Summer Vacation Workouts To Go

With July 4th right around the corner we find ourselves in the midst of summer. This time of year is always exciting to me since I crave warm weather, sunshine, long days & amazing fresh produce. As a trainer though I start to cringe at all of my clients taking time off to travel & enjoy time with their families. Everyone definitely needs time off to re-charge their batteries. It just worries me that clients may return without having done a single workout & feel deconditioned from our last session.

Bringing your home gym with you is likely not feasable, however, there are several exercises that don’t require any equipment at all so you can maintain your level of strength & stamina. One thing that I implement with my clients when helping them work towards goals is being consistent with your fitness & nutrition. I would be lying to you if I told you I didn’t enjoy some of the local fare when I travel. However, moderation is key & YES I do workout consistently on vacation. It just feels good to move in my body so I continue to feel strong & confident.

I’ve put together this little mini circuit that you can reference when traveling. ZERO equipment needed. To spice it up, I will suggest a few approaches to the exercises.

The Workout

Circuit training – Complete 15-20 reps of each exercise & repeat 3 rounds. You can give yourself anywhere from 1-2 minutes recovery between exercises depending on your level of fitness.

Tabata – Set a timer for 20 seconds on & 10 seconds rest for a total of 4 minutes. Do each exercise for these mini 4 minute circuits. Talk about muscle fatigue. Expect this to burn baby as you get into those last couple of rounds.

Timed Circuits – This workout is very similar to what I give my bootcamp classes pretty regularly. They have grown to have a love/hate relationship with them, but everyone that attends regularly will tell you how much their cardiovascular endurance has improved. Complete each exercise for as many reps as possible for 1 minute. 20 seconds rest & then on to the next exercise. Rest a couple of minutes between rounds. If you hate cardio then this is the way to go.

The Exercises

Here are some of my top faves over the years. Every body part is covered so nothing is left out while you are on your amazing trip 😉

Plie Squat with Calf Raise -The video shows with a weight, but ok to do without. You could also grab a few books that are around or your carryon luggage.
Kickdown with Reverse Crunch -Keep your low back in contact with the ground. If you can’t keep it from lifting consider either only lowering your legs a part of the way to the ground or bending your knees.
Superman – Keep your head neutral so you aren’t crunching the back of your neck. If your low back is fatigued after this move you can lay on your back & pull your knees into your chest to release the tension.
Push-up with Plank Walk – This can also be done on the your knees for a portion or all of the reps until you build up strength to do all reps on your toes.
Starfish with Center Crunch – It’s ok to just lift the shoulders off the ground to crunch up if you are not strong enough yet to sit all the way up.

Have an absolute amazing summer!

Keeping Fitness Fun!! xoxo

Christine