Three syllables that strike fear into the heart of any serious fitness buff. Va - ca - tion. Ok, maybe fear isn't the best choice of words, I mean who could fear a week sipping on pina coladas at the beach right?
Seriously though, there is a cause for concern. I've seen it numerous times..people putting in hard work and discipline for months and achieving tremendous physical results. They go on vacation for a week, come back and BLAM!...all of their motivation and focus has been suddenly been sapped. They start taking their nutrition and exercise less seriously and slowly, but surely they creep back to their old pudgy, unattractive bodies.
You see, people trying to get into optimal shape are creatures of habit. And there is nothing like vacation to swoop in and chaotically disrupt a meticulously planned out exercise and nutrition routine. God forbid you go on vacation more than a week, who knows if have any chance of getting back on track when you get home.
There is some relief though. If you plan ahead and you commit yourself to doing certain things on vacation you will be much more likely to not skip a beat when you get home , no matter how long your stay in paradise is.
Here's some general vacation fitness advice that ensures you'll jump right back on track when you get home from a long trip:
1. Enjoy vacation cuisine (to an extent)
You are on vacation for a reason...so do yourself a favor and enjoy it! The worst thing you can do is feel guilty or stressed out about your lack of poor food choices. With that said though, you should limit indulgences to a very firm threshold. Have fun and treat yourself but DON'T GO OVERBOARD. Even alcohol, fine cuisine, chocolate and dessert can be subject to portion control so eat and drink unhealthy only in small doses.
Also, do yourself a favor complement your paradise binging with healthy choices such as fruit/vegetables and quality proteins sources whenever possible.
Remember the longer you are on vacation, the stricter you are going to have to be on your diet, so keep that in mind.
2. Hit the weights
To compensate for your less than ideal eating, you definitely need to workout, maybe even harder than you usually do.
There are no excuses for not doing this. If you're staying in a hotel, many have weight rooms. If you're not in a hotel or if your hotel doesn't have a fitness center, before you head off buy a pair of high-quality, heavy resistance bands.
You may be curiously raising an eyebrow at these contraptions if you've never seen them before. While they won't replace free weights, they can and will give you a completely adequate resistance workout. With a single band you can do everything from bicep curls, to lat pulldowns, to rows, to tricep extensions to shoulder presses...the list just goes on and on and on.
What's great about bands is that they're cheap and can easily fit in your travel bag. Complement your bands with push ups, chair dips, body squats and crunches and you have a full workout waiting for you anywhere. Bummer and you thought you were going to get out of working out for a week huh?
Oh and don't tell me you don't have time to workout when you are vacation. That's a hard case to make when you are lying around for 12 hours a day :)
3. Do your cardio
Just like with weight training, if you normally do cardio as part of your routine, don't skimp out on it during vacation. As mentioned most hotels have fitness centers. If yours doesn't or if you're not in a hotel...well...God gave you two feet for a reason. Pack some good shoes because you're going to be doing a lot of running.
4. Get back on your plan immediately
Maybe the most important thing is to remember is that you need to completely refocus as soon vacation is over. Any time you digress from your nutrition/exercise plan, there's a good chance your motivation will be decreased substantially (which could possibly lead you to quitting your plan altogether - gasp). So it's imperative that you don' let your mind get comfortable. The minute you get home, you need to recommit and execute your plan with even more determination and willpower than before.
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So no matter where your upcoming vacation destination is, keep these key points in mind and you'll transition easily back to your normal routine when you come back. If you have enough self-control and workout hard enough over the break, you might even find that your vacation is beneficial to your routine. You'll come home refreshed and reenergized and you'll work harder than ever.
Now go book your trip and have some fun! But remember stay disciplined and exhibit some self control on your trip...you will be very glad you did when vacation's over.
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