July Article
Home and Away
By Bev Hillman
Vancouver Personal Training
When confronted with incorporating workouts into a stay at the summer cottage or other vacation away from
home, with a little imagination, you can give your body an amazing workout with little or no equipment.
There are literally hundreds of exercises you can do to target all muscle group for a stay-fit summer workout.
Here is a sample vacation workout that should take you less than an hour. Perform one set of each exercise.
CARDIO: RUN, WALK, HIKE
To maintain your aerobic fitness and keep on burning calories to prevent weight gain, use the great outdoors as your playground. Twenty to thirty minutes of running, power walking, cycling, swimming, inline skating etc. can be done
pretty much anywhere all the while taking the time to enjoy the scenery, sounds and smells.
Get up early and take the time for yourself before your kids, friends and family start demanding your energies.
MUSCLE CONDITIONING
The exercise choices are limitless. For the lower-body lunges and squats are my favourite exercises because
they target all the lower body muscles and improve your balance as well. For the upper-body, I tend to rely on
push-ups and tricep dips but if you can manage to purchase an exercise tube with handles the choices are
much greater and the tube isn't going to take up much space or weight in your luggage.
CHAIR SQUATS
Start by sitting near the edge of a chair. Keep your knee caps facing forward, positioned above your ankles and your feet about shoulder width apart. Slowly stand up pressing your chest out and up and your shoulders back and down. Slowly lower to the starting position just grazing the edge of the chair with your buttocks. Concentrate on contracting your entire lower body especially your buttocks. Perform 10 to 15 reps.
STATIONARY LUNGES
Stand in a split squat position with one leg in front of the other. The front knee should remain on top of your front ankle as you slowly lower the back knee towards the ground. Perform 10 to 15 reps each leg.
PUSH-UPS
On your knees or toes drop and give me 10 to 15 good, old fashioned military push-ups.
EXERCISE TUBE ROW
Wrap an exercise tube around a pole and hold onto each handle. Pull the tube towards your chest as if rowing a
boat. Be sure to pull your shoulder blades together. Perform 10 to 15 reps.
OVERHEAD SHOULDER PRESS
Sit on a chair and wrap the tube under the seat. Hold each handle in each hand and slowly press both arms over
your head. Perform 10 to 15 reps.
TRICEP DIPS
Position your hands on a chair beside your hips. Lift your hips off the chair and bring them forward just in front of
the chair. Slowly take your body weight down, staying close to the chair, making sure you don't let your shoulders
drop any lower than your elbows. Perform 10 to 15 reps.
BICEP CURLS
Stand on the exercise tube, holding the handles in each hand. Keeping your elbows at your side slowly pull your
palms toward your shoulders. Perform 10 to 15 reps.
ABDOMINAL V-SITS WITH TRUNK ROTATION
Sit upright with perfect posture - chest out, shoulders back. Slowly recline back a few inches while keeping your abdominals contracted. Hold that position while you rotate one way and then the other. Perform 10 to 15 reps.
SUPINE BRIDGE
Lying on your back, feet on the floor with knees positioned above ankles and hip width apart. Engage abdominals and slowly lift hips until knees, hips and shoulders are in a straight line. Engage gluts and hold 2 to 4 counts. Perform 10 to 15 reps.
COOL-DOWN STRETCHES
Finally, spend 6 to 10 minutes stretching. Be sure to pat yourself on the back for taking time out for yourself. You deserve it!
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