MASTER CLASS

Adapting workout to vacation spot increases fun

Over the Labor Day weekend, I found myself at a lakehouse for four days with no fitness center within a 20-mile radius.

Rather than mail in my workout, the circumstances resulted in the creation of several exercises. This week, I’ll present a few ways you can maximize vacation workouts, and I’ll introduce one of the moves I enjoyed beside the lake.

A lack of fitness equipment but an abundance of time is the perfect recipe for creative fitness. Vacations are excellent opportunities to challenge your mind and body in new and exciting ways. While each situation will be somewhat varied, there are some common threads to keep in mind when creating a killer travel workout.

Vacation destinations are chosen for their beautiful scenery. Whether you’re headed to a waterfront spot or a scenic mountain valley, you want to take advantage of the incredible landscape.So my first piece of advice is to take your workout outside. Forget hotel room pushups. Pick a nice location that will afford you a little privacy along with a great view.

Start with a light cardiovascular warm-up. This might include jumping jacks, light jogging or even a couple of laps in the pool.

After 10 minutes, some easy stretching will loosen up the muscles that tightened up in the car or during your flight. Now you’re ready for a few body-weight exercises.

Squats, walking lunges and pushups are a few of the body-weight standbys, but why not mix it up a little? Find a big rock and do some squat tosses by squatting and tossing that rock. Challenge yourself to perform 10 tosses in 2 minutes.

An even better idea isto find a way to tailor your workout to the home or resort where you’re staying. Over my vacation, a buddy and I moved a huge brush pile into the fire pit area. We had a great workout and enjoyed a little pyromania when it was complete. The whole idea is to be creative with your environment and find ways to infuse fitness into your vacation.

This week’s exercise is something I tried one morning along the lakefront. The Duck Walk is a slow, methodical movement that will challenge the lower body a great deal.

  1. Position your feet just beyond shoulder width apart.

  2. Squat down as far as you can without falling down. Your backside should be close to the ground.

  3. Step forward with your right foot without raising your hips more than a foot.

  4. Repeat with the left and continue walking forward with as little vertical movement of the hips as possible.

  5. Walk 20 to 30 feet, then turn around and return to the starting position. This is counted as one lap. Perform three consecutive laps, then rest for 60 seconds, then do three more laps.

The Duck Walk is something you can also get the family involved in. Kids love this movement and will enjoy racing Mom or Dad to complete their laps the fastest.

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master’s in kinesiology and is certiÿed by the American College of Sports Medicine.

[email protected]

ActiveStyle, Pages 32 on 09/09/2013

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