Total body travel workout (strength and cardio)

Hi friends! How’s the day treating you? The week has gone by quickly, and I’m looking forward to the weekend. We’re actually staying in town this weekend! I know. To be totally honest, a bit of FOMO has hit me. I was doing really well, but after visiting Chicago and Orlando recently, I remembered what it’s like to live in a real city. I’m not saying I need a Tiki Port around the corner – god, I miss Tiki Port – but it wouldn’t hurt to have a Trader Joe’s, Orangetheory, barre studio, and a Dunkin. Maybe a few more restaurants and a Whole Foods if we’re getting crazy. We do a lot of fun things here, and I know we’ll make the most of it, but it’s started to hit me that we go to the same six places pretty much all the time.

On the fitness front, I’ve also had to get a lot more creative. Besides yoga and teaching barre, I haven’t found any classes here that I love. I’m not quite ready for a full yoga class yet – the thought of a full back extension in upward-facing dog makes my toes curl a little – but I’ve been taking advantage of online fitness classes. I’m LOVING the Peloton app, and have also been doing Physique 57 online. (Robin is my favorite Peloton instructor, and Chad is my fave P57 teacher.) In between that, I’ll lift weights at the country club gym, use our Bowflex HVT machine (<— it’s amazing), and go for walks. You do what you gotta do.

A total body strength and cardio workout you can do anywhere! Get in a HIIT and strength workout with your own body weight. Check out the details: fitnessista.com

(Wearing gap fit tank // Fabletics crops // Nikes <— on sale)

As we head into the busy holiday season, we’ll likely have to get more inventive with our workout locations and routines. So many of us will be traveling, outside of our regular schedule, and trying to sneak in workouts in between the festivities and extra to-dos. Even as the season gets busier, I find it more important than ever to get in a daily sweat session since it boosts endorphins, helps me beat stress, and just makes me feel good. I know many of my fitness friends out there feel the same way. 🙂

I put together a quick workout you can do anywhere! This one is bodyweight-only, and an awesome combo of strength and cardio. Pin it for when you want to get in a quick sweat session at home during naptime, while traveling in your hotel room, or as an impromptu workout.

Please let me know what you think if you give it a try!

A total body strength and cardio workout you can do anywhere! Get in a HIIT and strength workout with your own body weight. Check out the details: fitnessista.com

Form cues and tips:

Curtsy lunge to plie squat: For this exercise, you aren’t rising in between switching- keep your body LOW and knees bent the entire time. Torso stays upright, step back into your lunge, then keep the front knee bent as you step out to side to squat. Step the opposite foot behind and lunge. Watch the front knees to make sure they don’t extent past the toes.

Plie squat jumps: Step your feet out at least shoulder-width and sink your hips down into a squat. Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor, and touch the floor. Exhale to jump up, and land in a soft squat.

Lunge to basketball throw: Try to keep your chest lifted and core tight as you perform the exercise. Aim for some dynamics and height change with your movements, as this will make the exercise even more challenging. As you throw the pretend basketball, spring up from your bottom leg and land softly.

A total body strength and cardio workout you can do anywhere! Get in a HIIT and strength workout with your own body weight. Check out the details: fitnessista.com

Squat jumps: Get into a squat position (booty LOW and back), and touch the floor. Keep your abs engaged and chest lifted. Powering through your heels, spring up, reaching your arms towards the ceiling. Land with a soft knee. Repeat.

Spinal balance with leg pulse: Come onto hands and knees (hands under your shoulders and knees under your hip bones). Extend one arm and the opposite leg, keeping your hips parallel to the floor. Flex your foot and gentling pulse your heel up towards the ceiling (or sky!). Squeeze your glute to lift your leg and keep your core engaged. Tap the floor with your foot, squeezing your glutes to rise. Then at the top, complete 20 pulses, making sure to take even breaths the whole time. Switch sides.

A total body strength and cardio workout you can do anywhere! Get in a HIIT and strength workout with your own body weight. Check out the details: fitnessista.com

Triceps pushup to side plank: You can do these on your knees or toes, just make sure to keep your hips in line with your torso (no butts in the air or sagging in the middle) and your hands planted firmly into the surface. Bend your elbows to lower your body towards the ground, exhale and squeeze your chest to rise, then rotate to a side plank, lifting up your bottom oblique. This is one rep. If you’re modifying, keep your bottom knee on the floor as you rotate, and just extend the top leg. If you want a challenge, hover the top leg up as you rotate. Repeat, alternating sides.

Figure-4 hip raise: Start on your back with legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift one leg off the floor, and cross that ankle over your opposite knee. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips, keeping your upper back pressing into the floor and hips parallel to the floor. Lower down towards the floor (don’t touch it!) and exhale to rise back up. Continue for 10 reps, then switch legs.

