you do multiple sets.
You may chose to keep the workout short by performing one set of each exercise or repeat it as many times as you’d like! Therefore, your workout could be as short as 5 minutes or longer if you have more time. It’s really up to you, but the goal is to be prepared and do something each day you’re away.
5 Total Body Exercises you can do anywhere:
- Push-Up Knee In: Perform 1 push-up followed by 1 knee-in towards chest. Alternate knees after each push-up.
- Dip & Touch: From a crab position, perform 3 pulsing dips, then reach to one hand to the opposite leg. Repeat alternating sides.
- Shoulder Taps: From a plank position, alternate one arm to the opposite shoulder while maintaining the plank position.
- Reverse Lunge, Lateral Lunge, & Twist: With the same leg, perform one reverse lunge, one lateral lunge, then stand to twist over that working knee.
- Leg Lifts: Back, Side, Side with Core: Assume a quadruped position. Extend on leg straight to the back and lift it in small ranges of motion. Next, extend the same leg out to the side and lift it up and down parallel to the floor. Finally, open the body to a side kneeling position with the arm reaching overhead. Lift the leg to the side and bend it toward the lifted elbow to work the core.
Check out the video to see how these exercises are performed.
Pack this Total Body Workout on your next traveling adventure. It’s a simple way to keep fit while enjoying the wonderful world we live in.
Stay turned for Travel & Train, Series 2 where you will learn a new set of exercises focused on your legs.
Happy travels,
Maria
Social Media: @groovysweat
