The holiday is booked and the swimwear has come out of hibernation, but one key question remains... how are you going to get into buff beach shape before it's time to strut your half-naked stuff?

We caught up with Nathan Solia, founder and trainer at Bootcamp Hong Kong, to get a fitness expert's top 10 tips on how to get fit and into scorching hot shape for your travels this summer.

1. Eat small meals and eat regularly: Eating small, regular meals aids in weight loss by keeping your metabolism and blood sugar levels up so you crave food less frequently.

2. Do interval training: Interval training doesn't deplete muscle mass like going for a long-distance run does, and it burns body fat and calories more efficiently.

3. Drink water: Water keeps you hydrated and there are no calories and no sugar in good old H2O. To burn calories your body requires a good supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process, so drink up!

4. Do weight bearing exercise: It will build up your metabolism and allow you to burn fat more effectively. Weight bearing exercise is any exercise that works your bones and muscles against gravity, for example weight training, jogging, climbing stairs and football.

5. Choose all over body exercises: Working out your whole body burns off much more fat than spot exercises such as sit-ups. Do an ab plank rather than an ab crunch, as it's more of an all over body work out.

6. Do squats, lunges and step-ups: Your quads are such a big muscle group that they burn a lot of fat if worked out properly. Doing squats, lunges and step-ups will tone your tummy better than sit-ups because they burn off more calories and more fat.

7. Eat wisely: Choose good quality fats and take Trans Fats out. Good fats include Omega-3 rich foods like oily fish, flaxseed and olive oil (in moderation!); bad Trans Fats are found in a lot of packaged food like crisps, microwave popcorn and vegetable oil. Another tip is to cut down on cooked veggies in favour of raw ones; when you cook vegetables they lose their good minerals and vitamins and become easier to digest.

8. Exercise 3 to 5 times per week for between 30 and 60 minutes: Yes, it sounds torturous, but it really will get you results.

9. Exercise with a friend or in a group: This will help to keep your motivation up – you are less likely slack off if you've arranged to go to the gym or the park with a friend – and you'll stick with your program for longer when you feel a sense of belonging and hear your friends' positive feedback.

10. Get fit outdoors: Make the most of the outdoor space around you – even the smallest of parks has enough space to do ab planks, dips and push-ups – exercising outdoors is more interesting than running on the treadmill in the gym so you are more likely to stick at it for longer.

Watch Nathan demonstrating some of these exercises here and read his tips for staying fit whilst you're on the road here.

For more information about Bootcamp Hong Kong please visit www.bootcamp.com.hk or call +852 2869 6883.

Photos courtesy of Bootcamp Hong Kong.

Staying fit whilst you travel is no mean feat. The vast majority of hotels don't have their own gyms and in some countries it's not appropriate to don your tight-fitting Lycra and head out for a jog. Even when you're staying in a 4* or 5* hotel with swanky fitness equipment the gym can be horribly unappealing – why would you want to hit the treadmill when you could be eating, drinking or sightseeing? Bottom line – it's easy to lose the motivation to keep fit whilst you travel.

We spoke to fitness expert and Hong Kong Bootcamp Founder and Trainer, Nathan Solia, about what you can do to burn fat and stay fit when you're on the road.

Make sure you watch the video of Nathan demonstrating how to do the exercises mentioned below.

Q: If you're staying somewhere without a gym what exercises can you do in your hotel room?

Nathan Solia: You can do squats, lunges, ab planks, one leg hip extensions, push-ups, shoulder raises, shoulder presses and dips in a very small space.

Q: How can you improvise if there's no gym near where you're staying or you don't want to pay for one?

NS: Use your bed or a chair to do dips and shoulder presses from, use the hallway wherever you're staying to do lunges and squats, run or walk up and down the fire exit. The hallway is also an excellent place to do shuttles: go to the end of the hallway, run to the first door and then run back, run to the second door and run back and so on. People will think you're insane, but it'll keep you fit!

Q: What fitness equipment should everyone pack?

NS: I recommend packing a TRX Suspension Trainer. It's a lightweight (2 lbs) piece of kit that you can pack into a small space. It's easy to set up and will give you a great workout, building muscular balance, joint stability, mobility, and core strength. You can use it in your room tied to the door or outdoors in a park, so it's perfect for travellers.

Q: Why is it important to stay fit when you travel?

NS: Because you've got to fight the flab – when you don't use it you lose it! Fitness levels drop off quickly and it takes time to build your fitness back up. If you've been working hard at home it seems a shame to undo all your good work over a two or three week break.

Q: What pre-travel preparation can you do to keep fit wherever you travel to?

NS: Go onto Google and find a local park or outdoor space. All you need to keep fit are steps and a patch of ground (for more info watch Nathan's video).

Q: Can exercise help to beat jetlag?

NS: Yes! Exercise a few hours before bed can help to increase the time you spend asleep. Morning exercise can help to keep you alert throughout the day, which is always tough when you travel long-haul. In-flight make sure you walk around the cabin, stand up on your tiptoes and lower down, bring your knee into your chest whilst you stand up and rotate from side to side in your seat.

For more information and tips on how to do these exercises to maximum effect, watch this video.

To find out more about Bootcamp Hong Kong visit www.bootcamp.com.hk.

Photo Credit: Jogging on a bright November morning by Ed Yourdon via Flickr (Creative Commons).