Travel workout

This ‘no equipment’ travel workout can be stored on your phone, scribbled in a notepad, and taken with you wherever you go.

Whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, think of it as your own personal Holmes Place instructor helping you remain consistent with your fitness goals.

You’ll need comfortable workout gear to carry out these on-the-go exercises - and remember to incorporate those important stretches before you begin each session. Another often overlooked tip: breathe! Inhale and exhale throughout the workout for optimum results.

Your travel workout: 

1. Buddha prayer squat

How to do it:

●     Get into the squat position by gently lowering yourself towards the ground and widening your legs apart while concentrating on your upright posture. Make sure that the soles of your feet are touching the ground. Do not put your hands on the floor. 

●     Widen your knees apart until you feel comfortable in the squat position. Your buttocks should be sitting gently behind your calf muscles.

●     Put your hands into position as if praying and place the praying hands centrally on the chest bone. With your hand and legs in position, use your elbows as levers, gently pushing your legs outwards away from each other. Once you stop pushing let your knees naturally fall back into the initial squat position.

●     Do two reps of the Buddha prayer squat continuing with push and release for around 45 seconds and resting for 15 seconds between the two reps.

2. Strides with torso rotation

How to do it: 

●     Next, lower your body onto all fours (hands and toes on the ground) and take the left leg forward with your left knee bent in line with your arms.  

●     Taking your left arm, stretch up and outwards up towards the sky while moving your head and face to lift your gaze up in the same direction as your left arm is moving. Feel your torso stretch and rotate into that position. The right foot should not be flat on the ground, only your toes.

●     Stretch for around 45 seconds and rest for around 15 seconds. Continue with another rep.

●     Change position to the opposite side and repeat this stretch for 45 seconds with a 15 second rest - again do two reps.

3. Squat to backward reach

This next move involves increased stretching. Here’s how to do it:

●     Start in a crouched position, lean backwards onto the left hand. The palm of your left hand should be facing outwards.

●     Elevate your torso and pelvic area upwards while bringing your left arm up and over your head as far as comfortably possible. Feel the stretch in your neck and back.

●     Stretch for around 45 seconds, come out of the position and rest for 15 seconds.

●     Repeat on the opposite side.

4.  Squat jumps

How to do it: 

●     From a crouching position, stretch out your arms comfortably in front of your body and jump upwards elevating both feet from the ground.

●     Do three sets of squat jumps with a 15 second rest between each 45 seconds of jumps.

5. Walking lunge with torso rotation

How to do it:

●     Get into a standing position. With both feet together, step the right leg forward, bending the right knee.

●     Linking the tips of your fingers together, bend your elbows and rotate your arms to your right. Your elbows should be in line with your chest.

●     Swing the arms around gently towards the right as far as possible. Hold this position for around 45 seconds and rest for 15.

●     Repeat this rotation stretch on the left side for 45 seconds and resting for 15 seconds.

●     Do this three times in total on each side.

6. Knee pushups

How to do it: 

●     Place yourself into the pushup position on the floor but make sure to be on your knees rather than your feet.

●     Your arms should be shoulder width apart. Now, gently lower your torso and face towards the floor.

●     Remain in this lowered position, facing the floor not straight ahead, for around 45 seconds. Release and rest for 15 seconds. 

●     Do this three times in total.

7.  Crab kicks

How to do it:

●     Starting in a crouched position, lean yourself backwards placing your right hand flat on the ground with your left foot flat on the ground.

●     Using the left arm and right leg, kick up and touch the left foot with your right hand. Repeat this move for around 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds.

●     Swap sides and repeat the crab kick using the opposite leg and arm. Watch yourself move into each kick.

Find out more fitness related articles here.