Holiday workout

Just because you are on holiday, it doesn’t mean you have to lie on the sun lounger all day sipping cocktails. For most people, going on holiday means taking a break from their efforts to lose weight too, and letting all the hard work they’ve done throughout the year go to waste. Instead, wouldn’t it be great if you could continue your weight loss efforts while still enjoying your holiday? Wouldn’t it be great if you could come back from your holiday lighter than when you left, instead of heavier?

Make an awesome start to the day by going for a run or walk along the beach, a swim in the pool, or a workout in the gym. Better yet, an outside all over body workout will keep those muscles primed and the blood flowing, and will keep those indulgent holiday calories at bay! Having spent a few years living in and around tropical resorts, and on cruise ships, I learned that making good use of your surroundings, especially if they are beautiful surroundings, can more than make up for the lack of gym equipment.

Ucsd-beach-sunset

Here is a simple but effective way to get that heart rate up, work your muscles, and keep everything well oiled and maintained until you return to the gym.

  1. You can start with a run or jog. Running up and down a flight of stairs 3-4 times will get your heart rate up, but why not take a run around the resort and enjoy the scenery instead? If that doesn’t take your fancy, some simple step-ups will do the trick;  simply find a step, or a small bench, and step up and down for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Body weight squats can be done absolutely anywhere, and they are great for the legs and butt. Use tempo (that is, go slowly down, and then power up, or vice versa) to make the squats harder. Add squat jumps (squat down then jump up as you come up) for an even more effective workout.bw squats
  3. Push-ups are another easy exercise that can be done almost anywhere. There are 3 levels to suit everyone. Level 1: on your knees, chest to the floor. Level 2: knees down, keep your back flat, chest to the floor. Level 3: on your toes, keep your back flat, chest to floor.
  4. Walking lunges. Lunge forward with your right foot and the back knee towards the floor, then push back up, stepping forward and bringing your left leg in line with your right leg. Repeat, this time stepping forward with the left foot and bringing the right leg in line with the left. Repeat.
  5. Dips. Find a chair, coffee table, small wall, bench, a sun lounger, or any surface that will hold your weight, dip down below that surface and use your arms to push yourself back up again.
  6. Squat/lunge. This is 1 squat followed by 1 lunge. Join the two and feel the lovely burn.
  7. Plank/hover. Go into a plank position, on elbows and either knees or toes, and hold in a straight position with your butt down flat for a minimum of 30 seconds.
  8. To finish, roll onto your back and do some crunches, placing your hands behind your head and keeping your elbows back.

So this is how that workout looks:

  1. Run/stairs/step ups  5 – 15 minutes
  2. 5-20 bodyweight squats
  3. 15 push-ups
  4. 15 walking lunges/leg
  5. 15 dips
  6. 15 squat / lunges / leg
  7. 30 second plank
  8. 20 crunches

Repeat this 3-4 times, and then finish with a good stretch.

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