Lifestyle
Staying Fit on Vacation – Yes, It’s Possible!
Planning a vacation and all the “to do” things on your list can be exciting, but one thing we often forget to plan for is exercise. Give yourself a break and accept you may not be able to work out as much as you would at home. The last thing you want though is to return home and step on the scale and find out you are 10 lbs. heavier and can’t button your pants!
Believe it or not, it is possible to have a fantastic time, eat amazing food, and not come home feeling guilty – all you need to do is prepare in advance.
Pack Realistically For Success
You can’t pack a treadmill or dumbbells in your suitcase, but what you can do is pack a resistance band and a jump rope. You can also pack comfortable running shoes with good support so you’re ready to go on almost any surface.
Sun, surf and sand – at the beach
Walking in the sand requires more than double the intensity of walking on a regular surface because your muscles and tendons have to work harder to move your foot around. One of the biggest perks is you will also burn up to 20 – 50% more calories.
There are plenty of activities to do during the day at the beach to get your required daily dose of exercise. Try snorkeling where you have to swim and tread water, give paddleboarding or kayaking a go for a fantastic upper body and core workout, or just swim a few laps in the ocean against the current to really fire up all the muscles in the body.
But I’m a creature of habit – I miss my gym!
Most hotels have a small gym that has basic workout equipment – get up and go down there before breakfast and get on the treadmill and lift a few weights before your day truly gets started. You can also use the stairs in the hotel to exercise – walking or running up and down stairs is an incredible workout for the legs and butt.
Train in your hotel room easily
There are also so many things you can do without ever leaving your hotel room. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is a great way to get the most bang for your buck in a short amount of time and it doesn’t require a lot of space.
Some additional helpful hints:
- Walk places instead of driving if possible when doing all the “touristy” things on your list.
- Pack healthy snacks to munch on throughout the day so you don’t overindulge.
- Ask the hotel for a refrigerator and microwave and go to a local grocery store so you can eat a healthy breakfast and lunch in the hotel room.
- Do your research before you travel to find out where the best hiking and biking trails are.
- There are so many awesome fitness apps out there you can download on your phone to help guide you with a personal coach.
- There are “On Demand” workouts you can bring with you to do on your IPad or TV.
- Try sunrise yoga – what an amazing way to start your day on vacation.
- If you plan on drinking alcoholic beverages stay away from the sugary popular vacation drinks. Gin, rum, whiskey, and vodka don’t contain any added sugar so try mixing those with seltzer water and lime.
Joella Hopkins is the Vice President of Group Fitness at EōS Fitness, which has 9 high value, low price gyms and counting in Southern California, including San Diego. She has over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry.
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