Some of you are probably thinking that I fell off the map and I was never to return…well, I may have fallen off the map for a minute, but I’ve returned. For the last few months I’ve been traveling all over Europe…I’ve experienced a lot in such a short period of time and although it’s been good, I am glad to be back.
While I was in Europe it wasn’t always easy to find the appropriate time to take a run or even a safe place to go out and do some cardio, it was difficult to keep the same routine…but since I’ve traveled places before, I planned on it being a challenge to keep in shape. What’s life without a few challenges? Challenges are what make us stronger and if we are always trying to overcome these challenges, it is at that point where we win. We win by trying and even if we don’t succeed, we have still succeeded by putting out the effort to try.
It’s summer time and I know that a lot of you will be taking vacations soon and so I know that many of you will be dealing with the same challenge I faced. You will be in a place that you may not be able to take a run, you will have a different diet, and you may just feel less motivated than usual to get out there and sweat. Even so, I expect nothing less from you than an honest attempt to keep up with your fitness goals.
To stay in shape, cardio is not NECESSARY. Is it good? Yes. Do I suggest it? Yes. However, you can get by for a few weeks or even maybe a couple months without doing it as often as you are used to. For those of you who aren’t trying to lose, yet trying to gain…I can’t promise you will gain while you’re off in paradise, but you can at least try and maintain those precious muscles you have worked so hard to get.
How can you do it you ask? How can you find the motivation to be…motivated? No worries, I’m back! I’m here to help.
Everyone knows that having a cardio routine is good, but as we’ve talked about before, it’s not essential to run hours and hours on the treadmill to get to your goal. Cardio is great for burning a high amount of calories in a short period of time, but it only elevates your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) for about 2-3 hours after your workout…which is great, you will burn calories even after your run, bikeride, etc…but what if I told you that you can do that for 2-3 DAYS after your workout? It is said that 50-70% of all calories burned during your day are attributed to your RMR, so if we can raise your RMR for days at a time, then we will be more successful in burning a higher amount of calories and more successful in burning fat. I know that you can all see WHY that would be important and so now let’s apply that WHY to HOW it would useful to us while vacationing. On vacation it is quite possible that you may not be able to get in a good workout everyday and as far as I’m concerned…that’s okay! You are on vacation, you should give yourself a little R&R time, however that doesn’t mean that we should completely drop the ball. If we do a workout and raise our RMR for the next few days, if we miss a day of working out, it will be okay because our body will still be burning away at those calories due to the workout you had done the day before. That is why it is important to do exercises in which we burn calories not just today but tomorrow and the day after.
Multi-joint exercises which use more than one muscle group are what I am going to ask you to focus on. These exercises will use up energy from different groups of muscles, leaving your muscles fighting for energy, fighting for the chance to repair themselves…which in turn, raises your RMR because your body continues to do work after you have called it a day. I know, why didn’t they tell you this years ago, right?
Since we are assuming that you are on vacation, don’t expect to be doing any fancy exercises with any extra pieces of equipment. I am going to only give you the most basic of basic routines which probably includes exercises that you already know…however, just because they are simple exercises, DON’T believe that they CAN’T work for you because they CAN! So, here we go! Vacation working exercises here we come!
1. Bodyweight squats – Weight Loss : 15-20 reps / Weight Maintain: 8-12 reps
While I was in Europe it wasn’t always easy to find the appropriate time to take a run or even a safe place to go out and do some cardio, it was difficult to keep the same routine…but since I’ve traveled places before, I planned on it being a challenge to keep in shape. What’s life without a few challenges? Challenges are what make us stronger and if we are always trying to overcome these challenges, it is at that point where we win. We win by trying and even if we don’t succeed, we have still succeeded by putting out the effort to try.
It’s summer time and I know that a lot of you will be taking vacations soon and so I know that many of you will be dealing with the same challenge I faced. You will be in a place that you may not be able to take a run, you will have a different diet, and you may just feel less motivated than usual to get out there and sweat. Even so, I expect nothing less from you than an honest attempt to keep up with your fitness goals.
