GET FIT ON THE GO
Cost Efficient. Time Efficient. Life Efficient.
Est. Workout Time: 45min
This article will focus on staying in shape for those who are short on time, cash and options. It seems like every other week a celebrity trainer is launching a new fitness program or a variation of their previous program. As a consumer driven society whatever’s new tends to capture our interest, especially if it’s packaged as being superior to its predecessor or being based on some new piece of information the industry has never know before. As a result, those who are on the content development side of the industry are constantly trying to create and re package routines in exchange for your money. As a result what most of us run into is the feeling of being overwhelmed when we see all the gym equipment, all the fitness classes you could take, all the fitness programs you can buy online and all the exercises you could do.
The truth is that the best program for most people is whatever they enjoy that gets them moving on a regular basis
Inconsistency is one of the top killers for achieving results when doing a routine second only to diet. If you’re not sure what it is that you enjoy doing, don’t have access to it because life is getting in the way or it’s simply too expensive…we’ll cover the basics here and still get you in shape. In future articles we’ll cover strength and cardio routines you can do with the least amount of equipment at home so you don’t have to spend hundreds on a gym membership that you may stop using.
In this article we’re going to cover what you can do to stay fit when you’re short on time, don’t have access to equipment or you’re on vacation. While some of us will still have the convenience of a hotel gym while traveling, many of us who are travelers on a budget, and last stayed at an Air BNB or Hostel, didn’t have so much as a treadmill. So here’s your way around it all, you just need some space and a yoga mat (I’ve settled for a towel myself on occasion)…
THE WARM UP
To perform any activity to the best of your ability you’re going to want to warm up and get your tissues ready for exercise. Any static stretching (holding stretches for an extended period of time) you’re going to want to leave for the end of an exercise routine. For bodyweight exercises their isn’t much controversy but it’s a good habit to practice as static stretching before a weight bearing routine can reduce the ability of your muscles to bear the load. Dynamic stretching involves keeping your body moving while you stretch. This is proven to be more effective when preparing your body for exercise.
HIP OPENER
Start with a several jumping jacks (at least 30) to get your blood flowing and we’ll open up your hips to prepare them for our movements: from a lunge position (your knee should be behind your toes), grab your ankle using the hand on the same side as the bent knee and use your elbow to push your knee out for just a few counts, then put that hand on the ground and twist to the opposite side. You’re going to perform this on the right and left leg.
YOGA FLOW
Next we’re going to activate our shoulders and warm up our lower back. From the plank position (top of the pushup, your butt and head should be level) work your way down into a pushup but lift up your upper buddy to exaggerate the curvature in your lower back, this is called a cobra stretch. You should go through this motion as long as you feel a stretch in your abdomen and lower back but do not curve so much that you feel any pain. Your arms shouldn’t be relaxed, continue to press off the floor. From here you’re going to push back and get your butt up in the air so it’s higher than your head. In this position relax your heels and allow your calves and Achilles to stretch, this position is called downward dog in yoga. Once you’re here, jump or walk your feet to your hands and stand up straight, reaching for the sky and stretching your whole body. Then reach down and with your knees locked, try and touch your toes. Next, place your hands on the ground and repeat this routine 4 more times. This routine is performed in yoga as well.
WORKOUT PART 1
Air squats, Mountain Climbers, Push-ups
The first part of the workout will train your legs, core and upper body. It will be a continuous circuit of Air Squats, Mountain Climbers and Push-ups for 15 minutes. The goal is to do as many rounds as you can in 15 minutes. The rep ranges are below:
Beginner…20 air squats, 10 mountain climbers (each leg= 1 rep), 10 kneeling pushups
Intermediate…40 air squats, 20 mountain climbers (each leg= 1 rep), 20 pushups
Advanced…20 jump squats, 20 mountain climbers (each leg= 1 rep), 20 pushups
Athlete…10 jump lunges (each leg= 1 rep), 20 mountain climbers (each leg= 1 rep), 5 jumping pushups
Air squat
Begin the movement by pushing your butt back; keep your knees behind your toes.
If that’s not hard enough, try Jump Squats
Still not intense enough for you? Let’s turn it up a notch to Jumping lunges
Land in a high lunge, go deeper into the lunge to absorb the impact of landing from the jump.
Mountain Climbers
From the plank position, test your range of motion with a lunge on either side so you know how far up your lags should land when you begin the movement.
Pushup Variations
Based on your level of strength you can perform a pushup from your knees, a standard pushup or a jumping pushup as shown above. Hands should be shoulder width apart and positioned at your lower chest with your elbows tucked in so that your arms form a 90 degree angle at the bottom of the pushup.
WORKOUT PART 2
Jumping jack, burpee, crunches circuit
Part 2 of the workout is all about burning calories and it features the movement everyone hates the most: the burpee. If you’re serious about getting in shape without a gym, then the burpee is not an exercise you want to skip. It’s like saying you want to build a better butt then avoiding squats. The rep range for this is 3 rounds of 30-30-30, 20-20-20 and 10-10-10 on the last round. If you consider yourself intermediate or advanced then the recommendation is to start with 40 reps per exercise and work your way down for 4 rounds and then eventually 50 reps per exercise working your way down for 5 rounds. If you just love burpees and want to get straight to the point, I would recommend a 10 minute sprint to the finish in which you preform burpees 1 minute on with 1 minute off. As many burpees total as possible…see if you can beat my score of 92 reps.
Jumping Jack-Burpee-Crunch circuit
To scale down the burpee’s you can step down into it and push up from a kneeling position. I’ve demonstrated a few different variations of the burpee above. For crunches, the classic style of performing crunches on the ground is obsolete; it worked your hip flexors as much as it did your abs. For these crunches you’re going to want to reach through your legs to really squeeze your midsection.
FINAL STRETCH
Now that your body is all nice and warm feel free to static stretch. One stretch that is key for many people who sit at a desk all day or who are coming off a long flight is the hip flexor/quad stretch against the wall. Sitting at a desk with our arms in a typing position all day is not healthy for us as human beings as it leads to tightness in our hips and our shoulders (the trapezius muscle). For anyone performing this stretch for the first time or after a leg workout it can be especially discomforting but it is definitely worth it.
Hip flexor stretch
If you’ve never tried this stretch before, don’t try to stand completely upright the first few times you try it, stay bent over with one arm on the ground. As you get better, you can place your arm on something elevated to provide support. Hold this stretch for a 20 count on each leg.
