People tend to view vacations as a time of relaxation, meaning limited activity and stress. Unfortunately, depending on the length of your vacation, your fitness levels can quickly degrade if you ignore exercise and most physical activity. Some reports suggest a decline in aerobic power between 5% and 10% in only three weeks. Additionally, most studies imply the fitter you are, the quicker the reductions can occur. While taking a week off to rest and enjoy might not make much of a difference, you should include some form of exercise to maintain your current fitness levels if you plan on vacationing for longer.
Incorporate Aerobic Exercise Into Your Vacation
Exercise does not have to be torture or consist of miles on a treadmill. You can have fun while incorporating aerobic exercise into your vacation; to demonstrate, consider playing beach volleyball, walking along the shoreline, taking a hike, or going on a leisurely bike ride. People tend to overthink exercise, assuming it has to include strict routines and methods. Still, as long as you can maintain moderate aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes a day, you are good.
A Simple Body Weight Exercise for the Hotel Room
If your hotel has a gym, by all means, take 20 to 30 minutes to do your typical workout. However, if you do not feel like venturing through the lobby in your workout gear, consider doing a simple hotel room workout. The activity relies on body weight, balance, endurance, and your luggage. To increase your heart rate, set a timer for 15 to 20 and see how many circuits you can complete.
You want to start with bodyweight squats. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. With your back straight and your arms fully extended in front of you, squat down slowly into a sumo-like pose. To complete the squat, return to a standing position, keeping your arms in front of you. You will want to do 20 reps before moving onto the next exercise.
Without hesitating, transition into an incline pushup position. Place your hands, palms down, on the edge of the bed or a desk, with your feet on the floor. With your body angled out, approximately 45 degrees, push down then up slowly. Perform 15 reps before moving onto the third exercise.
For the third exercise, grab a piece of luggage. You will be performing one-arm luggage rows. Stand with one leg extended behind you and the opposite leg bent slightly in front. Bend slightly at the waist, keeping your back straight. Whatever leg is extended back, you want to use the same side arm to slowly pick up and then lower the bag, keeping your back straight. Perform 10 reps before moving onto the fourth and final exercise.
For the last exercise, lay flat on the floor with your legs bent, forming a pyramid. Keep your arms extended at your sides with palms on the floor. To perform a reverse crunch, you will use your abs to lift your legs, keeping them bent. Bring your knees above your chest and then bring them back down, being sure to engage your core the entire time. Perform 10 reps to complete the circuit. Then, repeat all four exercises and keep repeating until your timer sounds.
While a vacation is a time to relax, there is no reason you can’t maintain your fitness goals. How do you exercise on vacation?