Did you happen to notice what is happening in the morning? The sun is rising earlier. And in the evening, that golden glow is hanging around later and later.
Mercifully, the days are getting longer. Spring just may finally be settling in. This means Summer is but a dream away.
Soon enough, the weather will be warm, and then hot (no, you won’t catch me complaining), my small people will be home from school and I will spend many a day, evening and weekend on the ball field.
But there will also be time for vacation. I swear….we will make it happen. And though I’ve never been the person to pack tennis shoes for the purpose of exercise while I’m relaxing on vacation (I mean, when on vacation, why not escape everthing, right?), I have adjusted my philosophy a touch.
Vacation IS time away from the daily chaos, and we do aim to head somewhere that allows me to breathe and reclaim that soulful feeling. I CAN sleep later, read a real book and take some time offline.
But I’ve recently come to the conclusion that exercise does need to be a permanent part of my life.
A few weeks ago on Spring Break, I was incredibly proud of myself for packing ALL of my workout clothes. Until we arrived in Florida and I realized I had forgotten my shoes. Not to worry, my now eleven year old daughter is *almost* in my shoes size. It was a tight squeeze, but I managed to borrow her shoes to get a little of what I needed.
Here’s the thing:
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 getting my heart pumping. Now, fortunately, we often vacation somewhere that inspires healthful feelings and a desire to be outside and taking it all in – like the beach. If given the option between a mountain vacation and a beach one, I’d choose the beach each and every time. The good (and healthy) thing about heading to the beach, especially in a tropical location is the fruit is plentiful. Fresh pineapple is always my favorite, but you can often find strawberries, kiwi, mango and so much more at every meal.
But the ‘getting the heart going’ part – that’s up to me. I can head to whatever gym option I can find, but there are other choices I know you and I can use:
5 Ways to Get Exercise on Vacation
Get Outside: 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 will offer you beauty you cannot see anywhere else.
Play a Sport: Assuming you are traveling with your kids – toss a ball around, play tag in the surf, teach them your favorite swim stroke or challenge them to a game of tennis. You can easily play volleyball in the pool or that game of tennis with your significant other as well.
Improvise: No, it isn’t possible to bring all of your equipment with you. (If you are traveling with your kids – throwing five pound weights in one of their small suitcases is a viable option that won’t put you over the luggage weight limit.) But you can also bring toning bands, use full water bottles as weights or use your hotel chair for a few tricep dips.
Take a Class: Many vacation resorts offer classes that will get you moving: everything from water aerobics to surfing, from horseback riding to cricket, from yoga to golf and naturally the more traditional exercise options available in most gyms.
Photo: Generations Riviera Maya – Beach View Yoga
Stick to the Basics: When in doubt, make it easy on yourself – do pushups and sit-ups, meditate, stretch, be mindful of the energy you put in to your body or take some time to simply run and work up a sweat.
The key to exercising while you are on vacation isn’t making it a chore. Rather, it is simply taking a little time each day to focus on raising your heart rate and taking care of yourself. This will allow you to head off the guilty feelings you’ll experience when you indulge in a little typical vacation behavior.
Now go enjoy yourself. And save me a spot at the beach!
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