For many college students, spring break means two things: booze and inactivity. This mixture can put a dent in your healthy lifestyle plans and set you back farther than before. I always make it a priority to set aside time during my break to exercise. Whether it be yoga on the beach or a run on the trails, you can incorporate fun activities while also shedding some extra calories.
I found this amazing article on Lululemon’s blog that I wanted to share with you all! I do all of these workouts at my gym and they are super easy to do. Honestly, who needs a gym when you have the best resources from Mother Nature?
Training on the beach has obvious benefits, like the salty air and awe-inspiring views. It also demands the use of various muscles the body might not ordinarily use due to the sand surface constantly changing under the feet.
“Working out on sand is incredibly beneficial for the body. Because of the decreased stability, there’s a greater workload placed on the muscles and this in turn results in a better all-over body workout,” says Ben Day, director and personal trainer at Elite Performance Gym and co-owner of Acai Brothers in Brisbane.
We’re stoked to share Ben’s simple (but effective) beach workout.
Why do it?
The bodyweight dip is a closed kinetic chain exercise. This means that while you’re moving your hands are in a fixed position, requiring you to use more than one joint and muscle group simultaneously, resulting in a tough compound exercise. This exercise improves upper body strength.
How to do it?
Start with your hands placed flat on two parallel surfaces, shoulder width apart. Stand tall, flex your elbows and lower your trunk down and fractionally forward until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Extend your elbows and lock them out. Come back to your starting position.
Why do it?
Hill sprints are a conditioning exercise as well as an anaerobic (short-lasting, high intensity) tool. Running on the sand makes your movements less economical, applying greater demand to your body. This endurance building exercise has been linked to increased strength in tendons and ligaments, as well as a decreased risk of injury in comparison with other types of running.
How to do it?
The goal is to climb the hill as fast as you can. Keep your eyes focused on your end point and pump your arms as you move up and across the sand. The faster your arms move, the faster your legs will move, too.
Why do it?
A progression from the conventional variation, the 40-degree push-up increases its difficulty by changing the position of your weight, creating a greater emphasis on your shoulder muscles. Mastering it will increase your upper body strength and develop important stabilizing muscles in the shoulders.
How to do it?
Start in the same position as a conventional push-up, but with your feet on an elevated surface. Maintain an activated trunk, flex at the elbows and lower your chest and nose to the ground. Extending at the elbows and maintaining a stiff trunk, return to your starting position.
Why do it?
Besides being an effective conditioning tool, the burpee broad jump builds full body strength and is one of the most time efficient exercises.
How to do it?
The aim is to throw your body down with your chest touching the ground and legs fully extended as if in the bottom of a push-up. Then, jump your legs in, forming a mid-range squat position, finishing the exercise with a maximal effort broad jump or standing long jump.
Why do it?
The pistol squat is one of the most effective tools for increasing lower body unilateral (single-limb) strength. It also helps to increase mobility and stability in the ankles and hips as well as strengthen the stabilizing muscles in your knees.
How to do it?
Start by standing on one leg. Soften the knee before hinging downward at the hip. Drive your hips back and direct your glutes towards your heels, flex the knee and lower into a squat position. Finish by driving back up through your heels (still on one leg), extending the hips and knee simultaneously until you’re back in standing position.
posted: January 20, 2016
Ella Damiani for Lululemon
