It doesn’t matter where you’re going, or how long you’re going for – we all look forward to our vacations. Holidays offer a chance for us to get away from the stress and chaos of daily life and discover something new – even if it’s only a temporary break. Those couple of weeks each year that let us escape from responsibilities, work, and worries help us manage the rest of our annual strain. Unfortunately, there is something that most people tend to leave at home – exercise. Though the words “vacation” and “exercise” may seem to contradict each other – there are ways to incorporate small pieces of exercise into your routine, even while you’re out of your fitness comfort zone.
Finding the motivation to go to the gym while you’re on vacation can be a difficult task – especially when there’s so many things to see and activities to do. However, if it’s your ambition to get some exercise when you’re away from home, then you might benefit from some of the following tips.
1. Reconsider Your Expectations
First of all, before you set unreasonable goals for yourself, bear in mind that you may not be able to keep up every aspect of your complete workout regimen while you’re on holiday. Try to avoid setting unrealistic expectations for yourself, and instead just try to do as much as you can. Getting 50% of your regular workout done is better than avoiding exercise completely.
2. Investigate Your Destination
Before you leave home, it’s always useful to look ahead and figure out what facilities you will have available to you during your vacation. Take a look at some of the various workout centers around your hotel, and make a note of whether your location offers things like free gym access, fitness classes, or nearby jogging trails.
3. Pack Easy Equipment for Exercise
There are numerous small pieces of equipment that you can load into your suitcase and take with you on a trip that will help to super-boost your vacation workouts. For example, taking an exercise band with you on holiday will help you to achieve dozens of different exercises that allow you to work out all areas of your body. If a band doesn’t work for you, consider packing a jump rope, ankle weights, or even a stress ball to work out in your hotel room.
4. Use Your Hotel Room
If you don’t feel like attending the hotel gym, there’s always other ways to get your fitness fix. Your hotel room can become your primary location for vacation workouts, giving you ample space to perform pushups, abdominal crunches, and even chair squats.
5. Work Your Core and Cardio With Tours
Plenty of vacation destinations give tourists the opportunity to take part in walking tours – these activities aren’t only a great way to explore your chosen location and see some sights, but they also help to burn a huge amount of calories. If you want to get the most out of your walking experience, try opting for a tour that visits some steep roads and hilly mountains – these tours are more likely to build up your cardio and get your heart pumping. You can even take a backpack with you to help build your strength and stamina.
6. Water-Based Fitness
Spending time in the water can be enough to give you a fantastic workout, without you even realizing it. Water offers fantastic resistance, and it’s a fun way to manage your fitness level, without causing you to feel like you’re spending your entire holiday doing hard work. Something as simple as going snorkeling could be enough to burn as much as 350 calories an hour, and swimming takes that number up even higher.
Stay Fit During Your Vacation
Although most of us prefer to avoid anything that resembles work on a vacation, maintaining your fitness levels with small amounts of physical activity can ensure that you feel more energized, and less uncomfortable about indulging in some local fare.
How do you like to keep up with your fitness goals on holiday? Do you make the most of the pool, or commit yourself to hitting the gym regularly? Let us know in the comments!
