To exercise or not to exercise on your vacation… That IS the question.
In this short blog we’ll share our BEST TIPS for making working out on vacation fun, convenient, and quick. This way you can spend more time exploring, relaxing, and enjoying the company of people you’re with.
Are you…
One of those people who wake up early, watch the sunrise, go for a long run on the beach and drink their cup of coffee outside by 7:30 am?
OR the type of vacationer who enjoys the luxury of sleeping in with blackout curtains, and wakes up without an alarm whenever they want because they can?
Carpe Diem or no rush Randy/Rita type, let’s look at some potential reasons you may choose to workout on vacation.
Let us start by saying, because you choose to workout on vacation, does NOT mean you have earned a badge of honor. If you choose to workout on vacation, we applaud you.
If you choose NOT to exercise on vacation and enjoy deep relaxation/rest with your loved ones, we applaud you too.
Our philosophy is that living an active lifestyle isn’t something that should be an on or off switch. What you do inside the gym should influence how your life outside of it. When your environment changes we don’t believe your habits should. We see it as a piece of who you are, a part of your identity, so why stop being yourself because you are traveling?
Let’s start by asking what does exercising on vacation mean? A set amount of time where you are exerting physical effort to sustain or improve health and fitness. BINGO. This is how we’ll refer to exercise for the rest of this blog.
There’s a whole slew of reasons why people may choose to exercise on vacation or not. At the end of the day though, it’s your personal choice to make.
Benefits of Exercising on Vacation
- You get to experience a new environment – hiking a new mountain, different sand between your toes, a new palette of ocean blue, a decked out hotel gym with fun equipment, a change of scenery in general.
- You have more time – this doesn’t mean you have to spend 5 hours working out a day but this does mean that you don’t have to rush if you don’t want to. While the kids are being entertained with activities, new friends, or family members, you can rest assured that your time is yours.
- Maintaining normal exercise rhythms – aka you’re living your normal lifestyle with your normal habits.
- Endorphin FLOW – you know what we’re talking about. You’ll never regret moving your body more and those happy hormones will be moving through your body too. You can feel even better enjoying your vacation!
Some pretty great reasons to sneak in some exercise while on vacation. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be long, complicated, or inconvenient.
Make the Most of Exercising on Vacation with These Tips:
- BYO-E – Bring your own equipment
Pack resistance or TRX bands. They can fit right into your luggage, duffle bag, car etc. Lightweight, versatile, and compact. - Hotel Room Workouts
Bodyweight is all you actually need to get a good sweat in. Here is a short circuit you can incorporate that will challenge you in your temporary home:
Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and see how many rounds you’re able to get through or choose how many rounds you want to run through before you get started.
Our recommendation is 3-5 rounds total.
30-45 sec plank
10 push ups (elevated hands for beginners on a dresser or counter top)
10 jump squats or non-jump squats
30-45 sec wall sit
8-10 reverse lunges per leg
30 sec of high knees or jogging in place - Play I-Spy
Ask yourself what’s accessible? Do you have a hotel gym, a pool, a nearby park, the beach, a boardwalk? Look around and use what you have on hand to optimize your fitness and health. There’s always somewhere to exercise. - Partner Up
Be the positive social influence you are learning to be. Ask someone to meet you for a morning workout or hike up a nearby trail. They’ll be glad you did. - Bring your Coach
At Motives, we offer individual program design for our members. That means that your personal coach creates a customized program for you and your goals. If you know where you’re going, what you have access to, and want to keep up with your fitness and health goals, then your coach can set you up to be successful. All you need is your phone to access the app for your workouts. (Interested in learning more about Individual Design? Click here and schedule a free intro call)
There you have it! Our top 5 tips for making exercising on vacation. Move your body and exert a bit of effort in the process.
Most important is to spend most of your time enjoying making new memories with the people around you.
