Anxious about the holidays? Seven tips to help you avoid weight gain

To keep your body in tip-top shape during the summer holidays, follow these helpful tips:

ONE:

• Be proactive about being active, since it is likely that you’ll eat and drink more than usual whilst on holiday.
• It’s simple – the more you eat, the more active you should be.
• It could be as simple as going for a daily walk or in nature, or in your neighbourhood, in addition to doing the daily exercises provided on the LK Fitness app.

TWO:

• Exercise by playing with your children or pets.
• For example, to tone your buttocks and thighs, you could:
  • Have your child (or a willing pet) lie down on a small mat or beach towl.
  • Pull your child through the house, making sure they remain safely on the mat/towel. You should walk backwards with your knees bent almost at a 90° angle for the best results.
  • If you don’t use your child for this exercise, use objects with a similar weight e.g., boxes, books or bricks that are as heavy as a toddler or pet (9-15kg).
• This was one of my family’s favourites when my two boys were younger. Now that they’re all grown up, I try similar tricks with Pampoen (my beloved Frenchie), as seen below.

THREE:

• Get your heart rate up and tone your arms, by taking walks whilst holding hand weights.
  • If you don’t have weights, use canned food or water bottles and use these to do simple exercises to tone your arms whilst you walk.
  • Don’t let your environement hinder you: you can do this outdoors, on the treadmill, down the passage in your home, or quite simply by walking on the spot in your living room whilst you watch your favourite show.

FOUR:

• If you have a step or staircase somewhere at home, it can be used for many exercises. I recommend this mini circuit:
  • To raise your heart rate, walk or jog up and down the step/staircase for 1 minute.
  • Then, do simple arm exercises with weights, bottles of water or cans of food, whilst stepping up and down for another minute.
  • Directly after that, work your thighs by standing on the step while lunging backwards with your left leg. Recover, and then lunge backwards with your right leg. Continue for a minute.
  • Repeat all 3 exercises 3 times.

FIVE:

• To tone your arms, use a towel or excercise band.
  • While standing comfortably, hold a towel behind your back, with your right hand just above your head and left hand close to where your buttocks begins.
  • Both arms are bent and your elbows facing outwards.
  • Pull upwards with your right arm until straight.
  • Use the towel and your left arm as resistance as you hold the towel tighter.
  • Now do the opposite by straightening your right arm downwards and bending your rightarm.
• Aim for 3 sets of 15, then switch arms.

SIX:

• Make and store LK Fitness detox water in the fridge, by cutting the following into thin slices and adding it to 1.5-2 litres of water:
  • Half a cucumber – has anti-inflammatory properties
  • Half a lemon – helps get rid of toxins
  • Half a grapefruit – it is said that grapefruit assists in fat   burning. Other fruit, like strawberries, oranges, blueberries can also be used.
  • A handful of mint – assists digestion.

SEVEN:

• Get your family or friends to join you in using the LK Fitness app during the holidays. Even if you do just one exercise suggested on the app per day!

Here’s to a fit and fabulous holiday, no matter where you spend it!

Yours in Fitness,

Linda xx