To stay in shape, cardio is not NECESSARY. Is it good? Yes. Do I suggest it? Yes. However, you can get by for a few weeks or even maybe a couple months without doing it as often as you are used to. For those of you who aren’t trying to lose, yet trying to gain…I can’t promise you will gain while you’re off in paradise, but you can at least try and maintain those precious muscles you have worked so hard to get.
How can you do it you ask? How can you find the motivation to be…motivated? No worries, I’m back! I’m here to help.
Everyone knows that having a cardio routine is good, but as we’ve talked about before, it’s not essential to run hours and hours on the treadmill to get to your goal. Cardio is great for burning a high amount of calories in a short period of time, but it only elevates your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) for about 2-3 hours after your workout…which is great, you will burn calories even after your run, bikeride, etc…but what if I told you that you can do that for 2-3 DAYS after your workout? It is said that 50-70% of all calories burned during your day are attributed to your RMR, so if we can raise your RMR for days at a time, then we will be more successful in burning a higher amount of calories and more successful in burning fat. I know that you can all see WHY that would be important and so now let’s apply that WHY to HOW it would useful to us while vacationing. On vacation it is quite possible that you may not be able to get in a good workout everyday and as far as I’m concerned…that’s okay! You are on vacation, you should give yourself a little R&R time, however that doesn’t mean that we should completely drop the ball. If we do a workout and raise our RMR for the next few days, if we miss a day of working out, it will be okay because our body will still be burning away at those calories due to the workout you had done the day before. That is why it is important to do exercises in which we burn calories not just today but tomorrow and the day after.
Multi-joint exercises which use more than one muscle group are what I am going to ask you to focus on. These exercises will use up energy from different groups of muscles, leaving your muscles fighting for energy, fighting for the chance to repair themselves…which in turn, raises your RMR because your body continues to do work after you have called it a day. I know, why didn’t they tell you this years ago, right?
Since we are assuming that you are on vacation, don’t expect to be doing any fancy exercises with any extra pieces of equipment. I am going to only give you the most basic of basic routines which probably includes exercises that you already know…however, just because they are simple exercises, DON’T believe that they CAN’T work for you because they CAN! So, here we go! Vacation working exercises here we come!
1. Bodyweight squats – Weight Loss : 15-20 reps / Weight Maintain: 8-12 reps
2. Floor Mountain Climbers – 30 seconds of high-speed foot shuffling
3. Bodyweight walking lunges – Weight Loss: 15 steps one direction, turn around, 15 steps the other direction/ Weight Maintain: 10-12 steps one direction, turn around, 10-12 the other direction
4. Pushups (You can use knees if needed) – Weight Loss: 15-20 reps / Weight Management: 10-15 reps
5. Low Plank (on your elbows) – 30 sec-90 sec depending on your capability
6. Jumping Jacks – 1 min of high-speed jacks
If you are an advanced athlete and believe that this routine would be too easy for you, well I hate to tell you, but you’re wrong. You can take any routine and modify it to fit your own personal athletic abilities. If body weight exercises just aren’t going to cut it for you, pick up a few books and try doing the same squats or throw a kid on your back, that should be challenging enough. There are many ways to take simple exercises and make them more difficult and if that’s what you’re in need of, I am sure that you will find a way to spice up this routine.
I encourage each and every one of you to continue with your fitness goals whenever and wherever possible. This routine will only take 20 minutes or less out of your day…and if you do it, you will save yourself hours at the gym trying to get BACK to where you once WERE before you went off to visit Antarctica and its penguins.
Motivation comes from within…and it’s not always something that we feel, it’s more of a choice. You may not feel motivated, but in all reality, it’s something that you decide to be. You either motivate yourself or you don’t…it’s not always going to be an overwhelming feeling that will rock your world. Sometimes you have to rock your own world ;) Good luck with all your vacations and keeping up with your fitness goals. I am back on the map and you can expect more from me soon…but until then, take hold of your motivation and take hold of your goals! Remember:
You Only Fail When You Stop Trying To Succeed!!
Until Next Time! -Natalie
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