The purpose of a vacation is to relax and to carve out
some time for yourself, and to get some much needed exercise. If you are someone who already exercises
regularly, your goal might be to maintain
your current level of fitness while you are away. It is okay to cut back on the intensity,
duration and even frequency a little, but you should adopt some sort of
maintenance routine so that when you get back home, you don’t have to start
over from scratch.
For those of you who don’t
exercise regularly, now would be a good time to start…perhaps a good walking program. You may feel so good about yourself by the
time you get home that you will be ready to make exercise a part of your life.
If you vacation with family
or friends, drag them with you. Some events are more fun when you share the
experience with others. Incorporating
exercise into your vacation plan is not as hard as you might think, but it does
take a little thought. Hotels and cruise
lines often have workout facilities
for the truly dedicated. If not, you can
easily find our about local facilities that allow guest participation.
If possible, take your own exercise equipment with you. A small kit might include things like a jump
rope, resistance stretch bands and walking shoes. You can do a credible workout with nothing
more complicated than resistance bands. Resistance bands are ideal because you
can work nearly every muscle group in your body, even if your space is
limited. Jumping rope, if you are coordinated enough to do it without
killing yourself, will give you a concentrated aerobic workout. A good brisk walk, jog or even a run are always a possibility. Ask hotel staff to point out streets, trails,
tracks, beaches areas or malls where it is safe to walk. Remember to carry ID, a cell phone, the
address of your hotel and enough cash for an emergency snack or a cab ride home
if you get lost.
Before long you will be
exercising with the best of them. A good
pair of workout shoes, a video tape, and your own little kit is all that you
need. I have found that I can oxycise, do yoga, or even a resistance band
routine, in a tiny room or even in an RV. A vacation is not an excuse but an opportunity
to do something good for your body as well as your mind.
