Recently I had to go to Mauritius on a work trip to check out the refurbished Club Med La Pointe aux Cannoniers resort near Grand Baie (tough job, right, but someone has to do it). And I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the resort actually had a great gym — nice and big with good equipment. Pleasantly surprised because, let’s be honest, the average hotel gym is pretty bleak. Fortunately, you can get a good full-body workout in even the tiniest space with minimal equipment. Squeeze these moves into your next business trip.
Push-Ups
They work your core along with your chest and the backs of your arms. Can’t do one? Start lying flat on the floor and push yourself up from there.
Split Squats
These work your legs and bum and require minimal space. They’re also a good alternative if your knees hurt doing lunges. Be sure to keep your torso upright (yup, tighten that tummy!) to properly engage the muscles in your bum and the backs of your legs and take pressure off your knees.
Curl To Overhead Press
This multi-joint move works the front of your arms and your shoulders. It’s also a good way to sneak two moves into one to save time. ‘Cause, you know, breakfast buffet. The first part (curl) should just be a hinge movement at your elbow — no swinging at the shoulder. And tighten that tummy and bum so you don’t arch your back in the press.
Renegade Rows
I was delighted to find that my resort gym had a well-equipped cable station, because the average hotel gym has no pulling equipment (seriously, is a humble pull-up bar so hard to install?). This move is great for working your back when there’s no bar or machine to pull on. Plus it’s a killer core exercise ’cause you’re essentially holding a high plank. Too hard? Do them in a kneeling push-up position.
Double Crunches
Another nifty exercise that combines two moves into one, this works your upper and lower abs. Tilt your pelvis to keep that lower back glued to the floor so you don’t put strain on it. If you feel it in your neck, your core isn’t properly engaged — keep those abs pulled tight the whole time.
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Make It A Workout
Now that you have the moves down, it’s time to turn them into a routine. Do the moves in order for the number of reps shown. Take a brief rest between exercises. Once you’ve done all the moves, take a longer rest, then start again. Do three rounds in total.
Push-ups: 10
Split squats: 15 each leg
Curl to overhead press: 12
Renegade rows: 6 each side
Double crunches: As many as you can do in 30 seconds
