Vacation Workout Tips

If you decide to workout on a vacation there are a few things you need to think about. Are you taking a short vacation or a long vacation? Will you be camping, staying in a hotel, or a timeshare? Will you be on the beach, in the mountains, or a theme park resort? What and/or where will you be eating while on vacation? These are some of the questions you need to answer and below I have some things to help you figure out what the answers mean.
 
Short Vacations
On short vacations, less than a week, you may decide not to workout and that is completely fine. Sometimes where you go demands that you're going all the time. Theme park vacations wouldn't leave much time to workout and honestly, why would you want to? At a theme park you will probably want to spend your days at the park and if you manage not to come back completely exhausted you probably still want to spend your time doing something else. Mornings are hard and unrealistic for most people so don't count on working out then if you haven't already been doing it. I'm a morning person but on vacation I start sleeping in. Either way, in a case like that you are getting physical activity by just enjoying your vacation so don't worry about getting your sweat on. Even if you are just sitting around all vacation no one ever went off track by skipping 2 or 3 workouts. If you do decide to workout just be realistic about what you can or will do.

Long Vacations
I would say that if you are going away for more than a week that you should definitely get some exercise in. Again if your vacation is going to be jam packed with physical activities anyway then you can skip the specific workout stuff. However, if your vacation is mainly a do nothing vacation then you really should set aside some time to get your sweat on. Just try to fit in at least a 30 minute workout a couple of times while you're away. You don't have to work up a tremendous sweat or push really hard and be sore the next day you just want to keep from being completely sedentary and falling off the wagon on your fitness goals.

Workout Options
Depending on where you go you may have access to a workout facility or you might decide to workout in your room. You may even just go running in the neighborhood your staying in.
Workout facility
You need to look into the supposed workout facility so you don't get surprised when you get there. A lot of smaller places have very minimal machines. At my recent vacation the workout room was 2 ellipticals, a stairmaster, a recumbent stationary bike, and a treadmill (I loathe treadmills). That isn't my idea of a workout facility. I hadn't planned on using the space anyway but if I'd been expecting weight lifting equipment I would have been very displeased. If there is a great facility then by all means go for it!
Room
Think about space. If you are going to do yoga you won't need much space. If you plan on doing burpees and jumping jacks and the like you will need a bit more space. A lot of hotel rooms won't have that much space especially if there are two beds and often the beds will not move. Working out in your room in that case is likely not to go well. Think about the space and tailor your workout to fit.
Neighborhood
I like to run. Not everywhere that I go will allow me to run. I was recently in the mountains and the hills and thinner air made my running basically impossible. I walked and got a workout but I didn't get any running in at all. You may be uncomfortable in the neighborhood, if you're from the country and you vacation in a busy city you fear getting lost on your walk or run and the same goes for city folk in the country. Don't just assume you will be able to handle it, really think about it.

Eating
Most people go with eating out while on vacation. Depending on what's available that could mean a lot of unhealthy food and definitely large portions. If you're like me you'll want to enjoy any local cuisine and you won't remember to ask for the healthy options (dressing on the side, etc). Don't worry if eating out is your only option. Do it and enjoy it just take care not to eat too much and try to offset the unhealthy parts by good practices. Some healthy restaurant practices are: ordering water (good for your wallet too), asking for dressing on the side for any salads, skip the appetizer (the entree is often more than enough and save $$), and split big meals (cut down portion and save $$). Many restaurants will split large meals onto two plates if you say you are going to share something for no extra charge so don't be afraid to ask. If you stay in a timeshare or a cabin or the like you then have the option to cook your own food. Be honest, if you won't cook don't go thinking you will. Also even if you can and will cook you won't be able to buy all the ingredients that you'd have at home. Really think about your options and plan your meals, don't forget to bring healthy snacks as well!

What to Wear
If you are good packing then you will have no issue adding in an outfit or two for a workout. The shoes will be the hard part but shoes are always the hard part so just fit them in anyway you can. Make sure you bring enough exercise clothing to wear for your planned workouts. You don't want to have to wear something else you brought to workout or you may end up deciding to skip that workout. If you don't think you'll have space for some exercise outfits here is a silly idea... You could workout naked... I know that sounds so odd but if you are working out in your room there is no one to see you. Plus naked workouts allow for air to be touching your whole body so you may get less sweaty in some places and you don't have to think about how to get sweaty nasty smelling clothes home. I find naked yoga quite fun. It is sort of weird but it is a plausible option if you think you can handle it.

