Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are bringing you one exercise topic, talking about it for two minutes, and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. This week we are talking to those of you who are gearing up for summer vacation, specifically an active summer vacation. How can you prepare your body so you can fully participate in the activities of your vacation?
1) Do Consistent Weight Training
Tip number 1 – make sure you are doing consistent weight training. A lot of times when people go on vacations where they are planning on doing more activities rather than lounging–activities such as biking, hiking, and kayaking–their muscle system is not ready for the demands of the activities. But, you need to make sure that if you go out for one adventurous day you aren’t completely sore and depleted after. You want to start preparing your muscle system for the demands of the activities you will be doing.
Action Step: Adding in two to three days per week of resistance training for 20-30 minutes during the month prior to your vacation will be tremendously beneficial. If you are wanting to get the most out of the weight training exercises you are doing at the gym, check out our how-to ebook here.
2) Don’t Overdo It
Tip number 2 – Don’t overdo it. We know you are excited about your vacation. We know you are excited about the hiking, kayaking, and ziplining you will be doing. But, you are only going to be able to enjoy those activities IF you are able to do them. So, when preparing for them, understand that the entire goal is to be able to participate in those activities, not to completely crush those activities. As you are exercising, listen to your body and prepare accordingly, but don’t overdo it leading up to your vacation.
Action Step: Getting a custom-fit exercise plan that is built for your body’s needs and abilities is the most strategic way to ensure that you will be able to fully enjoy all of the activities of your vacation. If this is of interest to you, we would love to connect with you. If you would prefer to go it alone, make sure of three things 1) You are not experiencing pain while you are exercising; 2) You are trying to stimulate your body, not annihilate it; and 3) You are not experiencing soreness in the days following your workout.
3) Do Activity-Specific Exercise
Our third tip is to do some activity-specific exercise. For example, if you are planning on going for a hike with a backpack loaded up with equipment, prepare for your hike by going for walks while wearing a backpack. Put some textbooks in the backpack or even put all of the gear you will be carrying in there. The same goes for any other activities you will be doing. Don’t have your vacation be the first time you do a long bike ride. Make sure you progress yourself to be able to do what you will be doing on vacation.
Action Step: Make it a point to try doing the activities at least a few times before you go on your vacation. Ideally, you will be able to spend about six weeks practicing the activities before you leave to make sure you will be able to fully participate while on your trip.
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