Be your own lieutenant

Staying on a tropical island free from over crowded, if any, fitness centres, complete with idyllic scenery and overwhelmed by jungle, the option to reach for the shades and retire to the hammock is far too tempting. The natural reaction to avoid the heat or acknowledge the lack of facilities are not excusable, I've given up on excuses, and now having already achieved a marathon status, only running does not have to be the answer. As previously mentioned, my body became complacent and satisfied with the results from running, so again I had to shock it in to action and set a new goal; get toned. 

After streaming numerous you tube videos and wading through stacks of fitness magazines, obviously flicking straight past the pictures of flawless eight packed women, obstacles such as a lack of facilities, funds or even an innocent phobia of turning into a female hulk, were easily overcome. No longer needing to avoid a trudge through Tesco with a trolley full of assorted dumbbells to achieve my desired effect, I found the best equipment to help get strong was ME – a motivated and determined me of course!

Plyometric exercises use only your own body weight. Improving all motor skills as well as power, stamina and strength, incorporating as little as two exercises into my program began to completely change my body shape rather than just trimming the fat. Short bursts of this type of training also cut my workout time, helping ease the dread of starting, and was also a lot quicker to work my way through the sets then it was the kilometeres of running. After a cardiovascular warm - up I alternate plyometric exercises with basic conditioning such as squats and sit -ups before finishing with an all over body stretch to help elongate my muscles - the whole thing lasts about 45 minutes which is less time than it takes to drive around the Beverley roundabout at 8-am on a Monday morning! 

My personal favourite plyometric exercises include burpees, split jumps, straight jumps, mountain climbers and froggers to name a few. By doing 3 x 10 reps of each of the exercises left my heart pumping harder than 10 consecutive rides of Stealth at Thorpe Park but with an equal feeling of numbness in the legs and a sense of pride!

As these plyometric exercises are an intense cardiovascular workout, there was no fear of bulging biceps, just a confident beginning to a lean, toned figure whilst still watching the scale number decrease. Being the loyal, and stereotypical, apple fan, I found great exercises on apps such as Nike Training that have designed workout programs and helped guide me through each workout with technique advice and video demonstrations. It also helped mix up my workout plan without pondering about what to do each day. Is there anything my iPhone can't do?!

Although not everyone is accommodated on such an island, last gloat I promise, these exercises are perfect for travel, countryside, at home or outside and can still be used in the gym. Make your own boot camp, save your funds and still travel light, be your own lieutenant!