TEXTLISA BUCKINGHAM© TOP SANTÉPHOTOGRAPHYGETTY IMAGES- Pack
equipment
A small backpack filled with a
bit of equipment can give you
a great lunchtime workout.»HAND WEIGHTS
You can use them alone or add
them into resistance exercises
to work several muscle groups
simultaneously. They don’t have
to be heavy – for example, add
a 2kg weight to each hand when
doing a squat. As you rise up,
raise the weights in the air above
your head and lower as you go
back into the squat.»RESISTANCE BANDS
These stretchy bands are cheap,
and easy to use. For example,
wrap the ends of one around
your hands a couple of times and
stand on the middle, then use it to
perform bicep curls and lateral
raises (arms out to the side).
There are hundreds of upper and
lower body exercises you can try
with them, you will find lots of
videos showing you what to do
on YouTube.
»HULA HOOP^
Okay, it won’t fit in a backpack,
but it’s a great portable fitness
tool. A weighted hoop is easiest
to use. It targets the muscles
around your middle and is an
effective way of toning up. Aim
for at least two minutes at a time
and don’t feel embarrassed –
if you can keep the hoop going,
it’ll be all admiring glances!»SKIPPING ROPE
Skipping burns a whopping
590 calories per hour, plus it
tones the lower body, boosts
cardio fitness and is a great
weight-bearing exercise to
improve your bone health.- Go further
at every walk
Set a timer for 30 minutes on a brisk
walk or run. Start at a specific point and
note where you get to after 30 minutes.
The next time you do it, try to get further
by upping your speed. This is a great
way to move at what’s known as a tempo
pace, which makes your heart and lungs
work a bit harder. And plug in your
headphones! A 2014 study found that
listening to upbeat music has a strong
effect on walking speed – participants
listening to motivational music walked
considerably faster than those listening
to non-motivational music.» Warm up with a five-minute walk.
» Set a timer for intervals of
40/20 seconds – 40 seconds exercise,
20 seconds rest between exercises.
» Complete the circuit four
times, then stretch at the end.
»^ Side lunges:^ Take a wide
stance and push your bottom out
behind you as you bend one knee
and straighten the other leg, moving
your weight over the bent leg. Keep
your head and chest up. Straighten
and return to the start position.
Repeat on the other leg.
»^ Incline press-up:^
Find a bench to place your hands on
directly below your shoulders and
get your body in a straight line. Brace
your core and squeeze your glutes as
you bend your elbows, keeping upper
arms close to the body and lower
your chest towards your hands.
Return to the start position.
»^ Burpees: Stand with feet
hip-width apart. Bend your knees and
push your hips back, stretch your
arms out in front of you and loweryourself to the floor. Jump your legs
behind you so you’re in a press-up
position, then jump the feet back in
towards your hands and power up into
a jump (or standing) and repeat.
»^ Squat side kick: Stand with
feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees
and push your bottom out behind you
as though you’re going to sit down.
Ensure that your knees don’t go out
beyond your toes. Rise up to standing
and, placing your weight over your
right leg, lift the left knee and kick
out to the left. Return to the start
position, then squat and kick with
your right leg. Keep repeating,
alternating legs to complete the
interval.
»^ Knee strikes: Put your
weight on one leg and bend the
knee slightly. Extend the other leg
out to the side then drive the knee
up towards your body. Use your
abdominals to help pull the knee up.
Stay tall and don’t lean towards the
knee. Do this for 40 seconds, then
switch legs.- Get fit with HIIT
“Working at high intensity is a really efficient way to exercise in a short
time frame,” says Julia. “Because the intervals are short, you can push
yourself – this burns a lot of calories and your body adapts to the new
challenge by increasing strength and fitness.” Try Julia’s routine below.