Ahhh vacation … or if you have kids it’s more accurately a “change of scenery,” amiright?! 😉
Either way, getting out of town, out the daily grind, and somewhere off the grid feels totally re-energizing and downright necessary.
Now if you’ve been working hard in your daily routine to achieve your health and fitness goals, the last thing you want is to feel them unravel while you’re away.
Between an extra glass of wine at dinner and soft serve pit stops, not to mention your neighborhood yoga studio not being right around the corner, vacation can be a time to unwind, yes, but it also has the potential to totally derail the hard work you’ve done on yourself.
But fear not!
Having experienced this very thing, I realized that the secret to staying fit while on vacation is to simply incorporate activity as part of your vacation.
Play it up.
Get your kids involved.
Make it exciting!
If you’re worried that months of hard work both in the form of exercise & fitness as well as diet & nutrition will fall by the wayside when you’re taking your summer vacation, this post is for you!
1. Hike It Out
Scout out your vacation destination for hiking trails and nearby mountains (they can be small!). Make this something you and your family get excited about! Taking your family on a hike truly is all about the journey, and the destination (i.e. the awesome view at the top) will be well worth the effort. Plus if you have young children and you carry them in a backpack, you’re getting a ton of extra fitness! This backpack to carry kids is a great one, btw.
2. Swim!
Don’t just go to the beach but actually swim! Swimming is one of the best full body workouts there is, and you can do it with your kids while on vacation and not even feel like you’re working out. I’ll never forget the feeling of being a little kid and how happy I was when my parents would get in the water and swim with me. While I do love lounging on the beach now for sure, seeing how happy my kids are when I jump in with them makes me just want to embrace the moment. And the fact that it’s good exercise makes it all the better.
3. Long walks on the beach
If you’re on vacation with just your sweetheart, this can be totally romantic of course. And if not, it can be great exercise! Try having an evening picnic at the beach and then pointing out a far-away speck, hundreds and hundreds of meters away. Take a walk with your family down the beach until you get to that spot, collecting rocks and seashells along the way.
4. Say yes to seafood
Whether you’re near the ocean or lake, chances are you’ll be able to order some fresh fish for at least a meal or two. Fish is wonderful because it’s a healthy source of protein. And of course, protein keeps us full for a substantial amount of time. Have an order of fish or your favorite seafood prepared over a huge salad and keep your healthy eating in tact!
5. Plan a class ahead of time
If you’re a yoga, Pilates, or fitness class junkie, find a local studio before you go on vacation. That way you’ll at least know how far you have to drive and at what time the classes are held so you can plan accordingly with your family. If you know that taking a class or two is an absolute must while you’re away, consider even buying the class ahead of time. Most studios sell classes online, although most also have a no refund policy so just make sure you’re really going to use it!
6. Participate in a family road race
The website Running in the USA is awesome because you can search for races of all difference lengths all over the country. Let’s say you know you’re going to be in California in August. Check out the 5K races going on there and sign up for one! While this definitely takes a bit of planning, incorporating this kind of activity into your vacation means you’ll not only stay active while on vacation, but you’ll also likely train for it ahead of time … bonus!
7. Enjoy ice cream in moderation
In all honestly, what would a summer vacation be without a little ice cream? Deprivation is no fun, and neither is feeling sick from an extra large double fudge with peanut butter cups on top. This might sound crazy, but I’m finding that kids’ sizes are actually the perfect size for an ice cream. You’ll totally get your ice cream fix without undoing your healthy eating routine.
8. Stretch and meditate first thing in the morning
Even just 10 minutes. This will give you a chance to take care of you before figuring out everyone else’s needs. The Calm App is awesome and gives short, guided meditations each day. If you can set the intention early on in the day for what you want to unfold, you will likely seek out that scenario.
Having an active and healthy vacation is not only possible, it’s also fun! It just often takes a little bit of planning and intention.
It’s so worth it though, because vacation is all about being recharged and relaxed. And when you take care of your mind and your body when you’re out of town, you’ll come back feeling more than 100% of your best self!
