When you’re on vacation, it can be hard to find the motivation to workout. After all, trips away with friends and family are all about relaxing, eating good food, and enjoying great company.
But going from a consistent workout routine to minimal to no physical activity can be a bit of a shock to your system. Plus, exercise can be a great way to sweat out toxins and stress, prevent jet lag, and improve your mood, which means missing out on your regular workout can really hit you hard.
Fortunately, getting in a quick and effective workout while you’re out of town is a lot more simple than you may realize. It doesn’t take long, and it doesn’t even take any equipment. All you need is your beach body!
5 Bodyweight Exercises to Help You Stay in Shape on Your Next Vacation
For the best vacation exercises, we want movements that are easy to modify but challenging to do. These 5 are perfect:
1) Planks
Hold yourself in a straight line while resting on your forearms and toes or hands and toes. Look at the ground to avoid overextending your neck. Hold for as long as you can while maintaining your form. For an extra core challenge, start on your hands (top of a push-up position). Lower down onto your right forearm, then your left. Then, push back up onto your right hand followed by your left hand. You can also try doing a side plank to work your outer core: face to your left and lie on your right forearm and outside of your right foot (place your left foot on the floor in front of you for stability if you need it). Hold as long as you can, then switch.
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2) Push-ups
Whether on your knees or your toes, push-ups should always be performed with a strong core and a flat back. Start with your hands directly under your shoulders and your elbows straight. Lower yourself down all the way to the ground until your chest touches. Important: keep your elbows tucked in against your body (they should be pointing back toward your feet). A lot of people do push-ups incorrectly by winging their elbows out away from them, which can be hard on the shoulder joints. Once your chest has hit the ground, keep your body straight and strong and push yourself back up to full elbow lockout.
3) Burpees
Do 50 of these and leave yourself huffing and puffing! Simply lower yourself onto the ground, so you’re lying flat on your stomach. Push yourself back up into standing, and finish the movement by jumping once with a clap over your head. The faster you do them, the harder it is. If you’re just learning them, step down and up, but if you’ve done ’em and love ’em (or hate ’em, for that matter), try jumping down and up instead.
4) Squats
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your toes pointed slightly out, and your arms lifted out in front of you. Move your bum back as if you’re closing a car door behind you, then squat down. Go as far down
5) Jumping Split Lunge
Stand with your feet together. Take a large step forward with your right foot and then bend your back left knee until it just touches the ground. Check to make sure your right knee is centered over your right foot (not ahead or behind it). Next, jump up and switch your legs in the air so you land with your left foot forward and your right knee kissing the ground. Repeat until you can’t feel your legs.
Go ahead, spare 10-20 minutes on your next vaca and put together some of these bodyweight exercises to get a little pump on. Feel free to get your friends and family in on the fun, too!