A Dose of Realism
Working out on vacation seems like it defeats the purpose to some people. I understand, you want to relax. Then again the workout junkie might be gung ho for some cardio mid vacation and that's great! However, you need to remember to not plan to do something if you really won't do it. Even if you are very dedicated it is extremely unlikely that you will bring workout equipment with you. Even a yoga mat might be too much so don't build your workout around that if at the last minute you can't bring it (a towel will protect you from the floor if you need that). If you have never gone running don't expect that you'll go just because you will be in California and will have access to Muscle Beach. If your day is packed and you will be on a schedule you'll really have to be dedicated to get up for that 7am run. I'm not saying that you shouldn't try hard, try whatever you want but you may set yourself up for disappointment if you set your expectations too high. It is very upsetting to come back from a vacation that you planned to workout on and regret that you did none of the exercises that you planned.

Tips Summary

• Don't forget to pack to workout: sneakers, shorts, sports bras, etc.
• Look into exercise options for where ever you're going. 
• Think about your eating situation carefully.
• You don't have to workout if your vacation is physically demanding already.
• Don't plan for things you actually won't do.
• No matter what, enjoy your vacation. No stress allowed!

Going on Vacation

I'm headed on a vacation for a little over a week so I probably will not be posting during that time but I will post again when I return sometime around next Sunday. I will try to focus on exercises that can be done when you go on vacations or business trips. Until then, eat right and workout!

Rest vs Recovery

Since most people work out 2 to 3 days a week the other 5 or 4 days are off days where working out is not a focus. Those off days can be rest or recovery days. Note! There is a difference between a rest day and a recovery day and I will explain that difference.

Rest Day
A rest day is a day you take to do nothing. This is when you can go about your day and just do whatever without having to worry about when you can fit a workout session in. These are very important to have every once in a while especially after you have trained really hard. You'll know you need a rest day when you find that you feel worn out or if you feel like you have to really force yourself to do your workout. You will likely feel worn out after a really hard strength training session of after a particularly draining cardio session or even a really stressful day at work. It really doesn't matter what you did the day before, if you feel worn out then take a rest day.

Recovery Day
I favor recovery days over rest days. A recovery day is similar to a rest day in that you are still allowing your body to rest by skipping a workout but they differ in that instead of entirely skipping physical activity you still try to get some low intensity movement in. On this day you may try cross training, some light cardio, or anything that doesn't work you too hard. Cross training is only really relevant if you typically do one type of exercise often, to cross train you would do something different from your usual. For example, I usually run for my cardio days or for times when I'm doing intense cardio so my cross training is something that isn't running. I can ride my bike, or take a long slow walk, or swim, anything really as long as it isn't running. My rule of thumb for a recovery day is to do 30 minutes of something.

6 Things to Remember
Whether you are working out or it's one of your off days from working out there are still somethings you need to keep in mind to keep your body in the best condition possible.

1. Eating right is part of everyday. If you decide you're going to sit on the couch all day that's fine but you need to still be eating the right foods. Hit all the big categories, grains, fruit, veggies, some meat, and dairy. Your rest or recovery day doesn't mean you also get to stuff yourself with junk food, that is counterproductive.
2. Get enough sleep. Staying up until 3 am is fine every once in a while but it shouldn't be a regular thing. Getting enough sleep is important for general human function and is the ultimate recovery time. No matter what you do during the day when you sleep you do nothing but relax and recover. Sleeping too little can cause some serious health problems so make sure to get a good nights sleep most of the time.
3. Don't overtrain. If you've read my about me I say that I workout just about everyday. That is true but I know myself well enough that if I'm beat I'll do a low intensity workout or I'll rest. Overtraining leaves very little time for your muscles to regenerate and recover from the strain of a workout. It is especially important not to overtrain if you are just starting out, it will make you feel terrible. You can train a lot but be careful to take rest when you need it.
4. Listen to your body. Competition is in human nature. It's understandable that you may want to be as good as that person at the gym who people say is there everyday and runs 8 miles before and after their workout. Be competitive but don't let it get in the way of how you treat your body. Just because your workout buddy runs every morning for 30 minutes and still has enough energy for a heavy weight training session with you doesn't mean you can or should be able to do the same thing. People are different running for 30 minutes might be an entire workout for you, if it is then rest. Most times no one will hold that against you.
5. Replace lost fluids. After a workout or even a really hot day you need to make sure you replace fluids that you have lost due to sweat. Water is one of the best things to drink before during and after a workout. Workouts are more effective if you get protein before and after so getting a decent protein shake is a good idea. You can drink Gatorade or stuff like it if you want but it is really only useful for high performance athletes, the average person doesn't workout enough to drink that. Honestly though whatever you decide try to keep hydrated and get in some good protein and carbs in your pre/post workout drink of choice.
6. Stretch. I've said it before and I'll say it again, stretching is really important to have good strong muscles that are less prone to injury. If you need some help figuring out what to do then check out my Flexible muscles are strong muscles post. Just don't skip out on stretching!

That's about it for this post. I hope this helps you learn to take a break once in a while. Without any rest you will see very little improvement in your body. Resting is when the magic happens so work hard and rest hard as well!