Staying Strong And Fit On Vacation…

by: Brandon Richey

Staying Strong And Fit On Vacation

With spring and summer closing in coupled with the fact that I happen to work with quite a few trainees that happen to travel a great deal for both business and pleasure I decided to steer this blogisode into a more seasonal direction. Oh and by the way I’m also going to have some help today with a guest so keep on reading. 

Keeping Fit While Traveling…

So often I hear people griping about struggling to do anything of any physical value while on the road traveling which is why I decided to address this very issue right here and now. Now I personally don’t do much traveling because I’m tied down to my business, but that may change here in the near future. Aside from that though I do have a crazy loaded schedule which presents its own challenges at times for fitting in some hardcore strength sessions for myself. 

Now even though I don’t personally do a great deal of travel for vacation I still have some general advice to share that I have implemented in the past which has served me well when I have hit the road. For me the key to making this work is being able to recognize the environment and applying what I know to leverage that environment in order maintain a respectable level of strength. 

For instance, if we are talking about recognizing how you can leverage your vacation environment for building strength you may be in a place where you have plenty of options such as a hotel or even a beach house. If this is the case then you may have access to a gym in the hotel, or a local gym near the house you are staying. 

Now I know that if you are a regular follower to my blog then you may want to be able to do more for yourself by getting in a more unconventional style of workout. This is understandable which is why you can opt to train outside if possible either at a nearby park, or on the sandy beach if that is the environment of your travel destination. By the way, loose beach sand provides an ideal surface for getting in some high intense resisted sprint work and is also a tremendous surface for getting in some serious kettle bell training as well.

Here’s a nice vacation training option for the road! 

In addition to this you can pack up a TRX and invade a small playground area for some serious bodyweight resistance. A couple of old pillow cases and a roll of duct tape also give you the option for creating an immediate homemade sandbag. For this one just scoop some beach sand in one bag, reinforce it with the 2nd bag, and cinch the end up with duct tape. Now PRESTO you have yourself a ready made sandbag for some cleans, totes, and throws.  When you’re finished just cut the end, empty the sand, and dispose of the pillow cases, unless of course you want to take that bad boy back home with you! 

Here’s your easy to pack fitness option!

Once again, you’ve got to be willing to recognize what your environment or travel destination can offer. If you’re in a cold weather environment then maybe you can get your hands on an ax and go all Paul Bunyan on making some much needed firewood. Either way you can leverage what’s around you in order to get in what is needed to train. If you prefer some real hardcore vacation spots and your conditions are really tough then I would recommend you freshen up on your Rocky IV style of program. 

Ok so maybe you go that hardcore and maybe you don’t? I’m guessing the population is split with half of the people wanting to go Rocky IV style and the other half working to get active along with the family. For the latter part of that population I want to turn the reigns over to my friend Kendra here who is a travel expert (especially compared to me) and has some really good advice on helping you stay fit during your travel and vacation time. 

Author Bio: 

My name is Kendra Thornton, I am 40 and the mother 3 kids. Before being promoted to the position of full time mom I was the Director of Communications at Orbitz. I now live in Chicago where my family is my number one priority. Follow Kendra On Twitter Here. 

Tricks to Staying Healthy on Family Vacations

I’ve never been very good about sticking to my goals on vacations. There are so many exciting things to do, and all of the food looks delicious. However, I have managed to get some tricks up my sleeve for tricking my body and mind into eating right and exercising even when I don’t feel like sticking to my routine while on a getaway. My family has also been helpful in keeping me in line, and I’ve been able to help my kids stay healthy when they want to grab fast food on the road. These are some of my favorite tricks for keeping off the weight while on vacation. 

Get in the Water

My kids love playing in the water so much. It’s become part of our trips to find at least one outing that involves some rigorous exercising in the water. Rowboats and paddleboats are incredible for burning off calories, and it’s really fun to check out the scenery and even feed some ducks while you’re out on the lake. There are also boogie boards, parasailing, scuba diving and snorkeling activities that can burn thousands of calories per hour for a full body work out.

Eat Right Even at the Buffet

You know when you’re headed out to dinner at the buffet that you’re likely going to pick some things that aren’t very good for your body. However, you just have to try that apple streusel! If you’re like me, you’ll pick up a few treats and then stick to some lighter fare. If you indulge a little bit more than you like, just follow up the next day with vegetable meals and look for lighter entrees if you head out to eat. You should always try to balance your caloric intake as much as possible. 

Stay at Health-Friendly Hotels

A number of hotels are changing over to all organic menus for room service and dining. This is really important, and it’s also a healthier way to feed your family. If you can find a hotel that also serves fruit and veggies as part of their menu, that’s even better. Fitness centers are also now at most hotels, so it’s important to head on down to the gym whenever you can if staying at one with at least a few cardio machines and weights. Fitness centers are important to me and we booked a great hotel for an upcoming trip to Orlando. With so many hotels in Orlando, this process proved to be tiresome but if you use different sites, like Gogobot, they can help make things easier.

Buy Water By the Case

Whenever you reach your destination, you should always stop at a local grocery store and pick up a case of water. It’s important to always have water around to stay hydrated and avoid sugary drinks as much as possible.

So I hope you enjoyed my little collaboration here with my friend Kendra on offering some advice to keep yourself fit and strong during travel and vacation. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart my friend. Feel free to drop a comment in the box below. 

For more information on how to create a hard hitting strength and fitness program for yourself make sure you join my emailing list below to get my FREE Newsletter and FREE training report!  

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