How to Stay Fit While on Vacation

Vacation is often thought of as the time to let loose, and the thought of losing recent gains in your fitness and strength may enter your mind. The good news is, you can still party and enjoy your holiday without making vacation fitness the central focus that your plans revolve around. Besides planning ahead for easy gym access, you can also get creative and plan fun workouts seamlessly into your sightseeing and adventures. 

Planning workouts around your vacation not only helps to keep you fit on the go but also helps boost energy levels and offset any travel-related stress you experience. Here are 7 ways you can ensure that you stay fit while enjoying your vacation plans:

1. Count Steps on Sightseeing Days

Maybe you're going on vacation to sit on the beach or read by the pool. Otherwise, you're likely going on vacation because you long to visit a place that provides unique experiences. Either way, hopefully, you can devote at least a couple of days in your vacation to touring the area you traveled to. This may mean taking a power walk through the city with the help of your GPS, walking through botanical gardens, or strolling through museums. 

Check local listings for the best places to go sightseeing and choose places that allow for lots of walking. Then use a pedometer or a pedometer app on your phone to count steps toward a daily goal. Scoring 10,000 steps in a day a great benchmark for getting your exercise, amounting to walking 5 miles. 

Walking around is a great way to stay fit while shaking up the usual routine, and with GPS technology today you can do it in a new place without getting lost. 

2. Use an App to Follow Workouts Remotely

Get a 20-minute workout in every other day just by opening an app on your phone. If you like getting yoga or strength training in at the beginning of your day before a shower, there's an easy way to do it from your vacation hotel room. Choose an app like Simply Yoga or FitOn, which features free workouts you can stream from your phone or laptop, granted your hotel has an Internet connection. 

Many apps let you download workouts or give simple written instructions for workouts you can save. With that in mind, it's possible to take your workouts outside to a park regardless of your Wi-Fi connection.

3. Pick a Hotel that Has a Gym

If you really want to keep your edge while on vacation, you'll need some actual weight. Of course, you can only bring so many pounds of luggage with you, and you definitely won't be able to pack a couple of 40-pound weights. That said, it pays to stay at a hotel that comes with gym access included. Otherwise, you'd have to pay per day for a guest pass at a local gym. Call or check online to make sure the hotel you're booking is equipped with a multi-person gym. Most hotel gyms have weights and at least one or two different cardio machines. 

4. Plan Ahead to Dine at Healthy Restaurants

On vacation, you're going to eat out at restaurants much more than you would at home. Restaurant food is delicious but tends to be less healthy. When you do your research and plan ahead, you can land yourself at healthy eateries and avoid the temptations of fast food and other unhealthy venues.

Ask around or look up some local options known for serving up healthier options compared to the usual restaurant meals often laden with oil and made with refined ingredients. Look for dishes that will keep you full and give you a balanced range of nutrients, such as lean meat, vegetables, and whole grains.

5. Go Cycling

Most cities have places that offer bicycle rentals for a day or week at a time. If you want to take it easy on your joints for a day and enjoy cycling, consider renting one. Cycling is a great way to work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes and get your heart rate up all at the same time. You can get more sightseeing done on a bicycle if you're exploring the countryside. It's harder to use GPS on a bike, so be sure to take a trail that's easy to follow or study your route ahead of time. 

6. Swim in the Hotel Pool

Don't forget your bathing suit to your vacation destination if you plan on getting a workout in at the pool. Most hotels have them, and you can use this to mix up your workouts on vacation. Whether the pool is outdoors or indoors, pick a time it's less busy and do as many laps as you can in a 20 to 30-minute workout. Swimming recruits all your muscles, so it's an excellent way to stay in shape while challenging your cardio.

7. Bring Your Own Protein Supplement

Whenever you're trying to maintain your muscle gains, protein supplementation is a good idea. Granted you are still working out and staying active on vacation, take your daily protein powder by mixing it into any shake or juice. With your diet being less predictable, it's important to bring protein with you and avoid low intake.

Vacation Fitness is Easy

For trips that are particularly long, pack up your personal training and take it on the go. Take your own measurements and check-in virtually with an online coach. They can prescribe tailored workouts and keep you motivated during the flurries of travel. Otherwise, taking advantage of free mobile apps with workout videos and the facilities available at your hotel and around it are the way to stay up with your fitness goals while you're away from home.