Do you know what’s worse than returning blear-eyed back to work the first day after a marvelous vacation, and knowing you have to wait many months for another break? The following days can be made even more painful if you made the mistake of beaching your fitness goals during your time away. Yes, recovery is essential to fitness – but even recovery should occur in moderation! If you are a lounge lizard or a couch potato for days on end, you will be sore when you resume your workouts after being sedentary. Don’t let that happen.
While your vacation yurt, your favorite tiki bar or your grandma’s house might not be set up for workouts, it might not be as difficult as you think to keep moving wherever summer break breezes blow. The trick is celebrating what you do have available – your bodyweight and gravity.
Hassle-Free Ways to Get a Workout on Vacation
No Equipment? No Problem.
Cardio: Walking and running are often the simplest ways to get in a little cardio wherever, whenever. Hit some hills, steps or bleachers. You can do quick spurts to construct an interval workout, or sustain a steady pace to work on endurance. Forgot your running shoes? No biggie! If you’re at the beach, log your miles running on the sand. If you’re near a park or playfield, get going on the grass.
If you want to mix things up even more, there are numerous and simple high-intensity cardio movements, like jumping jacks, that can be done anywhere. Check out…
Burpees | Power Lunges | Squat Jumps | Lateral Bounding | Shuffles | Mountain Climbers
You May Also Like: 4 Exercises to Improve Your Running Efficiency
Strength: It’s easy to do strength training, too, no matter your location. Use your own bodyweight to challenge your muscles. Yoga (here’s a 30 minute Power Yoga video) and Pilates (check out an example workout) don’t require equipment, yet provide a serious strength challenge. Think of your surroundings as your own gym. Is there a railing to hold for balance? Stairs? A chair?
If you do have a chair or stairs, try these five strength exercises to work your body head-to-toe:
Tricep Dips | 30+Push-up Variations | Walking Lunges | Calf Raises | Chair Squats
A final fit tip, look around at the objects that surround you. If you don’t have weights available to you, fill up an empty milk jug with water to heft. You could grab rocks, a melon or canned food to use like a med ball or weights. Fill a sturdy bag with sand to carry, drag and lift.
Think creatively and GET IT DONE so that the post-vacation version of you will be happy and healthy!