This Beachside HIIT Session Is Perfect for Vacation

Men’s Health/Eric Rosati

When you’re traveling for pleasure, you’ll probably be hard-pressed to keep up with your fitness routine. There’s just too much stuff going on, and your time is even more precious than during your day-to-day, non-vacation life.

But if you’re really committed to your workout, you’ll find an opportunity to squeeze in the work—and if you want to make the absolute most of those narrow windows, you can use super-efficient techniques like HIIT protocols to wring the maximum amount of work out of the least amount of time. That’s how trainer Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S., makes sure that her trips, like a recent excursion to Bodrum, Turkey, aren’t fitness traps—especially when she’s near the beach.

“I recently went on vacation and realized I needed to make my workouts shorter (for more beaching and boating!), and was working with a pool deck and my bodyweight,” says Atkins. “I combined some of the most effective bodyweight exercises and turned it into an excellent 20-minute sweat sesh.”

Atkins cuts down the length of the session by using the Tabata protocol, an intense HIIT variation that calls for short bursts of all-out activity and even shorter rest periods over the course of 4 minutes. You don’t need any equipment if you want to give this workout a try. Pro tip from Atkins: Do it in a bathing suit near the water, then jump straight in to wash off the sweat.

Perform each movement for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4 minutes

If you really want to sweat, take on Atkins’ beachside Tabata workout for up to 4 rounds, pushing the pace for 20 minutes. Want to learn more moves from Atkins? Check out our series full of her workout tips, Try Her Move.

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