Summer vacation is a great time to destress, spend quality time with loved ones, and exchange more stringent routines with fun ones, like weddings, festivals, and road trips!
It’s also a typical time to gain weight due to interruptions in our daily routines and an indulgent summer mindset. So many of the healthy habits we’ve established get thrown out the window!
There’s no need for your vacation to totally derail your fitness gains. You can have your cookie and stay fit too! Keep one thing at the forefront – your health. Keep the feeling of ‘fit’ Alive! You know, that strength, energy, and internal drive to be your best version.
Here are five tips to keep you fit during the summer holiday:
1. Redefine Your Fitness Regimen
You might have to abandon your traditional fitness routine but don’t abandon your health entirely. Redefine fitness by thinking outside the box. Get creative! In place of your workout, try hiking, biking, paddle board, or simply exploring the area on foot. Movement opportunities abound, find what motivates you.
2. Pack Resistance Bands & Utilize with Compound Exercises
Resistance bands are light, versatile, and can address the entire body in several directions. Try this: Before you depart for some fun in the sun, practice a 10-minute resistance band routine using compound exercises (a movement that uses more than one muscle group simultaneously). Why compound? They’re efficient, burn more calories, and improve balance and coordination. Pick a minimum of 6 different exercises and perform one set of 15-18 repetitions (2 sets if you have the time). Want a sample routine? Check out July’s Fit and Healthy Living Tips newsletter!
Would you like personalized guidance and support? Schedule your complimentary consultation with me and together we’ll find a solution that fits your life.
3. Pack Comfy Clothing
This one trails back to number 1 – redefine fitness. It doesn’t have to be a traditional fitness routine. If you’re already in gym clothing, it makes it much easier to get motivated to move no matter where you are. Perhaps you walk by a park and get inspired to go for a quick jog with the locals. If you have children, there’s no shortage of movement opportunities. Make it fun! Create a timed obstacle challenge and inspire the entire family. But of course, pack the fancy attire too.
4. Pack Your Own Snacks
Packing your own snacks makes a tremendous difference – I speak from experience. I have three children, buying snacks on the go gets expensive, and we don’t always find the healthiest options. Bypass having to buy from convenience shops and fast food places and bypass the added preservatives and sugars. I really feel like an accomplished parent when I do this.
Here are some suggestions on what snacks to pack;
- Homemade hummus and naan
- Apples and peanut butter
- Rice cakes
- Popcorn
- Homemade granola
- Dark chocolate, seeds, and nuts
- I love traveling with my own tea bags. It’s a creature comfort that reminds me of home and keeps me happy.
5. Be Realistic
Some of your routines will be thrown off, and that’s okay. Even with all your best efforts, summer vacation brings an indulgent atmosphere. Try to move more and not skimp on restorative movements, such as stretching and deep breathing. Sometimes holidays come with their own kind of stress, which is yet another reason to remain active and mind your health.
Ultimately, have fun! A few indulgences will not wreck you, however, overthinking and self-shaming will. So eat your cookie and keep fit too. It does not have to be one or the other. It’s just a matter of finding the right balance that fits your life.
Happy travels friends!
Stand tall Breathe deep,
Corina
Integrative Fitness Therapy 