We’re right in the middle of summer and with that comes an abundance of vacations and long weekends away for many of you. I’ve received quite a few requests to write a post about finding a good mindset in regards to health and fitness when you are traveling and out of your normal routine.
This is a great question and I have a lot of personal insight to share on it. I love traveling, working out and food and I think I’ve found a pretty nice balance between then when I’m away.
WORKING OUT ON VACATION
Personally, I enjoy working out on vacation but I give myself complete freedom around food. Working out is something that makes me feel good and that I genuinely look forward to doing regularly. A little bit of sweating on vacation helps me feel energized, normal and not heavy/lethargic/blah from being out of my normal moving and eating rhythm.
My favorite way to exercise on vacation is running. It’s easy, efficient and you can do it pretty much anywhere. The bonus is that it’s an awesome way to see the place you are visiting. I went for a few runs when I visited Brussels last summer and also in Portland last fall and absolutely loved getting a feel for the cities by running through the streets.
When I’m visiting a resort or a destination where I can’t really leave the property to run, I will often create circuits where I’ll do a 400 meter run followed by some push ups, lunges, squats, burpees, etc. I like to do this outside so I’m still soaking up the sun and fresh air. It’s a quick way to get a great workout in and then you can get yourself to the beach!
I also LOVE taking new fitness classes when I travel to big cities and dropping into other yoga studios for a practice. As someone who works in the fitness industry, it’s awesome to step outside of your instructor role and be the student in a place where no one knows you. It’s refreshing and gives me great ideas for my own classes!
Remember, this is my personal vacation style. Yours might be different! It’s also okay to be on vacation and NOT workout. Maybe your body needs to rest and relax. Maybe you are totally cool with your exercise being the steps you are taking exploring a new destination. That is totally cool too! There is no right or wrong way to be on vacation.
EATING ON VACATION
When it comes to eating on vacation, for the most part I give myself carte blanche to eat whatever I want. That might be donuts for breakfast.
Cocktails poolside.
Lunch on the beach.
Sweet treats in middle of the afternoon.
And definitely dessert every night!
I love food and in my mind vacation is not the time to worry about what you’re eating or counting calories. In my experience, even if you come home from vacation a few pounds heavier, you are almost always back to normal within a few days of getting back into your routine. Most of the weight you gain on vacation is water weight and nothing that is going to stick permanently.
You might feed a little extra bloated on vacation because you’re dining out more, moving less, eating things outside of your norm and your digestion might be little slower because, you know, that just happens sometimes when you travel! Just don’t stress and know that it will all even out in the long run.
If you do feel a bit stressed, up your water intake and work to get a little more movement in if that makes you feel better. You can also try to make one or two of your meals throughout the day more “normal” for you and then have one or two meals where you say, “I’m having whatever I want!”
My main message here when it comes to finding your vacation food and fitness mindset is to do what makes you feel good and to stay grounded in the fact that unfortunately, vacation isn’t forever. You’ll be back to your normal routine of working out and eating well soon enough!
Tell me about your vacation/travel food and fitness mindset. Do you workout on vacation? What’s your eating style on vacation?
Excellent post overall – but I have to say, running is not “easy” for everyone.. or accessible. I know you said it was your own personal exercise style though, so i get that. But easy and running will never be in the same sentence for me hahah 🙂
But yes, desert every night on vacation!!!
Oh by “easy and accessible” I meant that you can just pack a pair of shoes and do it pretty much anywhere with minimal equipment and minimal time. Like not having to seek out a gym or take a class! 🙂
I am the same! LOVE to workout on vacation since I generally have the time and it gives me energy. As far as food goes, anything goes!
I run with my brother and sister-in-law every morning when we go to the beach with family for a week. (And take a walk with my fiancé afterwards ha) It’s a great way to spend time together and burn some of those extra calories! I also like visiting other workout studios! Getting a workout done early in the morning and eating a “normal” meal for one of the meals in my day are great ways to go!
Yes-great post! I also like to get in movement when I’m on vacation, even it’s just walking around town sightseeing or shopping all day. I also like to try new exercise classes. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is find good hikes, but that’s not always possible everywhere! Just some kind of movement makes me feel better overall. I’ve never been the kind of person who can get up and go straight to the beach to sun tan…but for some people that works!
I like to workout when I’m on vacation because it’s just part of my routine. I belong to Orangetheory so I will check out a studio if there’s one available. Also enjoy running and throwing in some body weight intervals. I definitely enjoy food on vacation. Especially a doughnut or a pastry in the morning with coffee!
Great post! I also always run on vacation because it’s the easiest way to keep my fitness routine somewhat in check but I also love exploring wherever I’m visiting through running! There are also NO food restrictions for me on vacation. If dessert sounds good, I eat dessert! 🙂
I love working out as well, and look forward to a good sweat so my mindset is that I always take exercise with me on vacation. I might go lighter or not as often or as intense, but if I can go for a run, use a hotel’s elliptical machine, or do a good Barre3 workout, I’m good. 🙂
As for food, just recently I realized that life is for living and I’ve gotten into your same mindset. When I’m on vacation, I eat whatever I want because I like to experience local foods and try new things. I don’t get down on myself for eating too much or things I normally wouldn’t–it’s all about moderation and allowing myself to have fun.
I follow a very similar approach to working out while on vacation – I love sightseeing via running and like trying new classes in different cities. Or going back to a gym I’ve been to before, especially in my hometown.
I used to get VERY sick while traveling (like major digestive upset), so I was super paranoid to relax when it comes to food but that’s not happening as much anymore – thankfully! I’m trying to enjoy food more when I travel and being smart about where I indulge. I don’t go into “eat whatever i want mode” but use some rules of thumb, like, is this something special I can’t get at home? is this unique to the city/culture? will this enhance the experience I’m having? Is it something I’m really interested in or not so much? Basically, I try to be intentional where I splurge so I don’t totally go off the rails and get sick!
Love this balanced approach, Jen! I’m with you on the food thing — I often eat way more and different things than I normally would while on vacation, because I like to try new things and even have some wine in the middle of the day hehehe — but I always have a lot of veggies and water too, to counteract it, and because I genuinely like healthy food. As far as exercise, trying new classes is fun, but I’m usually just hoping to be organically active most of the time without official workouts. But I do love being a student in class for sure! 🙂
Yes to that wine in the middle of the day. Nothing like a vacation mid-day cocktail to really help you to feel festive! 🙂