Vacation is a time to break our routines and enjoy some care-free time without worries or stress. This doesn’t mean that fitness needs to be forgotten, though! If you are anything like me, I miss my time spent in the quiet hours of the morning doing yoga or my time busting out a 5K on the elliptical in the evenings. It’s my warrior time and even on vacation, I don’t want to miss too much of it.
On top of not wanting to miss it, I have found that if I get out of the routine too much, I tend to slack off when I get home. They say it takes 30 days to create a habit of something, but it only takes a few days of not doing it to throw you off again! Here are some tips for how to keep up with your fitness routine while on vacation.
How to Keep Up with Your Fitness Routine While on Vacation
Stay at a hotel with a gym or fitness center- Many hotels, even moderately priced ones, offer basic gyms or fitness rooms. When I go on vacation, that’s one of the things I look for. Usually it’s nothing super special, but I don’t do much but hop on the treadmill or elliptical in my home gym, anyway. One word of caution though; make sure you understand the gym’s hours. Some hotels close them at a certain time so don’t expect to hop on that treadmill at 2 am.
Use your chain fitness center pass if you can in other cities- I belong to a gym that has locations all over the US. Become of my membership, I can go to any of the locations, anywhere. I like to find out where the nearest one is in relation to my hotel or where I am staying so I can take advantage of it while I am gone.
Map out local parks near your hotel that the folks who live there are likely to be using- Most cities have awesome city parks to enjoy a nice run or walk. I like to bring my yoga mat with me (on car trips) and find local parks to do yoga in. I have found some pretty cool places over the years. If you are unsure where to go and what parks are safe to jog in, ask the front desk of your hotel and they can probably point you in the right direction.
Schedule in your workout time- If you are anything like me, you like to keep a schedule on vacations. If you do this, make sure to schedule in workout time, too. This doesn’t even have to be rigorous! It can even be a family stroll by a river or a chance to play at a local playground.
Use vacation plans as fitness plans- Make one of the things you do an activity that can count as a workout without even knowing it. Some ideas include renting bikes for the afternoon and seeing the city, going swimming in a local lake or taking a hike in the surrounding area.
Pack fitness equipment for hotel workouts- If you really are struggling to fit in fitness, or you are on a trip solo, one of the best ways to keep up with your fitness routine while on vacation is to pack equipment. (No, I’m not talking about heavy kettlebells or dumbbells!) Items like resistance bands and jump ropes weigh virtually nothing and can fit in very tight spaces in your already stuffed suitcase. These items can be used in your hotel room or just outside of the hotel for a quick bit of cardio or strength training.
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