How do YOU stay fit while traveling?
Bring a jump rope? A foam roller? Running shoes?
I bring all of those things, but I like to do some strength moves while I am away, too.
Sometimes you are fortunate enough to encounter an outdoor fitness circuit. I had previously blogged about one near me, but this one we tripped over while out walking the Marina Green in San Francisco. Surely you have meandered through a city park, and noticed perhaps along a scenic walkway a fitness circuit with stations every hundred feet or so.
This is much like that. However, I like the simplicity of the “Fitness Court”. In a very compact space, your goal is to do 7 moves in 7 minutes, so 1 move per minute.
Everybody can do that!
- Here are the 7 move categories that the NationalFitnessCampaign.com decided were most important for their Fitness Court: Core
- Squat
- Push
- Lunge
- Pull
- Agility, and the final category that makes me laugh because the title is a bit vague:
- Bend.
You can see that they have several options pictured for each of their fitness categories to suit many levels and abilities. This was also a nice built-in feature. It made it relatively easy to get seven moves done in essentially seven minutes.
To test the ease of execution, I subjected my daughter Sarah to the seven moves.
Don’t have a Fitness Court handy? Try the suggested substitute instead for a minute!
1. Mountain climbers
Here she does mountain climbers for the core exercise.
SUB: If you don’t have a bar, just put your hands on the floor.
2. Squats
Sarah jumped up on the box and did squats for one minute.
SUB: the box makes it fun, so climb up on a chair seat if you need elevation, otherwise, squats on the floor work fine.
3. Low pushups
On the bar for the Push station.
SUB: Try pushups in a corner or through a doorway instead.
4. Lateral lunges
With her foot on the low box.
SUB: Try a hearth or flip a garbage can over and wedge it against the wall.
5. The Pull station
This is probably the trickiest to replicate without something to hang from like Sarah.
SUB: However, notice that the picture of the pull station includes pulling yourself up from a squat position- so scoot up next to a sink, throw your hands in the sink, and puuulllll yourself up from a full squat using your upper body- no pushing from the floor with your feet.
6. Agility
Sarah chose the painted agility ladder to try; there was also a dot drill painted on the ground.
SUB: pretend you have the letter “x” painted on the floor, and hop forward and backward on the tips of the “x”. You can also cross your feet midair for style points! 🙂
7. Bend Station
Near as I can tell, anything goes at the Bend station. You just need to bend. I had Sarah center on a low box and lift her torso and feet off at the same time.
Honestly, I would like to see some twist in one of the stations, and I think this is the most obvious category to add that in…. so try a twisting motion, and don’t forget to neutralize with cats and dogs (cow for all you yogis) or a quick baby crawl afterwards.
Take the seven categories and add your favorite move to each…you just have to remember to hang in there for the full minute.
You can do it!
Let me know in the comments below your favorite travel workout tips…thank you!
