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Lacamas Life Magazine
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Northwest
Personal Training
Who wants to workout when it's sunny and the beach is calling your name? Well, how about having the best of both worlds…Here’s some exercises you can do while hanging out at the beach with your friends. Don't forget your sunscreen and remember not to stay out too long. A little bit of sun is a good thing - too much and you're asking for trouble.
Beach Cardio
Ideas: Playing catch or frisbee: Catching and throwing a ball or a frisbee with a friend will definitely challenge your agility. Play for 10 minutes or more.
Sand runs: Running in the sand is a lot more physically challenging than you'd think. As you sink into the sand, your muscles have to contract more forcefully to propel you forwards. Run up and down the sand-banks 10x or go for an easy jog down the beach - it's the BayWatch thing!
Playing volleyball with a partner: No need for nets or to recruit all your friends to play a game of volleyball. Instead just grab a partner and practice bumping and volleying the ball back and forth to each other. Play for 10 minutes or more.
Hips and
Thighs: Hip extension glute squeezes: Lay on your stomach with your stomach muscles contracted up and inwards. Bend one knee so the sole of the foot points upwards. Slowly lift that leg off your towel just a few inches while forcefully contracting your glutes. Do 13-20x each leg. You should feel this in your glutes - your butt!
Outer thigh lifts: Lay on your side with your legs bent and one leg positioned on top of the other. Now slowly lift the top leg a few inches and release. Just before you touch the other leg, lift again. Do 20 reps each leg. Of course, this one targets your outer thigh area.
Inner thigh lifts: Lay on your side with your bottom leg straight and your top leg bent in front of the bottom leg. Now slowly lift the bottom leg a few inches off the sand and release. Before you touch the sand, lift again. Do 20 reps each leg. This one is good for your inner thighs.
Upper Body: Push-ups: Lay on your stomach with your abdominals contracted. Place your hands a few inches beside your shoulders. Now slowly push upwards and then release. Do 8-15 reps from a toe or knee position. This one's good for the chest, shoulders and arms.
Core: Table Tops: Lay on your stomach propped up onto your elbows. Position your elbows so that they are underneath your shoulders. Now lift your body up so your weight is completely supported on your elbows and toes. Keep your abdominals contracted and your back in a neutral position and remember to breathe comfortable. This is an advanced exercise so some of you may want to just hold the table top on your knees instead of your toes or eliminate the knee-to-elbow aspect of the exercise. You should feel this one throughout your entire body and specifically your abs and back.
V-sits: Sit upright with perfect posture. Now slowly recline back a few inches while keeping your abdominals contracted. Holding your volleyball, slowly rotate the ball from one side of your body to the other. Repeat this 10x and then relax. This is an advanced exercise so some of you may want to eliminate the rotation aspect. This one's great for your abs.
Partner sit-ups: Have a seat a few feet away and facing your partner. You hold the volleyball, while you both lower down towards the sand and then you both slowly sit back up. Once you are both at the top range of the sit-up, you throw the ball to your partner and the exercise is repeated with your partner now holding the ball. Be sure to keep your abdominals contracted throughout the entire exercise especially during the throw and catch phase. Repeat 20x total (10x each partner holding ball). This exercise is great for your abs.
Alex & Sherri McMillan, M.Sc., are the founders of Northwest Personal Training & Fitness Education in downtown Vancouver and Portland and have been in the fitness industry for over 16 years. They have authored various fitness books including “Go For Fit – The Winning Way to Fat Loss” and “Fit over Forty” and are fitness columnists for numerous magazines and newspapers around the world including Shape and Self. As international fitness speakers, they have presented hundreds of workshops to thousands of fitness leaders throughout Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, England, Spain, South America, Asia and the U.S.A. The McMillans have been nominated for and awarded numerous international health and fitness industry awards including IDEA International Personal Trainer of the Year, Fitness Presenter of the Year, ACE Fitness Educator of the Year and IDEA Fitness Director of the Year.
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