Exercise and vacation are like oil and water; they repel each other. However, I want to change their relationship and make them go together like PB&J. Unfortunately, I see a similar story playing out every vacation or trip away from home.
You have been so dedicated and disciplined to your workout routine. Now you are headed out of town and are not going to lose focus and derail your progress.
Upon arriving at the hotel, you check out the fitness center and are pretty disappointed at the treadmill, elliptical, and 15 lb dumbbell set positioned in a small 15x15 room. This sad display of a workout area takes the wind from your sails, and you blow off your fitness routine all week.
It is easy to quickly lose motivation and chalk the week up as a loss; however, I will outline guidelines to help you stay active and work out while on vacation.
1. Set your Schedule
It is crucial first to review your workout schedule and what days are planned during your vacation. Next, determine what type of workout each day is. Strength? Cardio? Yoga? Pilates? A combination of those? What kind of workout is planned will decide if and what equipment is needed.
Then browse your vacation schedule. What does your trip look like? Are you road-tripping where you will be in and out of the car? Staying in a hotel? Do you have day trips planned where you will be out all day adventuring?
Having a rough idea of your vacation's design is an essential first step in determining what kind of workouts you will realistically be able to perform.
2. Set your Intentions
Be clear and upfront with what you seek to accomplish while on vacation. For example, setting your intentions of how many times you want to workout and on which days helps create your roadmap will hold you accountable.
A great goal to strive for is two workout days every one week. Recall an ideal supercompensation training plan doesn't let more than 3-4 days rest between training specific muscle groups.
3. Adjust your Expectations
Breaking away from routine always forces change. Therefore, it is necessary to realize and accept your workout routine will change when on vacation. It doesn't necessarily have to adjust if you don't want it to, but it is perfectly fine to vary your training days to accommodate your change away from the ordinary.
Our expectations often dictate our reactions. Unfortunately, setting the bar too high will often lead to feeling underwhelmed and unhappy. Adjusting your expectations to level your thinking helps avoid disappointment, guilt, and frustration around a change in your workout routine.
Instead, expect very little from the hotel fitness offerings and take matters into your own hands.
4. Research and Plan Ahead
Running into the situation I outlined in the introduction is a rude awakening and never fun. I vividly recall that exact situation happening to me far too many times. To avoid walking into a glorified fitness closet, research and plan ahead.
Most hotels don't have anything special regarding fitness offerings, although I find this is slowly improving. If the hotel gym does not accommodate your workout, seek additional fitness offerings such as group classes or fitness studios partnered with the hotel.
When all else fails, take your workout outdoors, weather permitting, and enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature.
Strength training can be replicated with just your bodyweight or band while exploring through hikes, runs; and biking is a fantastic way to boost your heart rate and challenge your cardiovascular system.
In addition, it is pretty easy to replicate your indoor workout outdoors and train similarly. Learn how to motivate yourself through these inspirational summer fitness goals.
While it may feel like a burden to dedicate time to fitness while on your vacation, using the four guidelines outlined above will help serve as a roadmap for staying on track with your workouts while on vacation. Not only will you feel successful and proud of your accomplishment, but your body will continue to see progress and not miss a beat when you return to your training routine.
Switching your perspective away from "I have to work out while on vacation" to "I get to work out while on vacation" helps fuel your workout motivation.
If you are still looking for workout ideas, look no further than these three beach workouts.
