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Here's a quick hotel room workout to maintain your fitness routine while travelling.
Frequent business travel or long holidays upsetting your fitness routine? Here's a quick, 15 minute workout that you can do in the privacy of your hotel room. All you need is a pair of workout shoes and some music if you like.
Note: Don’t miss the tips at the end that will help you burn calories and lose weight on a holiday!
But first, the indoor workout:
Do a quick warm up by jogging on the spot, doing a few jacks, knee raises, dynamic stretches, for 5 minutes.
1. Sit-Don't Sit: Squats
Stand about 2 feet away with your back towards the bed; legs hip distance apart. Link your fingers and stretch your arms out in front of you.
Lower your hip towards the bed as if you are about to sit on it, but stand up just before you can sit.
Make sure your knees stay in line with your ankles and don't bend past over your toes.
Do 15-20 reps.
CARDIO: 30 seconds of 50 jogs and 10 jumps. Repeat as many times as you can within 30 seconds.
2. Push the Bed: Push ups
Kneel facing your bed and place your hands wide apart on the edge. Push yourself up into an inclined plank position. Arms straight, without locking elbows.
Bend your elbows and bring your chest down towards the bed. Keep the abdominals tight. Your body should be a neat strong line from head, shoulder, to hip and foot.
The hip should not sag down. Push yourself up.
Do 12-15 reps.
CARDIO- 30 seconds of inclined fast mountain climbers.Stay in the same start position as the previous exercise. Bring your right knee into your chest and take it back down, then bring the left knee in. Keep alternating going at a fast pace
3. Lunge and drinks up!
Hold a bottle of water, cola, wine or whatever you have, in each hand. Lunge forward by taking a large step with the right foot. It should be far out enough so that when you lower down the knees don't go past the toes.
Sink down into a low lunge by bending both knees. Do not bend forward from the waist and lower back.
Push off on the right foot and come back to standing position. And as you do raise your arms forwards and up towards the ceiling taking care not to arch your back.
Do 12 reps with the right leg going forward, then repeat with the left.
CARDIO- 30 seconds of jogs with high knees
4. Plank walk and hip raises
Get into plank position on the floor. Maintaining this position take 4 steps to the right and hold. Do 8 hip raises there.
Raise the hip and bring it back to plank. Don't arch your back as you bring the hip down.
Take 4 steps moving left and do 8 hip raises. This makes one cycle. Repeat this cycle 4 times.
CARDIO- 30 seconds of jumping jacks
5. Reverse plank walk and hip drops
Get into a reverse plank position. Face and tummy facing upwards. Your fingers should be turned in towards your body.
Follow the similar pattern as the previous plank exercise. Walk 4 steps out to the right. This time do 8 hip drops.
Lower your hip till it almost touches the floor and then bring it back in line with the body. Walk 4 steps to the left and do 8 hip drops here.
Repeat the cycle 4 times.
All done? Relax and give your muscles a good long stretch. Stretch them all out and round off with a few deep breaths.
This workout should be done on alternate days. Go for a 20-30 minute walk, run, swim or cycle on other days.
Knock off the excess baggage!
Though holidays are for enjoying the wonderful gastronomic delights, it is possible to lose weight too. Here's how!
1. Walk, walk, walk!
It's the best way to see a city and get the real feel of it. Walking burns more fat than a bus or car ride!
2. Local tours
A lot of places rent out cycles or have cycling/walking tours to see the city. Absolutely worth the adventure and calories well spent!
3. Rec centres
Pop in at the recreational centre and you will find a vast array of fun physical activities to pick.
A wave pool, an unusual exercise class, a chance to learn their dance, an outdoor gym.... you never know what you might find! Also a fun way to interact with the local people.
4. Dance the night away
Hit the night clubs and show off your moves as you work up a sweat!
5. Eat the local food
Simple local food is healthier than stepping into a worldwide fast food chain. You are more likely to get a well balanced, freshly cooked meal.
6. Carry a bag of mixed nuts
Keeping a small bag of nuts stashed into your handbag will ensure you have something healthy to bite into every time you get hungry between monuments and museums or a string of meetings.
Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com