Vacation, Travel and Workouts –How do we still do it all?

Summertime is here and for a lot of families this means summer vacations, travel and time together. This is fun, exciting and stressful, but also a change in our routines. For those of you that workout on a regular basis, adding in a trip can really put a wrench in your routine. Thankfully between modern technology and the updates in exercise equipment it is easy to take your workouts with you anywhere you go.

What to bring?

No matter where you are traveling to-whether it be a family members house, camping, or a hotel- there are some things you will want to pack to ensure you have what you need to continue with your workouts. Make sure you pack your workout clothes, socks and sneakers. Seems like common sense, right? I once packed everything for running in cold weather – except my sneakers. It is easy for the workout gear not to make it on to your packing list. If you have a master packing list (check out the one I use as my main list here on Pinterest), add it! If you can do laundry easily where you are going that is even better because you only need to pack a few workout outfits. If you find it maybe a little harder to do laundry, pack a few extras in terms of workout clothes and you can also rinse your basics out in the sink and hang dry between workouts.

Resistance bands! Ok I know not everyone loves resistance bands and free weights definitely give you a different type of workout but resistance bands are so small and easy to pack. As many hotels as I have stayed in, especially with my kids in tow, not once have I made it to the hotel fitness center for my workout. I either sneak out for an early morning run or I can do my resistance training right there in the morning while they are still asleep or later during nap time.

What to do for a workout once you are there? Are you used to working with a trainer or a workout class? Well even though you are on your own there are so many free options thanks to technology and social media. KB Healthy and Fit posts a free workout every Wednesday on Instagram and Facebook. You can find all of the ones we have put together on our Pinterest board here. If you are looking for just strength training, check out this Pinterest board.

Are you a walker or runner? What a great way to see the sites of a new city or travel down memory lane. Just make sure you are being a safe runner! Let someone know when you are heading out, getting back, and a general sense of the route you will be taking. With technology and smartphones (which no one is ever without) bring your phone on you and use one of the tracking apps with a family member. On the iPhone you can use “Find my Friends”, or on any phone you can download “Life 360”. Set up the settings so only the family member you choose can see your location, which makes it a great safety feature. Looking for some great routes? Check out the Map My Run program where people post routes they love all the time.

Make sure you adjust your workout expectations from your regular routine at home. Most traveling and family vacations are either filled with new activities in the area and/or seeing friends and family you don’t see often. It is important for so many reasons to continue with your workouts when you travel but chances are you won’t be able to stick to your full regular workout routine. Adjust your expectations beforehand on how long your workouts will be each day and that you might get to workout every day. This will help prevent you from getting frustrated and giving up on your workouts completely.

Why continue your workouts when on vacation? Why not just take a break? With things like working out, eating balanced or basically anything that isn’t straight up fun it is so much harder to return to your full routine after an extended break. Think about going back to work after vacation – no one wants to but you have to. Working out is easy to continue to push off after an extended break but here you don’t have a boss saying you have to show up. Even if you just do a few workouts while on vacation it keeps your body mentally and physically in the game so to speak. Establishing a routine is hard and takes time – too much time off makes it harder for you to return to your workout routine when you get home.