The last thing that anyone wants to do when traveling long distances to a beautiful destination is spending hours on hours stuck in a dark hotel gym. Sure, hotels are getting wise to the concept of health and wellness on the road but most of those amenities are easily available back home. Why waste your precious vacation time doing something that you can do anywhere? That’s why when the property you’re staying at has plenty of perfectly good training areas outside in the form of sandy beaches and lush grass, it’s time to take the workouts outdoors.
Performance coach Don Saladino has trained the most well-known personalities in the world. We’re talking Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Sebastian Stan, and Anne Hathaway, just to name a few. Those sessions have resulted in some of the most recognized physiques in film and TV — Reynolds in Deadpool, Lively in The Shallows, and Stan in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Much of that training was done in state-of-the-art facilities, one of those being Saladino’s own gym Drive495, which he ran for years in the Soho district of New York City. But the trainer to the stars says that you can score a killer workout using just your body weight while on the road.
“I don’t care if you are looking to put on muscle or lean out, there is a lot that can be accomplished in the fresh air without any kind of equipment,” says Saladino.
The coach has taken that practice on the road, hosting fitness retreats with clients at Amanyara in the Caribbean and his own DonCon in Costa Rica.
“People are creatures of habit,” he notes. “We get used to working out the same way day after day. But diversifying your training is one of the best things you can do and moving the body athletically in different planes. Getting a nice dose of vitamin D all the while outside is a great added bonus.”
For those wondering if it’s possible to do intense training sessions and still recharge as they hoped on vacation, it definitely is, according to Saladino. In fact, it just might make your resting periods and sleep that night all the better.
“Don’t get me wrong, fatigue is a real thing and it’s important to rest when you hit that point,” he says. “But just as often I see people get stuck in a rut because they don’t know what to do and they spiral into a pit of laziness. Once you get in a situation like that the only way out is to get on your feet and get the blood pumping. There’s nothing like that after-training high, and then it’s time to hit the pool for a beverage.”
We asked the trainer-to-the-stars for a workout to share and he definitely didn’t disappoint. Check out Saladino’s “Feet in the Sand” regimen below!
PART I — THE BASICS
Find a mostly-flat surface on the sand (or grass) and make sure you have a few body lengths to work with both ways. The workout is done in two parts, the first five movements being done in a row four times (that’s four sets) before it’s time to cool down. For each of these exercises, you will do them for 30 seconds before moving to the next — giving yourself a five-second break in-between.
The routine is meant to build up a sweat, so don’t worry if you feel a little rushed at first. Lean into it and feel the burn.
Plank Position:
You will see many of these movements begin in plank position, also known as the start of a push-up. For those unsure how to get into it, start by lying face-down on the ground. Place the palms of your hands directly under your shoulders, brace yourself by digging your toes in the ground, and extend at the elbows until your arms are in a straight line below you with your palms down.
PART II — THE EXERCISES
1) Push Up:
Get into a plank position with your arms straight and hands a bit wider than shoulder width. Lower your torso until your elbows form a 90-degree angle and push back up. Keep your back and neck straight throughout.
2) Handcuff To Reach:
Lie face down. Place your hands palms down on the back of your head, elbows pointed out to the sides. That is the starting position. Extend your arms forward in the shape of a “Y.” Reach as wide as you can and circle them down the sides of your body with palms down. As soon as you can no longer keep your palms down, flip your hands over to palms up and bring your hands to the center of your lower back like you’re being handcuffed.
Circle your arms back in the reverse direction to return to starting position.
3) Squat:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keeping your back straight, push back with your hips like you are sitting in a chair. Try to go to approximately 90 degrees at your knees before returning.
4) Plank With Shoulder Touches:
Get into plank position to start and lift your right palm off the floor. Engaged your core, legs, and left hand to steady your body’s weight. Keeping a constant pace, bend at your right elbow and bring your hand up to touch the front of your left shoulder. Return your right palm to the ground and then repeat with your left arm.
5) One-Legged Glute Bridge:
Lie face-up on the ground with your arms at your side and palms facing down. Keep your knees bent and chin tucked into the top of your chest. Engage your core and extend your left leg straight out. The right leg should stay bent, with your foot flat on the ground, hips on the ground, and knees next to each other. This is the starting position. Begin the movement by squeezing your glute and pushing your right food into the ground. Keep going, lifting your hips off the ground until your body is a straight line between your chest and your left food.
Return back to the starting position and repeat with the right leg being extended.