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The sun…the sand…the lack
of exercise...
That’s a common worry as many of us take off for summer
fun away from our normal routines. Is it a worry worth holding
on to?
Keeping Your Healthy Lifestyle Going on Vacation
You’ve established regular workouts for strength, cardio,
and flexibility at home. To keep it going, do you need to
check out whether a fitness center is available at hotels
where you might be staying? Do you need to pack your sneakers
and resistance bands?
The big question gets down to this: Who wants to exercise
when they are trying to break away from the real world?
Tweaking our perspective about exercise can not only help
us stay fit and healthy on vacation, but may help us better
enjoy our healthy lifestyle routines year round.
Redefining Exercise
Exercise as it is commonly thought of isn’t really
a critical component of a healthy lifestyle. What we really
need to be doing to stay healthy is to move our bodies. We’re
talking “physical activity.” Physical activity
can provide all the benefits of “exercise,” and
we just might have a whole lot more fun doing it.
Staying Healthy on Vacation
Consider how much fun we have doing these things on vacation.
They also help us stay fit!
- A brisk walk/jog on the beach, in the
soft sand as we are invigorated by the salty sea air and
crashing waves.
Fitness benefit: Cardio, lower body workout (that sand
can be quite challenging).
- A stroll along the beach, again in the
soft sand, collecting seashells.
Fitness benefit: Each time you bend to get those “jewels
of the sea,” you perform a squat, strengthening your
legs (quadriceps and hamstrings). Take a mindful moment
as you are squatting to examine every part of that shell
to maximize the activity.
- A bike ride along country trails or the
boardwalk.
Fitness benefit: Cardio, just like you’d get
with any bike ride.
- Volleyball on the beach.
Fitness benefit: Cardio, strength, flexibility. And
you get to see what those beach volleyball women are really
all about.
- Frolicking in the pool or ocean.
Fitness benefit: Mimic your strength-training moves,
using the weight of the water as resistance. You can also
do leg lifts, calf raises and even pushups on the side of
the pool.
- A good stretch to wake up after a restful
sleep or to end a hectic day of sunbathing.
Fitness benefit: Flexibility, which prepares you to
tackle the next day’s fun and fitness in the sun!
Just remember, the best exercise/physical activity is the
one that you do! So get creative, get going and have fun staying
fit and healthy on vacation! And don’t forget the sunblock!
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