Don’t Take A Vacation From Exercise!
advises on the importance of taking a break every year, but warns that this should not be an excuse to let yourself go!
“Exercising away from home, whether on business or vacation, is not about trying to gain muscle or lose fat as much as we are just trying to maintain what we have. It’s reasonable that you won’t be dining out on egg whites and bean sprouts on vacation, and all those hard-earned hours in the gym should afford you some margin to indulge a bit on your vacation.
Most foods aren’t all that bad unless they are eaten in excess. So enjoy your meals. Just don’t allow yourself to overeat, or set a Guinness world record in how much ice cream and fried dough you can consume at the theme park.
I suggest you give yourself a five-pound cushion in which to work on vacation because you will eat differently, and we don’t want to feel that guilt if we cheat a little.
Plan ahead
It’s also important to plan ahead. Packing clothes and making hotel reservations require some thought, so do the same with your health. Whether you are driving or flying, it helps to pack your own snacks. Something a little healthier than what you’ll get at the vending machines or fast-food counters that thrive on bored, hungry tourists.
Then schedule 20 minutes into your day to exercise. A pair of 5- or 10-pound dumbbells or exercise resistance bands will fit nicely into a suitcase. If that’s too much of a hassle, many of the exercises I will describe can be done by simply using your own body weight for resistance.
Interval training or circuit training is your best bet on vacation. Remember: The key is the intensity level. So this method of training, moving from one exercise quickly to another, allows for less rest and a faster heart rate. Since you’re probably not going to have a lot of spare time, doing 20 minutes of basic exercise can help you break a sweat and fatigue muscles efficiently.
If your hotel or resort has a gym, creating a workout won’t be as difficult.
But if you don’t have a gym or the time to go to one, it’s easy to work out in the confines of a hotel room simply by getting back to basics — pushups, jumping jacks, dips and squats. You can do all of these in a small space, using the body’s own weight for resistance.”
Whilst I wouldn’t advise taking dumbells with you on the plane, you can use your own bodyweight to keep yourself in shape. In fact, I don’t use weights anymore, I just use my body weight as resistance and that gives me more than enough to work with! Here are a few exercises you can do while away from home (or at home, for that matter):
- Press Ups
Sit Ups
Squats
Lunges
Those should cover the major muscle groups while you’re away. I would also advise walking whenever you can (catch the great scenery), swimming, and dancing. But remember, don’t overdo it while you’re supposed to be relaxing!