1. If you are hardcore with your exercise…you know, in the gym an hour or so a day six days a week, strength training like there is no tomorrow, and all about eating the right foods to shape your body, then I say lay off formal training and structured eating while on vacation. This is your time to give your body a total break from the routine. You rest those weary muscles, you shake up the foods you normally eat, and you come back stronger, rested, and ready to go to the next level.
2. If you are exercising for fat loss, newer to the whole healthy lifestyle, and likely to go crazy on vacation then you should continue your routine as close as possible. This helps keep you focused on the lifestyle you are developing. For you, exercising and eating right isn’t auto-pilot mode. Maintaining some structure in your travels will help you stay on track when the vacation is over.
The difference between these two people is very simple. The first person will jump right back into the gym and the grocery store when they get home. A week of not working out and eating less than clean foods will drive them nuts. That person has the healthy habits. The second person, as we discussed, needs the structure because they haven’t yet developed the healthy habits.
So, you are the person who needs to maintain the intensity. How do you do that? There are several strategies to try:
1. The easiest is to use a hotel gym. At minimum you should allow for a 30 minute cardio workout every other day you are on vacation. This workout should be at about 80% of your max HR. You want to really push these workouts so that you make the best use of your time. Also, shoot for one full body strength workout. Either use the gym or use the modified program from my Cardio Book (which you can purchse for more workouts).
2. You don’t have access to a gym. Do you have a laptop or a portable DVD player for your kids? This is when your exercise videos come in handy. I often bring Turbo Jam and do it in the hotel room. It’s quick, structured, easy, and keeps you on track.
3. No gym, no DVD player, no problem. How about walking? Walk out the front door of the hotel and go. The staff should be able to give you a safe route you can follow. You can even stick to your block and just repeat it until 30 minutes is over with. I would add in jog intervals. Set your watch and every even minute you will run for thirty seconds. Walk until the next even minute starts. Just run fast enough to elevate your heart rate. That’s a simple intveral training session.
4. No gym, no DVD player, the hotel is in a dumpy part of town, we still got options. Most hotels have nice long hallways and stairwells. Here is a routine you can do to get in a great workout that combines strength and cardio. You could do it every other day and be done!
1 pass is equal to the length of a hallway
1 Pass – Running Sprint (walk back to starting point)
1 Pass – Walking Lunge (walk back to starting point)
1 Pass – Running Sprint (walk back to starting point)
1 Pass – Walking Squat left (walk back to starting point)
1 Pass – Walking Squat right (walk back to starting point)
1 Pass - Running Sprint (walk back to starting point)
—60 SECOND BREAK: DRINK WATER AND MOVE TO STAIRWELL—
1 Pass – Walk one flight of stairs and back down
20 Dips on the stairs
1 Pass – Walk one flight of stairs and back down
20 Incline Push ups on stairs with arms wider than shoulders
1 Pass - Walk one fight of stairs and back down
20 Incline Push ups on stairs with arms at shoulder width
1 Pass - Walk one flight of stairs and back down
20 Incline Push ups on stairs with hands in triangle shape
20 Dips
— 60 SECOND BREAK: DRINK WATER—
Repeat the above routine two to three times for a full body workout!