You’ve looked forward to it for months: summer vacation! But being away from home often means breaking your regular exercise routine, not to mention letting loose with your diet—both of which can conspire to derail your health and fitness goals.
But there is an easy way to keep up with a workout routine while on vacation that doesn’t even require stepping foot inside a gym: The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout® App.
The free app—developed by Chris Jordan, Director of Exercise Physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute®—has been downloaded more than 3 million times since it debuted in 2014.
The premise: 22 quick and simple workouts that can be done anywhere, anytime—no gear required.
The featured workouts draw on the scientific benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which works your body fast and hard for just a few minutes, interspersed with short periods of recovery, to effectively strengthen muscles and improve heart health.
To help keep you on the fitness track this vacation season, we rounded up four common summer scenarios when a seven-minute workout could come in handy, and paired them with simple moves from the app that can be done on the go.
While you’re waiting at the airport …
It can be tempting to write off travel days as a loss when it comes to working out, but there are actually quite a few moves you can sneak in before you board the plane.
To start, says Alexander Chriest, M.S., Ed.D., Performance Coach and Implementation Consultant, Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, “instead of sitting at your gate, use that time to get in as many steps as you can.”
As you’re walking around, look for a quiet area where you can do some bigger movements, such as wall sits, lunges and jumping jacks.
“Working your largest muscle group—your legs—gives you the most bang for your buck in terms of calorie burn,” Chriest explains. “And jumping jacks are great for increasing your heart rate, which helps boost your metabolism throughout the day.”
The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App recommended moves ...
Wall Sit: Place your feet shoulder width apart, with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your back straight and supported against the wall. Cross your arms across your chest and hold the position for 30 seconds, making sure your knees are directly above your ankles.
Lunge: Stand with your feet together, with your knees slightly bent and your hands on your hips. Step one foot forward and squat down by bending your knees and hips. Keep your back straight and your front knee positioned behind your toes. Return to the starting position and repeat, alternating sides, for 30 seconds.
Jumping Jacks: From a standing position, jump your feet out to the side and extend your arms overhead, staying on your toes and keeping your knees slightly bent. Return to the starting position and repeat the move for 30 seconds.
For this and the other exercises we’re spotlighting in this article, you can complete each circuit as many times as you’d like, pausing for about 10 seconds between each move.
While you’re at the amusement park …
A trip to a theme park can be an all-day affair, with plenty of time spent standing in line for rides and waiting for your kids to finish them.
So why not use this downtime to work in some bursts of movement that will challenge your muscles and elevate your heart rate?
“Use a bench to do some triceps dips, assisted push-ups or step-ups,” Chriest suggests. “You could even make a game of it: See how many reps you can do before your kids finish the ride.”
The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App recommended moves ...
Triceps Dip: Sit on the bench with your legs extended in front of you and your heels on the ground. Holding the bench with arms fully extended, lower your body off the bench until your arms reach 90 degrees. Return to the starting position and repeat for 30 seconds.
Assisted Push-up: Start with your hands securely on the bench, keeping your body straight from head to heel, and your arms fully extended. Lower your body until your elbows are bent at 90 degrees, keeping your hips up and your core engaged. Return to the starting position and repeat for 30 seconds.
Step-up: From a standing position, step up onto the bench, making sure your entire foot is on the bench. Return to the starting position and repeat, alternating the leading foot, for 30 seconds.
While you’re on the beach …
The shore is the perfect spot to unwind, relax … and (yes, really!) get in some exercise. Beach volleyball or playing in the waves are great ways to check off your cardio while having fun. Plus, the sand makes walking or running more challenging, so every movement automatically becomes more effective, says Chriest.
Now take it up a notch, he suggests, by treating your beach towel like a gym mat and working in a few discreet sets of core moves, such as bicycle crunches, side planks and supermans.
The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App recommended moves ...
Bicycle Crunch: Lie down with your feet flat and your knees bent at 90 degrees. With your hands behind your head, engage your abs and rotate your torso from side to side, while flexing and extending your legs to alternately bring your right elbow to your left knee, and vice versa. Repeat for 30 seconds.
Side Plank: Start on your right side with your body extended, and stack your feet, while supporting yourself with your right elbow and forearm. Keep your body straight from head to heel, and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on your left side.
Superman: Lie facing down with your arms and legs extended. Keeping your head and neck aligned with your back, engage your lower back and raise your arms, chest and legs slightly off the ground. Return to the starting position and repeat for 30 seconds.
While you’re in your hotel room …
Only have an hour to spare before dinner, and don’t feel like trekking to the hotel gym? No problem! A few feet of floor space is all you need to tackle the app’s full 7 Minute Workout.
The total-body HIIT routine includes 12 moves, but “you can choose to do one cycle of the workout if that’s all you have time for, or repeat it three times in a row,” Chriest says. “You can also select your difficulty level in the app.”
Another option: a condensed circuit of squats, planks and high knees.
The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App recommended moves ...
Squat: Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, squat down by bending at your knees and hips, keeping your back straight and your knees behind your toes at all times. At the same time, elevate your arms in front of you up to shoulder level. Return to the starting position and repeat for 30 seconds.
Plank: Start facing down, supporting yourself with your elbows and forearms, with your feet on the floor. Keep your body extended from head to heel, and hold for 30 seconds.
High Knees: Run in place, bringing your knees up high and swinging your arms. Perform for 30 seconds.
Bottom line? You can fit in an impactful workout without compromising your vacation plans. “I like to think of exercise as any movement of the body that’s challenging and done regularly,” Chriest says. “That definition can help you think outside the box—and realize you can exercise almost anywhere.”
Before starting or changing an exercise routine, talk with your healthcare provider about how much and what kind of physical activity is safe for you. The Human Performance Institute recommends The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout as a part of a healthy physical fitness routine and advises that the workout be done no more than three times a week, on non-consecutive days.
