By James Krieger, M.S., M.S.
Ever go on a vacation and wonder how you're going to keep your exercise up?
Now, when I say "exercise escape", I don't mean escaping exercise! But, I also don't mean some random exercise routine in your hotel room or hotel gym (which is what many vacation exercise articles are about).
What I'm talking about here is taking advantage of your vacation to do new physical activities that you've never done before.
Going to Maui? Sign up for a surfing lesson. Better yet, sign up for a kite-surfing lesson. Try paddle boarding. Rent some snorkel gear and go snorkeling. Hike the trails of Mount Haleakala (Maui's highest peak). Just make sure you choose activities that are going to require some physical effort, and that will take long enough to count as good exercise.
Going to Florida? Try some waterskiing or wakeboarding at the Orlando Waterski Complex.
Going to Colorado, the Swiss Alps, or Whistler? Skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing are all fun activities that will give you a great workout as well.
Are you staying more local? Taking a weekend trip to the San Juans? Try kayaking among the beautiful islands.
Headed down the Oregon coast? Stop at the Gorge for a windsurfing or kite-surfing lesson. Or, just walk/run the long beaches of the coast. If you're headed to central or eastern Oregon, you can try whitewater rafting, or taking hikes around Mount Hood.
Headed on a cruise? While you may not have the option of doing something completely new, you most likely will have a workout facility, or a track to walk/run on. If there's a lap pool, you can take advantage of that as well. Or, sign up for an adventurous excursion when you stop in a port.
The bottom line is, no matter where you go there is bound to be some type of new physical activity that you can incorporate into your vacation. The bonus is that it becomes part of your vacation, rather than some type of workout chore that you need to do while on vacation. You will also benefit because it will be a nice break from your standard workout routine, which may actually help improve your fitness by "shaking things up" and getting your body to adapt to a new activity. So, make your vacation not just about relaxing, but active relaxing.
By James Krieger, M.S., M.S.