As summer approaches and vacation plans start to take shape, it’s tempting to completely unplug from everything—including your health and fitness routines. While a break is essential for mental wellness, straying too far from your normal routine may have you coming back from vacation feeling less than great.
So let’s dive into how you can still maintain your health and fitness goals, and also enjoy your vacation, too!
Set Realistic Expectations
Vacations are about enjoying life and making memories, so don’t expect things to be the same in a very different environment from your norm. Vacations aren’t your “best case scenario” for maintaining health and fitness goals, so we want to give a little grace here.
Look at your vacation as a “pause” or a maintenance period versus a time to lose fitness, and include some realistic goals versus ones that may be unachievable:
- Drinking water at each meal
- Including fruits and vegetables
- Incorporating some type of movement
This can look different for different vacations, so setting those realistic goals each time is worth taking the time to do.
Plan Experiences That Include Activity
Yes, I too love parking it on a beach and not getting up for hours. You should still do those things.
But you can also consider including some activities in your vacation. I don’t mean you have to include a hot yoga flow every morning at 6AM, but paddleboarding, a local hike, or even daily walks on the beach can be a great way to keep your body moving while still enjoying your vacation.
Prepare by Packing the Goods
One of the tips I give to all of my clients while traveling is to include things from home that are typical in your diet.
Things like protein shakes, fruit, or go-go squeeze pouches can help keep things similar to home and make hitting your goals easier while away. Typically, protein and fiber are the two things that suffer the most when you’re out of your normal routine, so bringing along protein powder or premade protein shakes (I love the Core Power shakes!), as well as even a fiber supplement, can help ensure you stay a bit more on track.
Protein and fiber both also help promote satiety (feeling full), which can help you from overindulging in other areas, too.
To Fitness or Not to Fitness While on Vacay
While I think it is not always necessary to work out while on vacation, sometimes you might want to include a workout or two—and that’s okay too.
Depending on the length of time you are away, as well as if you have specific performance goals, you may choose differently from one trip to another.
If you do decide you want to exercise, try looking up if your hotel has a gym or if there are local gyms where you’re staying that you can drop in to. Many gyms offer free day or week passes, or a daily pass you can purchase.
You can also:
- Do a bodyweight workout
- Follow a class on YouTube
- Try the Power 20 workout in the SDE Method app
There’s always a way if you want to make it happen—just plan ahead for whatever you decide.
You Can Have Anything, But You Can’t Have Everything
Your vacation is a time where you’ll likely indulge in some things you don’t normally—food and drinks being at the top of that list.
There’s always a way to enjoy some fun treats or drinks on vacation, but keep in mind that overindulging can cause digestive issues, hangovers, or general fatigue that may leave you feeling frustrated.
Plan for indulgences—coming from a girl who loves her ice cream!—but consider what your goals are and how you want to feel when you come back from vacation to help you decide which ones are worth having and which might be a pass.
The Bottom Line
Book the trip, soak up the sun, and enjoy your summer plans fully! Your goals will still be there when you get back, and you’ll be happier for finding a way to enjoy your vacation while also feeling ready to get back to your usual routines after.
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