April 28, 2024

Traveling? How to keep your fitness on track. By Nicole Bryan

Take your strength/stretch routine along for the ride this summer! This combo workout series is a great fit to maintain condition while traveling. The following series is for intermediate exercisers and those without injury or illness concerns. Always consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Knees to chest stretch. Lie on your back and pull both knees into your chest. Hold ten to twenty seconds.

Hamstring stretch. Lie on your back. Extend your right leg straight up, perpendicular to the floor. Hold ten to twenty seconds. Change leg position; extend your left leg straight up, perpendicular to the floor and hold.

Bicycle for Abs. Lie on your back and pull both legs up off the floor with knees bent. “Bicycle” your legs to work abdominal muscles. Do ten times total.

Figure 4 stretch. Lie on your back. Cross your right ankle onto your left thigh, pull both legs off the floor and in toward your chest. Hold ten to twenty seconds. Change leg position; place your left ankle on your right thigh, pull both legs in toward your chest.

Floor plank. Lie on your stomach on the floor. Place your forearms and toes on the floor, lift the rest of your body off the floor and maintain parallel to the floor. Hold thirty seconds.

Low back stretch. Begin on your hands and knees on the floor. Inhale, round your back up. Exhale, and arch your back. Do five times.

Standing squats. Begin standing with your feet hip width apart, hold your arms straight out in front of you. Bend from your knees and hips and sit back into a squat. Lower your body down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Return to your starting position. Do ten repetitions.

Standing lunge stretch. Standing, step your right foot back about three feet. Keep both feet flat on the floor and pointing forward. Bend your left knee and hold ten seconds. Change leg positions; step back with your left foot back about three feet, keeping both feet flat and pointing forward, bend your right knee and hold ten seconds.

Standing front thigh stretch. Stand on your right leg. With your left hand, grab your left ankle. Keep your knees together and your torso straight. Hold ten seconds. Release and change leg positions. Stand on your left leg only, with your right hand hold your right ankle. Hold ten seconds.

Don’t let travel plans leave your strength and flexibility on the sidelines. Maintenance is not regression after all! Use this stretch and strength combo routine to take easy conditioning along during travels!

 

*Disclaimer: Result may vary from person to person.

 

Express Holiday Workout by Tera Busker

Getting fit doesn’t always happen in the gym. You can workout at home! Do each exercise back to back, only resting during the designated rest interval. Exercises are for intermediate exercisers, without injury. Perform exercises at your own risk.

Squat Jumps: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest.

Pushups: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest.

Skater Lunges: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest.

Burpees: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest.

Mountain Climbers: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest.

Perform up to 4 rounds each.

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI. www.fitnesstogo.net

Indoor Fitness Circuit by Tera Busker

If you like to exercise in the open-air, then your “gym” time is totally dependent on the weather. Getting outdoors and taking in the sun on a beautiful day can make your workout enjoyable, but when the weather goes south, running in the rain while dodging puddles in squishy shoes is no fun. So what do you do when a rainy day forces you to forgo your alfresco sweat session and you don’t have the option to go to a gym?

Take your workout inside and use the best piece of equipment you have – your own body! Here is a fast and effective indoor workout that you can do without any fancy equipment. Perform the following exercises at your own risk. Please consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program.

Indoor Circuit

Beginners: Complete each exercise for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise
Intermediate: Complete each exercise for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds before moving on to the next exercise
Advanced: Complete each exercise for 50 seconds and rest for 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise

Squats (Advanced: Jump Squats)
Pushups
Jumping Jacks
Plank
Alternating Reverse Lunges (Advanced: Jump Lunges)
Inchworm (Advanced: Add pushup)
Mountain Climbers
Alternating Side Lunges (Advanced: Skater Lunges)
Rest for 2 minutes. Repeat circuit 2 more times.

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI. www.fitnesstogo.net