December is vacation time, but that doesn’t mean your fitness regime has to take a punch. Here are six exercises that you can do just about anywhere – even in your hotel room.
Chirene Wiid from Adventure Boot Camp for Women knows that the first thing to fall to the wayside during the festive season is a work-out routine. So she has a few handy tips for how you can utilise your surroundings and even your luggage so that you keep your body bikini-ready throughout the holidays.
This is an all-time favourite and has so many variations, you never have to be bored …
Squats:
Keep you feet apart wider than your shoulders. Turn them out to engage the inner thighs. Make sure your knees move in the same direction as your feet
Keep your feet together when you’re squatting. Put one foot on a step if there is one
One-legged squat – make sure your heel is on the floor the whole time or you risk hurting your knee
Use your suitcase to add some weight – or add some jump squats, just make sure you go down into a squat as you land.
Push-ups can also be done a number of ways:
Normal ones, your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders.
Hands next to each other, elbows going backwards to work on those triceps
Staggered push-ups with one hand more forward than the other
Push-ups using the bed or onto a table. Keep your body straight and use the table or bed to push yourself up
Push-ups with your feet on the bed and your head towards the floor.
Plank: It is the most effective abs exercise around:
Place your forearms and feet on the floor, from there you can lift up so that you are on your hands. Hold for as long as possible. Or you can mix it up with the following:
Bring your knees to your elbows as if running on the spot. (Either do one leg at a time or alternate)
Lift your right hand and left leg off the ground and hold. Then switch, alternating hands and legs.
Step-ups:
This is great for cardio, and if you have a high step (you can use tables or chairs, just make sure you’re stepping onto a stable surface). It’s great for the legs. Make sure you step with your whole foot onto the step. If your steps aren’t that big, jog up and down, or take two at a time.
Bent-over rows:
You can use your suitcase again – pack it as full as necessary. Bend over so that your upper body is parallel to the floor, knees bent. Arch your back so that your chest and bum are sticking out. Start by squeezing your shoulder blades together and follow with the arms so that your elbows end up above your back. You can do both arms together, or one at a time.
Cardio:
Stairs, jumping jacks (AKA star jumps), jogging on the spot with high knees or sprinting on the spot. Do these in between your exercises to get your heart rate up.
Details: www.adventurebootcamp.co.za
