We chatted with NEW YORK TIMES Best-Selling Celebrity nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin, author of THE VIRGIN DIET on how to stay fit and trim while on vacation or traveling on the road, because bikini season is right around the corner! Here are some great tips she gave us:
- · Bike to Tone Your Tush: Leisurely biking is great for getting a little Vitamin D and fresh air but it won’t give you a workout. Seek out some hills, stand up and pedal hard and fast to get a great tush-toning cardio workout. If there aren’t any hills, you can tighten up the tension and stand up and race on the flats. Try alternating between spinning at high rpms 100-120 for 30- 60 seconds all out with a minute of 60-80 rpm to recover – do this at a low resistance for a great cardio burst workout.
- · Rollerblade Like It’s 1999: Want to really get your glutes and thighs in shape? Bend over at your hips so that your back is nearly parallel with the ground and take big strokes with your legs. Add arm-pumping in to up the calorie burn.
- · Dig That Sand: Digging in the sand works your core and upper body – the longer the shovel and the wetter the sand, the better. Bonus Workout: fill up a few buckets with sand and try some upright or bent-over rows to work your lats, shoulders and biceps.
- · Slip & Slide: Throw in a little isometric crunch on the water slide – when you are sitting in your inner tube, try to hold your legs up slightly off the tub while contracting your abs. If you aren’t in a tube, you can hold yourself in a wide “V” while squeezing your abs.
- · Amusement Parks: Any resistance you add at the amusement park – a stroller, a hill, a back pack or a few kids – burns more calories. Keep motivated by keeping track of your steps with a pedometer and whenever possible, up the intensity – whether by pushing the stroller, taking the stairs, adding a little speed and arm pump when you are walking up that hill, you name it.
For more fitness tips and to check out her book, visit JJVirgin.com