Summer is full of amazing things- camping, bonfires, beach days, bike rides, etc. There are too many Fun Activities to count. However, not all fun activities are created equal! The holy grail of fun Summer Activities is … (drum roll)… the road trip. Yes, the road trip is the ultimate summer activity because it combines all the other great summer activities into one long vacation. You can camp on your road trip, try new restaurants, hit up some concerts, go to an amusement park, lie on a beach all day. The list goes on and on.
But one thing that road trips don’t really leave much time for is Fitness. Why would you want to waste your vacation time working out? You’ve waited all year for these 2 weeks off, and you’re going to enjoy them! Unfortunately, the combination of sitting in a car for long periods of time and eating all the fast food you can dream of, is not conducive to a Healthy Lifestyle. Everyone wants to indulge and live it up on vacation, but no one wants to come back from 2 weeks away weighing 10lbs more than before they left.
Our fitness specialists put together some really easy exercises that you can do when you are (literally) strapped to the seat of a car to help keep extra pounds off.
Cardio
1) Whenever you take a bathroom break, even if you don’t have to go to the bathroom, get out of the car and walk around. This seems obvious, but sometimes you will get caught up in sitting and just want to stay put. Or if you were mid-snooze when the stop came, you might be tempted to just go back to sleep. But getting up every couple hours and stretching your legs can keep your metabolism high and your legs and back from getting too stiff.
2) Stop and see the sights. This goes along with the point above, but don’t just sleep your road trip away! Get out and hike a bit, explore the little towns, and stretch those legs!
3) Drink lots of water. Not only will this keep you nice and hydrated, but you will also have to make more trips to the washroom! More pee breaks = more walking = more calories burnt!
Abs
1) The constant Flex. This one is my personal favourites, because it is so easy to do without anyone noticing. I’ve actually made this one a part of my everyday life, so that I’m flexing almost all the time and don’t even realize it now. I’ve noticed a serious difference in my abs since I started the constant flex. So basically, this is just sitting in the car with your abs engaged in flex position. It helps you improve your posture and tighten your abdominal region, with very little effort. It will feel a little unnatural at first, but after a couple days it will become second nature! Try flexing for 30s at a time, and then building your way up.
2) A variation of this exercise it to flex each section of your abdominals separately, and rotate them in a circle. I like to flex the lower abs, then the right side of my abs, then the upper abdomen, then the left side. Repeat as many times as you like, and try to hold each section for 20 seconds at a time. This one requires a bit more attention then just straight flexing, but it is more effective as a targeted exercise.
Booty
1) Wall sits. What, no wall? No problem! This is very easily done in a car using the back of your seat at the wall. Just engage your abs, keep your back straight, keep your legs bent at a 90 degree angle, and lift your butt off the chair. Hover and hold for 30 seconds at a time, then release.
2) Isometric butt squeezes can also help your butt muscles. Just clench your cheeks for 30 seconds, release, and repeat.
DISCLAIMER: None of these exercises are enough for you to lead a fully healthy lifestyle! You should still make an effort to work out 2-3 times a week minimum! But combined with a healthy lifestyle, these exercises can help you maintain/improve your physique.
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The post Fitness on the Go: Exercises for Roadtrips appeared first on Destination Femme.
