Don’t vacate your fitness!!
Recently, my wife and I took the total trip of a lifetime. We spent one week down on the Turks and Caicos islands at the AMAZING Beaches Resort as a second honeymoon in celebration of 10 incredible years of wedded bliss. This place had it ALL – 6 pools, miles of private beach, and (the delicious downfall) 18 all-inclusive restaurants. This included 24-hour pizzerias, an all-you-can-eat ice cream/malt shop, and every delicious fruity, blended drink you can imagine. To say it took more than a little self-control is an understatement; to say I didn’t indulge in the finer eateries while I was there would be a complete lie!
How many of you have been there before? You’re doing so good for the weeks leading up to your trip only to blow it all on day one with fast food and minimal activity? Well say goodbye forever to unhealthy vacations and weeks of “make-up work” after you get home! Today I’m sharing ten healthy vacation tips to help you maintain your diet and fitness goals and keep you on the right track while traveling. These are tried and true ways to make your next vacation healthy and your fitness goals successful!
1. Find the fitness center – This one’s probably the easiest and the most obvious. Most hotels these days have some sort of fitness center for their temporary tenants. Most of these places are pretty basic – often offering a treadmill, bike, and/or elliptical – but you’d be surprised at how far 20 minutes on one of these bad boys goes in helping burn an extra 200-300 calories daily (CLICK HERE for some of my favorite treadmill interval workouts – a perfect way to burn a ton of calories in not a lot of time!) Every now and then you’ll get lucky and the center will have some strength equipment, also! The important thing is that you make time in your trip to get down to the fitness center and exercise. 
2. Pack your running shoes – wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, there will ALWAYS be a place to run! Always make sure you pack your running shoes and wake up 20 minutes earlier than you normally would. Running is not only great cardio and a great way to stay active, but an incredible way to experience the local sites and culture in a way that you never would otherwise. (CLICK HERE for some awesome running interval workouts!)
3. In-room workouts – “I didn’t feel safe running somewhere foreign to me.” “My hotel didn’t have a fitness center.” Sometimes things get in the way of exercising on vacation. But there are always ways around that!! Eliminate all excuses with in-room workouts! I’ve got an entire collection of workouts that require zero equipment and not a lot of space. You can run through some pretty amazing workouts in a small hotel room; I’ve done it many times before and so can you! (Here are a few of my favorite “Weekly Workout Plans” as a place to get started: THE TRAVEL WORKOUT SERIES and DORM ROOM WORKOUTS).
4. Suspension gyms. Definitely suspension gyms – If the place you’re staying at doesn’t have a gym, bring your own!! I love suspension gym systems (common brand names include TRX and rip:60). They’re lightweight, super portable (packs into a suitcase with minimal added weight or bulk), and incredibly versatile. You can hook them up anywhere from a tree branch outdoors to the door in your hotel room. Not sure how to use a suspension gym? Check out THIS VIDEO wherein I demonstrate 10 of my favorite total-body suspension gym exercises. 
5. Find the healthy menu options – My other Achilles heel while traveling is usually that my diet goes to pot. Sometimes it’s hard not to indulge in the local cuisine or even eat fast food meals while you’re on vacation. My advice here is to try, as much and wherever possible, to find healthy menu options. It will require a little (Okay A LOT) of self-control. But you CAN make it work! Choose salads instead of appetizers. Choose grilled chicken sandwiches instead of hamburgers. Grab a fruit cup instead of an ice cream cone! Now don’t get me wrong – I don’t frown on a little indulgence into a great ice cream cone or some delicious french fries, but what I am saying is don’t make those things the norm. Look for the healthiest options first, but allow yourself to have some fun!
6. Sight-seeing the old-fashioned way – Oh such a simple but vital part to staying on track with your fitness goals AND having an amazing time on your trip… WALK!!! Don’t make the rental car or taxi the first option! If something is a mile or two away, don’t be afraid to hoof it there and see some of the sites along the way. You’ll be surprised at how much you can see and how active you can be! If the hotel you’re staying at is a good distance away from the sites you want to see, try to park or be dropped off at a central location to the attractions and then walk to all the areas.
7. Pack your own healthy snacks – It’s amazing what a little advanced planning can do! If you’re anything like me, the bags of candy in the airport or the potato chips in the hotel vending machines always look so much better than they do in regular stores (why is that??). It’s amazing how far a little planning can go. Go to the store a few days before your trip and buy some healthy snacks to take with you. Granola bars, fruit snacks, fruit, and 100 calorie packs are among my favorites! Make sure to pack some of these into your carry-on for the flights as well as into your luggage for the destination. That way, when presented with the alluring potato chips or the enticing bags of candy you’ll already have your snacks on hand to get rid of the craving!
8. Take your water bottle! – My virgin daiquiris, pina coladas, and fruit punches were my Achilles heel! When you’re sitting on a beautiful white sandy beach and the waiter just keeps coming by offering you more it was tough to say no! It’s so easy to drink your calories – liquids usually have a lot of sugar or calories and have zero nutritional value. Usually this means you get a ton of calories with zero feeling of satiety (i.e. you remain hungry/unsatisfied). Bring along your own water bottle and keep it full of cold, refreshing, pure and clean water. This will help to avoid feeling thirsty, keep you well-hydrated, and even stave off pangs of hunger until your next meal.
9. Make your activities active! – I’ll be the first to admit – I was
completely spoiled rotten on this trip! Snorkeling, wind surfing, scuba diving, sea kayaking, tennis, sailing, and the water park (to name only a few!) were all included! Granted there was a fair amount of reading and dozing in my beach chair (I was on vacation!), but it was awesome to be able to get in a couple of hours of activity everyday as well! Your trip can include a hike, a water park, a walk around the city, swimming, or a theme park to name just a few! If you’re planning on going to the movies or a play (anything sedentary) try to plan something active as well! Take your relaxing vacation time, but don’e totally relax and vacate from your own personal fitness!
10. Stay accountable with an activity tracker – what derails a perfect diet and exercise plan faster than anything else? Ignorance. We simply lose track of how active we are (or aren’t!) and don’t bother worrying about how much we consume. An activity tracker is an excellent way to stay accountable and stay active! Among my personal favorites are those from Polar, Garmin, and Fitbit. Most of them are low profile, waterproof, sweat-proof, and incredibly accurate! Stay on track by staying accountable, even in paradise!!
Don’t let your next vacation turn into a setback for your fitness goals! Following even just a handful of these 10 tips can not only ensure that you stay on the right track, but also make your vacation a bit more memorable!
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Make it happen,
Jared
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By Jared Beckstrand
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Have a great day!
Jared