4 Tips + 5 Workouts to Vacay Like A Pro
Summer, Winter, Fall, Long Weekends
You name it, we make it an excuse to VACAY!
VACAY doesn’t have to be the end of progress and a complete reset to all you’ve been working hard on, however.
YOU have the control to not let these getaways turn into a giant two steps back from all the progress you’ve made on your nutrition and training.
INSTEAD…
Vacation like a pro!
Have fun AND stay on track.
Think about this…
There are on average 92 days of summer each year.
There are 52 weekends a year equaling 104 weekend days. Throw in the ‘ThursdayIsTheNewFriday’ and were up to 156 weekend shenanigan days.
There are 22 federal and national holidays in a year. Add in those extra days of vacay around Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years and we’re up over 30“holidays”.
While some of the holidays and summer days might overlap into the weekend, I’m calculating around 270 days of potential “YOLO” activities. If we go crazy for even many of them, we’re looking at about 95 or so days where we behave.
As Austin Powers would say “Oh Behave” is right!
How to Vacation Like a PRO:
1) Lead by example
Just like we’ve talked about how others can influence your decision to go ahead and have the slice of cake, eat that donut, or order the queso before dinner, YOU can also be the influencer and lead THEM by example.
Lead by:
Making wise, sensible and most of all ADULT decision on what to order at restaurants. Trust me, enjoying your dining experience does not require you to indulge in the most massive plate of nachos, or juiciest burger with cheese fries, or most delectable plate of chicken fried steak you can imagine. You can still enjoy your dinner with a sensible meal and beverage or two of your choice… and walk away from the table without regret or a stomach ache.
Saying ‘no’ to dessert. Plan a dessert night and hold back the rest of the time. Every night of vacay doesn’t need to end in ice cream or frozen yogurt or a slice of cake. Be DIFFERENT, be BOLD, be WHO YOU WANT TO BE and say ‘No Thank You’ when the offer comes around. If anyone at that table judges you for the decision, it is merely because YOU did the thing they WISHED they could do. Do it!
2) Pack food
This will ensure you have some healthy snacks and options to help fill you up without depending on grabbing something on the go each time you get hungry. Plus, it will likely save you loads of cash!
Here is what we pack when we leave town for the night, the weekend or for a long week away.
Protein Powder - I pack it into a smaller tupperware container or zip lock bags as to not have to lug the entire jug with me… just don’t forget the scooper and a shaker bottle!
Snacking Veggies - If it’s a road trip, I love to snack in the car, but you can’t snack the entire drive on nuts, chips and candy so I pack some cut up fruits and veggies. For me these include snap peas, tiny carrots, celery sticks, blueberries, apples and cherry tomatoes. These will satisfy the need to chomp while you drive without driving up your calories before you even arrive.
Bars - Our GO-TO’s are Lara & Lara Protein, Epic, Ostrim, and RX Bars.
Water Mixers - Sometimes I crave something more than water to drink so I often use Arbonne’s Hydration or Fizz sticks. Hydration is necessary during the hot summers. Why stop on your drive and grab a calorie or sugar filled soda when you can pour one of these bad boys into your cup for a boost of goodness and flavor!
3) Load up on protein + veggies
We already discussed how to lead by example and how every time you dine on vacation, you don’t need to go all YOLO. Plan a splurge meal and then eat with some discipline every other time. Restaurants cook with a TON more fat than you do at home. Loading up on protein and veggies at most of your meals especially when you know you’ll be eating a heavier meal at the end of the day will help save your overall caloric intake.
How to eat before a big meal out:
Breakfast: Eggs (mostly whites) and a small side of oatmeal or fruit or one slice of toast
Snacks: Epic bars, Deli Meat Turkey, ‘Truck Meat’ Chicken, Protein Shake
Lunch: A salad topped with Protein. Take it easy on the nuts, cheese and dressing
Making wise choices throughout the day enabled your evening dining experience not to through you overboard on calories.
4) Plan to workout
You’ve been hitting the gym regularly, why stop on vacation. If you can stick to your current training plan by hitting the hotel or local gym that is WINNING. We always make sure to give our clients a vacation plan so they don’t miss a thing while they are away. This doesn’t mean they are wasting their time on vacation training, quite the opposite. It means they won’t waste the progress they’ve made in the recent weeks or months that they have been putting in hard work with a complete week off. 30 minutes in the gym and you will feel fantastic and have more energy to enjoy your time away.
Items to pack:
Jump Rope
Hip Circle
Resistance Bands
Vacay Workout Ideas:
“Band Aid”
Band Pull Aparts
Bent Over Banded Rows
Straight Arm Pull Downs
Band Push Downs
Seated Band Rows
“Legless”
4 Rounds of:
10 Jumping Squats
10 Diamond Push Ups
3:00 Break
4 Rounds of:
10 Jumping Lunge (per leg)
10 In/Outs
“Anytime, Anywhere”
Air Squats
Burpees
Sit Ups
“Band Ladder”
10 of each, then 15 of each, then 20 of each:
Banded Row
Banded Kick Backs
Banded Curls
Band Pull Aparts
Banded Squats
Banded Press
“Buns + Guns”
4 Rounds of:
10 Diamond Push UPs
15 Hip Circle Side Steps (each way)
10 Banded Curls
15 Step Ups
10 Banded Press
15 Hip Circle Glute Bridges
then
200FT Walking Lunge with any object you can carry
5) Self Control
The bottom line across all of these is self control.
As adults on vacation, we can pull in the reins a little, have a fantastic time, and return without regrets and without having dug ourselves deeper into a hole than before we left.
Vacation like a pro and leave town ready to attack this vacay with enthusiasm combined with discipline!
Have a blast!!