Vacation season is in full swing. While these are much-needed times of rest and relaxation, they also tend to throw off our workout and fitness center routines, making it harder to pick back up where we left off once the vacation is over. While you may want to use a vacation to let your body recover from a recent round of tough workouts and gear up for the next season of hitting it hard at the gym, it’s also important not to lose your current fitness level: it takes as little as two weeks to lose cardiovascular fitness and only four weeks to lose muscle gains.
With that in mind, here are some creative ways to get in your workouts on the go, wherever your vacation takes you.
1. Use the fitness center at the hotel – seriously.
Not many people take advantage of the partial-to-full gym that’s included in their hotel amenities. Working out seems so boring and routine when there’s sightseeing and outdoor activities to do, right?
Getting up a little earlier and hitting the hotel fitness center can help you stay in shape and on track with your fitness goals, and you’ll be surprised at how much it energizes you the rest of the day! Far from hindering your enjoyment of the vacation, morning workouts can help you get the most out of it.
2. Use fitness apps to take your workouts with you.
There are many free fitness apps that can guide you through a HIIT or bodyweight workout, whether you’re within range of Internet access to stream them or download and re-play them later. This is a great way to mix things up and try something new while still ensuring you get in a workout in your hotel room, camp ground, or even on the deck of a cruise ship.
3. Make travel and sightseeing double as a workout.
Outdoor activities like swimming, biking, hiking, canoeing and playing sports count as workouts, but what about traveling and sightseeing? If you’re hanging out at the airport waiting for a connecting flight, don’t just sit in the lobby – walk around the concourse briskly and do some people watching. If you’re moving between multiple levels of an airport or transit center, don’t use the escalators or moving sidewalks – use your legs, and take the stairs whenever possible.
Even when you’re sightseeing, picking up your pace can increase your calorie burn – and help you see and do more in one day.
Vacations are great times to de-stress, relax, and re-center ourselves on what’s important in life – and one of those things is health and fitness. Don’t let vacations be an excuse not to work out; use them as an opportunity to get moving and enjoy your workouts even more.