I began to get
interested in health and fitness when I was in high school. Looking back at it
now I wasn’t doing everything the correct way.
For me I was in the gym
5-6 days a week, working out like an idiot. 5-6 days a week for an
inexperienced person in the gym is way too much, and the reasons why I was sore
a majority of my days.
The reason I bring this
up is because there were a few family vacations that would role around
throughout the year. Always a great time and looked forward to them all year,
but they also made me feel stressed thinking about how I would handle my exercise
while being away.
I would wonder how I was
going to workout, how I would eat, and how I would maintain my progress.
I remember some
vacations I would find the most inopportune times to workout and I would miss
things my family was doing together.
In my head I wasn’t
going to miss a beat in the gym. I was going to keep moving forward and not
lose a single ounce of progress. This is unrealistic and I wish I knew it
sooner.
Many clients of mine
have done similar things on vacation and many others have done the exact
opposite.
This does make for a
tough week coming back to reality but if you do end up going all in towards
poor decision making, don’t feel guilty about it just be realistic about what
to expect. Some of your progress will be lost or slowed down and it will take a
bit longer to get back into the swing of things. That does not mean you should
dwell over your decisions or feel guilty about anything.
The
Best Approach To A Vacation
I think this approach
works for both ends of the spectrum, the people who are paranoid about missing
a second in the gym, and the people who just want to turn the health switch off
for a week.
The first thing I do on
vacation is set realistic expectations. Look at the area you are going to
visit. Some things to consider is the climate, is it a tropical oasis or a
skiing trip. One may be better for outdoor exercise than the other.
Is it in a hotel or a
remote home in the mountains? A hotel has the potential to have a pool or a gym
on site, most houses won’t have a gym but some may have a pool.
Another big thing to
consider is the types of things you will be doing each day. Swimming, hiking, skiing
etc. are very active and may not need more exercise on top of them for your
time away.
After figuring out all your information the best thing to do is find a time commitment you can stick with and know you WILL get it done.
For me I try to devote
30 minutes each day to exercise on a vacation. Whether this is getting a quick
workout in at the hotel gym, taking a few laps in the pool, or going for a walk
in the morning. All are sufficient enough for me to make sure I am getting some
sort of activity in each day.
For me this time of
exercise makes me feel better, helps me get my body moving and gives me some
energy to apply to the rest of my day.
Find your time you know
you can dedicate. This could be 20 minutes every other morning you are going to
go for a walk. Whatever the case may be, set your standard and stick to it.
Some ideas for exercise
would be:
- Going for a
walk - Going for a
run- if you know what you are doing, don’t become a runner out of the blue you
will get hurt - Taking some
laps in the pool - A bodyweight
workout
What About Food?
Food is something that
is always available on a vacation and not always the best choices present
themselves.
For my clients as well
as myself I promote being somewhat
cautious in this regard.
The first step on this topic
is to make sure that the first half of your day is as healthy as you
can make it. Breakfast can be an easy time of the day to get some good
nutrients in. Most people on a vacation will do a light food shop that can hold
them over for breakfast and snacks. So buy things that will help you achieve a
healthy start.
Beginning your day this
way will improve all qualities of the rest of your day and set the tone for
things to come.
The next step is to make
sure you drink more water than you think you need. This is something
that is forgotten while being away and is such an easy fix. So drink water as
much as you can.
The third step is to accept
that the rest of your day will not be perfect. Most vacations call for
dinners out at restaurants; appetizers, deserts, drinks. Don’t let these things
take away from your time away. Enjoy yourself and don’t feel guilty about it.
ROADMAP TO A HEALTH(ier)
VACATION
- Figure out
what exercise activities are available - Dedicate
some time to exercise - Start your
day as healthy as possible - Drink water
- Accept that
some food choices may not be the best - ENJOY
YOURSELF
