You might have to put down the frozen cocktail for this. Now raise your hand if this sounds like a personal mantra of yours: Vacation is a weeklong excuse to be decadent, lazy and indulgent. But if you've got a vacation coming up and don't want to undo all your hard fitness work, check out these tips from Pete McCall, exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise.
• Pick the right location: If you're still in the planning phase, look for hotels or rentals near a beach or park where you can easily fit in lots of activities with your friends and family.
• Arm yourself: Find out if you can bring bikes or rent them where you're staying for a fun, active way to explore. Or bring sports equipment like a Frisbee, kickball, football or softball equipment to play on the beach or in a park.
• Do a little homework: Scout out a yoga studio or gym before you go, and find out if you can get a day or week pass.
• Focus your efforts: Instead of floating around the pool and calling it good, set aside 20 to 30 minutes where you'll exercise with moderate intensity, and then stretch afterward.
• Expand your fitness horizons: Try new activities, like surfing, stand-up paddleboarding or mountain biking. But one word of caution: Be honest about your skill level – nothing kills a happy vacation vibe like an injury.
• Sip smartly: When your vacation destination is 10 to 15 degrees warmer than you're used to, make it a point to hydrate often. If you're drinking more alcohol than usual, drink even more water to make up for alcohol's dehydrating effect.
• Plan for your return: Consider coming home a day early to give yourself time to stock your kitchen with healthy food for the coming week – and upload all your fabulous vacation pictures to Facebook.
For more tips, visit www.prevention.com.
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