Triceps dips: For a more challenging version, place a flat weight plate on your legs. As you complete your dip, make sure that your elbows stay pointing straight back, keep your chest lifted, and shoulders down. Fingertips will face towards your toes.

Happy sweating, friends!

xo

Gina

Photos: Lindsay Colson

To extend this workout, try it along with this oldie but goodie HIIT workout.

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20 Comments

  1. Kendra on October 12, 2017 at 7:25 am

    Living in BFE is the weirdest thing about military life! I’m always excited to move but man, I still haven’t gotten over leaving Savannah, GA a few moves ago. Upstate NY does not have the luxuries of a real city!

  2. Kelli @ Hungry Hobby on October 12, 2017 at 8:57 am

    I didn’t know you were in such small town! Thanks for the workout !

    • Fitnessista on October 12, 2017 at 2:04 pm

      yep! enjoy all the fun az stuff for me 😉

  3. Laura @ Laura Likes Design on October 12, 2017 at 8:59 am

    you always have the best workout gear!

    • Fitnessista on October 12, 2017 at 2:02 pm

      thank you, friend!

  4. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious on October 12, 2017 at 10:09 am

    I can’t imagine living in such a small place!

    • Fitnessista on October 12, 2017 at 1:58 pm

      there are pros and cons. the people are so great and i love our neighborhood, but there are definitely some things i miss

  5. Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups on October 12, 2017 at 10:24 am

    Looks great, I have some travel coming up that this will be perfect for.

    • Fitnessista on October 12, 2017 at 1:57 pm

      hope you love it!

  6. LeeAnn Benesh on October 12, 2017 at 11:44 am

    We live about 35-40 minutes outside of a small town (Read: NO TARGET…wahhhhhh)!!! It is rare that we are in town more than 1-2 days a week and 99% of my workouts are at home. My training is mostly cardio focused (I race bikes and run), so it is fairly easy to get my workouts in at home. I have my bike trainer and treadmill in the basement for when it is snowy or below freezing (or my 4 year old doesnt want to go with me ;)). My weight workouts are done in the living room for now or on the deck. Totally feel your craving for some of those staple stores in town, but I wouldnt change my view or way of life for anything at this point 🙂

    • Fitnessista on October 12, 2017 at 1:57 pm

      that’s awesome you’re making the most of it! no target is rough. i feel ya on the constant travel. if we can get out of town for a little bit, we’ll do it!

  7. Tracy on October 12, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    I get your FOMO. It’s nice to have big city options down the street! Do you know how long you’ll be staying in Valdosta? You have a great attitude about it all!

    • Fitnessista on October 12, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      we’ll probably be here until spring 2019. and yes! at least we have lots of options close by
      xoxo

  8. Juliana on October 12, 2017 at 1:26 pm

    Hi Gina,
    This is unrelated, but my family is currently evacuated due to the fires in Sonoma, and I was hoping you could in your Friday faves tomorrow share a couple of links to help the wine country fire victims?

    The local credit union has set up a relief fund for anyone to donate to. Everything will go to local people and businesses who lost everything:
    https://www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief

    A LOT of pets have been displaced, and the Sonoma Humane Society needs help providing care to burned and homeless animals:
    http://sonomahumane.org/updates/

    Also, if any of your readers are local to San Diego and would like to help, please put them in touch with me. We are coordinating efforts to get supplies (N95 and N99 respirators especially, as they are critically low on them in the entire north bay region, and air quality is worsening) hand delivered from here to there.

    • Fitnessista on October 12, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      thank you for sharing this. i just added the links to tomorrow’s post, and mentioned that san diego volunteers can email me for your contact info.
      i’m so sorry for everything you’re going through, and hope that you and your family stay safe.

      • Juliana on October 12, 2017 at 2:17 pm

        Thank you so much! I love your blog and really appreciate the help <3

  9. Bethany on October 12, 2017 at 4:33 pm

    Where else would you have deer in your backyard though?

    I love this! The is also a great one for me to do outside with my little. That is the only time he will let me workout when he is awake.

  10. Bets on October 12, 2017 at 5:28 pm

    Love these type of workouts, thanks! Since mi ing away from Chicago I get depressed and in a funk every time I leave too, it’s the best!

  11. Nic on October 16, 2017 at 10:21 am

    I am loving the peloton app and Robin is my fave too! Now I hear her voice no matter what exercise I’m doing “Let’s go babies! Yes you CAN!” lol

    • Fitnessista on October 16, 2017 at 1:29 pm

      hahaha i love it! she has so many good one-liners. “i only ride with royalty” 😉

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