You can’t wait!

Just the thought of getting to sleep in on a big fluffy white bed, leisurely waking up to fresh coffee and pastries…spending time doing whatever you please with amazing people and of course drinking your weights worth of wine has you so excited you feel like a third grader who anxiously lays in bed waiting for the alarm to go off for the first day of school.

You’re going on vacation!

You cannot wait to escape reality and just chill for a few weeks because lord knows you need it. You start packing your suitcase it hits you: what are you going to do for your workouts for the next few weeks?

Granted, you don’t want to be the weirdo who lives in the gym on vacation because that would defeat the entire purpose but after the last few months of working your butt off to get in shape ( mainly for this vacation!) you certainly don’t want to return home wearing a bigger size than you left in.

Starting to sound familiar?

You are not alone! Even fitness junkies like myself have these same thoughts and I savor every second I don’t have to be so scheduled, regimented and pulled in every different direction except my own. As much as I love taking such a break, I also know I don’t want to come back from vacation and have to de-fluff myself for the next two months. So what does one do?

It’s about being smart. Finding ways to incorporate fitness into your vacation which compliment it and get you moving without living in a gym. Here are my top 3 tips to staying fit on vacation:

• GET MOVING! Whether you’re in the mountains or staying in the city, WALK! Opt for walking instead of taking cabs or driving whenever possible. Pick activities which will keep you active instead of sedentary. In addition to great exercise, taking walks around your destination is hands down the best way to take in your surroundings.
• SHORT BUT SWEAT. Commit to incorporating a 15 minute high intensity body weight workout at least every other day when you wake up. Although short, this style of workout will keep your metabolism boosted and help you to burn off all the extra calories you’re consuming. You can make any workout a metabolic style workout by 1) increasing the tempo (speed) at which you perform the exercises and 2) decreasing the amount of rest you take between exercises and sets. A good example of some do-anywhere body weight exercises would be walking lunges, squats, push-ups, chair dips, planks, and jumping jacks. If you really want to sweat, there are hundreds of plyometric exercises you can find on Google, You Tube, and Instagram.
• EAT SMART. No, I am not suggesting dieting on vacation. Who wants to do that! However, there are a few things you can do to help keep your metabolism running strong. First, I always eat first thing in the morning to help avoid going into a muscle wasting and fat storing state. Secondly, I bring a protein powder (in a small Tupperware or Ziploc bags) for times I know I’ll be going a while without food, or even for the first meal of the day. Lastly, I always try to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day instead of binging at one sitting. This will keep your metabolism running and will give you more energy to make it through the day.

For more about Theresa DePasquale: http://bikinibossfitness.com