Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are talking about one exercise topic for two minutes and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. Now this week, we are talking to those of you who are planning a vacation, but you still want to get your workout in. How can you make sure to exercise effectively while you are on the road and still enjoy your vacay time?
1) Pre-Plan Your Workouts
Tip number one – plan your workouts and write them down before you even get on vacation. Keep your workouts to a short and sweet 30 minutes or less, and make sure they are all planned before you get there.
Action Step: Spend a little time thinking of a couple workouts you could do while you are on vacation. A good rule of thumb is to think of one workout for every 2 days you are going to be traveling.
Related: 3 Exercise Tips For An Active Vacation
2) Don’t Overcomplicate It
Tip number two – don’t overcomplicate it. Figure out whether the place you will be staying has a fitness center or not. If they do, what kind of equipment do they have? All you need are some dumbbells, an elliptical, or a treadmill to get your heart rate up, to get you breathing heavier, and to get some blood moving. If you won’t have any of that, you can find a space where you can go for a run or do some body weight exercises.
Action Step: Don’t overthink your workouts during your vacation. The most important thing is just to get something in. You can often find out online what the resort or hotel offers in terms of fitness equipment, or you can give them a call to see if there are any running paths nearby.
Related: On a time budget? Exercise with these three tips.
3) Prioritize Weight Training
Tip number three – prioritize weight training when you can. If you have the opportunity to go and weight train, go and do that over doing cardio. A lot of times during vacations, you are moving around and are more active that you are in your regular daily life, so you are already getting in some of that low level cardio. Because of this, prioritize weight training when you get the chance.
Action Step: If you know you are going to be walking around or doing different water activities during your vacation, try to get in at least a couple days of weight training while you are there. You are already meeting a lot of your cardio needs with the activities you have planned, so make sure to include weight training when you go to workout.
