Easy holiday workouts

fitness

With the exodus for holidays on at the moment, trying to keep momentum going with your training can be difficult - especially with no access to a gym or your favourite piece of equipment, whether it is a bicycle or a cross trainer.

So it's time to be adaptable, using the beach or pool as your exercise playground. Holidays are also a great opportunity to get the whole family involved.

But remember everyone may be a different levels of fitness, so if you are fit and are organising your family workout, take this into consideration especially when children are involved.

The secret is to make a plan before you head off, spend some time thinking about your family or friends and what holiday 'boot-camp' will appeal to them. It's meant to be fun, so keep it light and organise activities like rounders, pool games and mini beach runs.

Serious runners are best advised to head off first thing, before breakfast to avoid the hottest rays, stay well hydrated and apply lots of sun screen even if it's cloudy.

One of the most effective family or group workouts, and great fun too, would be to set out 10 exercises stations for circuit training.

For example: 1) Press ups 2) Bench dips 3) Burpees 4) Squats 5) Sit ups 6) Jump squats 7) On the spot running 8) Side leg raises 9) Skipping 10) Plank.

Movement

Each station should last one minute, in that minute do as many of that one movement as you can without stopping.

Then quickly move on to the next exercises until all 10 are completed.

Aim for three circuits of each exercise moving fast. You don't need much space, a small section of the beach or grass area will easily be sufficient.

But be careful, soft sand works the calves and legs much harder.

Another great workout would be run for 100m, swim for 50 strokes then when you return, do 20 press ups and then repeat five times. The target is to go against the clock and get the quickest time.