Workout Guide for the Holidays (Guest Post)

Keeping a workout plan that ensures that one remains in shape during a holiday is not an easy task. This is because many people are accustomed to gym workouts such that an exercise plan while travelling sounds impossible. It’s during the holidays that people find it difficult to include an exercise plan in their schedule. Instead of being an additional burden to travel plans, workouts are necessary as they help an individual relieve stress, keep fit and get rid of the extra calories gained as a result of inactivity during such times. Throughout this article, a holiday workout plan for holidays as well as tips to effectively exercise during the holidays will be discussed.

In order to incorporate a successful exercise workout in a travel schedule, you should plan ahead of your travels, prepare for your workout and make maximum utilization of any available opportunity. The following strength-building and cardio plan is a fifteen minutes program that can be put into practice while travelling regardless of the place. It is aimed at keeping the individual physically and mentally fit. The entire workout can be split into the following exercises:

Power Skip

This exercise enables you to warm up. To begin you stand flat on the floor with both legs. The left knee should then be lifted to the waist while thrusting the right arm towards the sky simultaneously as if you are marching. You should then switch sides and alternate your movements for about 32 times. While carrying out this exercise, your chest should be kept proud and back straight. The intensity of this exercise may be boosted by jumping the foot that is standing off the floor surface.

Can-Can Kicks

This exercise is carried out with the aid of either a chair or a low stool. You should stand with feet parallel on the floor and hands on your hips with the chair in front of you. While in this position, you should swing your right foot over the chair from the right to the left side. You should then swing the other leg in the opposite direction. Precaution should be taken not to kick the chair while undertaking this exercise.  Your legs should be alternated and the procedure repeated about eight times.

Walking the Plank

You should start from a prone plank position and hold a weight in the hands and balls on the feet. You should then move your feet and hands to the right simultaneously. Your abs should be kept tight, the core strong and the shoulders kept away from the ears. Making sure that the body remains long and the buttocks down, you should repeat this procedure before changing the direction. The workout should be done four times in each direction.

Bench Hops

This exercise helps to heighten the heart rate. To carry out the exercise, you should get a steady bench or chair. While facing in the direction of the bench, you are supposed to bend over and place your hands on the bench sides. After gripping the edges of the bench, you should hop the right leg laterally outwards and bring the other leg to meet it. This should be repeated on the left side. The procedure should then be repeated alternatively for about 16 times.

The above workout plan can be repeated twice in a cyclic manner to increase the intensity of the program and increase the efficiency of burning the excess fat in the body. This workout is one of the plans that can be used while travelling or while on holiday break away from home to keep fit.

[box]Virginia Cunningham is a mom to three wonderful kids. The L.A. based fitness & health writer works for Northwest Pharmacywhen she isn’t losing weight running after her three little ones.[/box]