Rethink fitness on your next vacation
Use what you have at your disposal either on land or in water
Fitness instructor Jeffrey S. Harrison says consistency is key for vacation workouts.
You’re headed on vacation and are in great need of a break from the demands of everyday life, but you also don’t want to blow your workout routine in the process — one that you’ve worked hard to maintain. What to do?
You might be contemplating packing your yoga mat, free weights and resistance bands to make an attempt to keep it up, but before you do that, here’s some helpful advice from a local fitness expert to consider, that might take some literal weight off your shoulders and leave a little extra room in your car trunk.
According to Jeffrey Harrison, personal trainer and owner of Jeffrey S. Harrison Fitness, of Lower Pottsgrove Township, the key thing to think about when it comes to fitness on vacation is consistency.
“The more consistent you stay with things, the better,” Harrison said.
There are many things you can do in a vacation environment to keep yourself active so that you don’t have any problem getting back into your regular workout schedule when you return.
“You can go kayaking, run and walk and ride a bike to keep your consistency going,” he said.
The idea is not to try to duplicate your workouts at home by lugging equipment to your vacation destination, but instead, you should use what you have at your disposal either on land or in water.
“There are so many opportunities outside and ways to optimize the outdoors,” Harrison said. “There’s a boardwalk, bike paths, the beach — swimming in the ocean or bay is a good source of activity too.”
Overall, Jeffrey said that vacations should not be an excuse not to continue daily physical activity, but that you shouldn’t feel you have to have the same level of expectation of yourself.
“Your workouts on vacation don’t have to be as involved as your home workouts,” he said.
Harrison suggests committing to a certain amount of time per day that you will dedicate to physical activity, but that it’s OK not to commit to a set time to do it, as you might do at home.
“As long as you’re getting it in, the time is irrelevant,” he said, adding that some might still prefer to get up earlier than their household and get it done and out of the way for the day begins.
But since one of the best things about vacation is not going by a daily routine, you can potentially fit your fitness in with your family at a time of day where it naturally fits in for all, such as exploring a new bike trail or taking a group kayak trip.
For those who feel they absolutely can’t give up their normal workout routine, virtual personal training sessions are of course an option, but Jeffrey finds that his clients heading on vacation aren’t typically inclined to sign up for this service that he offers.
“We joke about it and then nobody takes me up on that,” he said.
Harrison reminds us that, ideally, a vacation should be about taking a step back.
“Life is super fast and everybody talks about how busy they are,” he said. “When you are on vacation you have this time to relax, recuperate, rejuvenate and refocus.”
Truly living into a vacation experience can actually work in your favor when it comes to getting back on track upon your return home.
“You get back refreshed and you’ll be in a better position to make better strides to achieve the goals you want to accomplish,” he said.
Harrison said it’s also beneficial to unplug on vacation. He personally checks his emails in the morning and then turns his phone off for the rest of the day to avoid the anxiousness of feeling like he has to always check in with his tech devices.
For those who are always linked into their fitness trackers, Harrison suggests leaving them at home or tucking them away while on vacation to give the watch and yourself a break.
“For some, it has become so much of who they are — they are always looking at their numbers,” he said. “Try to disconnect from your watch for vacation.”
Vacation is a time to take a break from monitoring your heart rate when working out and to forget about counting steps and calories burned. Instead, just simply make a point to get some daily physical activity in without any strings attached.
“Don’t worry about all the other stuff,” Harrison said. “Just get your body moving.”