“Vacation” and “exercise” are two words that aren’t usually used in a sentence together. Oftentimes, it’s not that your exercise regimen falls by the wayside on vacation, it’s just purposely left out of your itinerary.
The purpose of taking a vacation is to relax, unwind and have some fun, so including exercise in your getaway may seem like work. But incorporating some physical activity into your trip can actually help you.
One of the best parts of vacations can be indulging in food and drink. If you’re doing this and not exercising while you’re away, it can all add up quickly, and climbing back on the treadmill when you’re home will be much harder than it has to be. You don’t want to come home and have trouble buttoning your pants.
The great thing about exercising on vacation is that it doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Since vacation is all about having fun and trying new things, why not try applying that theory to working out?
If you’re vacationing near a beach or bay, considering trying stand up paddle boarding. The wobbly board surface, waves in the water, and occasional gust of wind turn paddle boarding into a full body workout that can torch 500 or more calories in just an hour.
A big component of paddle boarding is balance, which means your leg and core muscles will be working hard to keep you upright on the board. Paddling on the board will incorporate the muscles in your arms, back and shoulders.
Kayaking or canoeing can also be an opportunity to have fun and exercise at the same time. These activities can ignite the muscles in your back, arms, shoulders and chest from moving the paddles through the water. Your core will also get a workout from rotating your torso. You might even be able to get your heart rate up.
If you have never surfed before, take a lesson! Surfing can serve as exercise because paddling will get your heart pumping while engaging your shoulder and back muscles. Once you’re standing up on the board, you’ll be using your leg and core muscles to keep yourself up and balanced.
Prefer to stay on solid ground? Hiking could be a great outlet for taking in the beauty of nature and exercising. Not only will this serve as cardio, but you will also engage your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles in your hips and lower legs. Or how about a simple bike ride as you take in the sights?
So, yes, it’s true- exercising on vacation can be both fun and effective. And it can help ensure that when you return to the real world, you’re feeling fresh and revived… not run down and exhausted.
Photo courtesy of peek.com.
