If I’m honest, Spring Break and Summer Vacation mean more to me than warm weather and my small people being home from school.
They also means taking a VACATION. Yes, time away from the daily chaos…heading somewhere relaxing that allows me to breathe and reclaim that soulful feeling.
I can sleep later, read a real book and take some time offline.
But vacation doesn’t mean skipping all of my routines… there are some that are simply too important to ignore all-together: like eating well and exercising. (If you know anything about me, you know I’m not always committed in these areas…but right now? ON. A. ROLL. So, don’t want to give it up.)
Fortunately, we often vacation somewhere that inspires healthful feelings and a desire to be outside taking it all in – like the beach. If given the option between a mountain vacation and a beach one, I’d choose the beach every time. The good (and healthy) thing about heading to the beach, especially in a tropical location is the fruit is plentiful. Fresh pineapple, grapes, strawberries, kiwi and mango seem to adorn every plate.
As for exercise – this requires you to actually make the effort, but I promise it isn’t too much of a challenge. Sure, you could head to the ‘resort gym’, but you have so many other options.
Take a Class – Many vacation resorts offer classes that will get you moving: everything from water aerobics to surfing, golf to tennis, horseback riding to cricket and naturally, the more traditional ‘exercise’ options.
The Great OutDoors: Take advantage of what your vacation location has to offer. If you are in the mountains, make the time for a hike. If you are on the beach, an early morning or sunset run (or brisk walk) will offer you beauty you can’t see anywhere else. And what about embracing that beach yoga you’ve always wanted to do?
Improvise: No, it isn’t possible to bring all of your equipment with you, (though, how easy is it to pack toning bands? These are my favorites) but you can certainly make do. Instead of dumbells, use full water bottles as weights. Use your hotel chair to do a few tricep dips.
Stick to the Basics: When in doubt, make it easy on yourself: do pushups and sit-ups, stretch, meditate (have you tried the Headspace app?) and run outside.
The key to exercising while you are on vacation isn’t making it a chore or beating ourself up about it. Rather, it is making the time, then taking the time to do a little something each day…. this way, you’ll head off the guilty feelings you’ll experience when you indulge in a little typical vacation behavior.
Now go enjoy yourself. And save me some room at the beach!
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