Holidays are for relaxing.
But everyone relaxes in different ways. Some of us need to lie down with a book and cocktail and not move for a week. For others, relaxation is a tad more active.
If you have a fitness regime that you want to stick to, holidays can really mess up your rhythm – particularly if your hotel doesn’t have a gym or fitness facilities.
Thankfully, the fitness experts at Loughborough University have devised a simple, 15-minute workout that can be done in your hotel room – or Air Bnb.
It means that you can work towards your fitness goals even when you’re off the grid – which is great news if you’re working towards an event like a marathon or a hike.
Now all you have to do is prise yourself away from the all-inclusive bar, and don’t forget to pack your sports bra.
Mountain climbers
Equipment: Floor space
This exercise will act as a warm up.
Start in the plank position with the arms and legs straight. Whilst engaging the core, bring the right knee forward under the chest with the right foot just off the ground.
Return to the start position and then switch legs, bringing the left knee forward. Keep switching and up the tempo until it feels like running whilst in the plank position.
Mountain climbers work the whole body, including the shoulders, biceps and triceps, chest, abdominal muscles, quadriceps and hamstrings.
- Complete for one minute
Press ups
Equipment: Floor space/bed
Start on the floor chest down, with the palms on the floor shoulder-width apart and the balls of the feet just beneath the toes on the ground.
Push up, keeping the back straight and the elbows pointed towards the hips.
The weight should be supported by the arms. Lower the body back into the starting position and repeat.
If push-ups are difficult, the knees can be placed on the floor to support the weight or the hands can be placed on the edge of the bed to support the weight.
Press ups work the upper body, specifically targeting the chest, shoulders and triceps.
- Complete for one minute
Squats
Equipment: Floor space/bed/chair
Start with the feet slightly wider than the hips and toes turned outward.
Tense the abdominal muscles to engage the core. Inhale and push the hips back and sit into the mid-foot.
The knees should be bent until the thighs are parallel with the floor.
Then exhale and press into the mid-foot to straighten back into the start position.
The legs, hips and torso should rise at the same time. Beginners should squat onto a chair/edge of the bed to begin with.
To make the exercise more difficult, single leg squats can be performed.
Squats help to strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and abdominals.
- Complete for one minute
Crunches
Equipment: Floor space/towel
Place a towel on the floor to provide cushioning.
Lie on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
Place the hands behind the head so the thumbs are behind the ears and elbows are out to the side.
Tilt the chin so that the gap between the chin and chest is only a few inches.
Gently tense the abdominals and curl up so that the head, neck and shoulder blades lift off the floor.
Hold for five seconds and then return to the starting position. Avoid pulling on the neck with the hands.
Crunches help strengthen the core region of the body.
- Complete for one minute
Lunges
Equipment: Floor space
Stand tall with the feet hip-width apart. Engage the core taking a big step forward with the right leg and start to move the weight forward.
Lower the body until the right thigh is parallel to the floor and the right shin is vertical. The right knee should not go past the toes of the right foot.
Press into the right heel to drive back up to the starting position and then repeat on the other side.
Throughout the exercise, make sure the upper body is upright and does not drop.
Lunges work the hamstrings, quadriceps, calves and buttocks.
- Complete for one minute
Repeat the circuit exercises three times.
‘All of these exercises can be done in the comfort of your own hotel room, when there aren’t facilities available,’ says Matthew Roberts, a PhD student in Physiology, in the university’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.
‘The exercises will be effective for burning calories and building muscle mass for the full body.
‘Now there aren’t any excuses for not doing your workout when there are no facilities to use or if you don’t have time to go to the gym.’
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