Fitness for the Road!

This time of year many people are setting out for a summer vacation. We work hard all year to look good in that summer swimwear or cocktail dress. How do we maintain this level of fitness while we are away from the gym and surrounded by foods that don’t exactly fit in our nutrition plan? It is not easy to resist and you should indulge and enjoy vacation, but it doesn’t need to set you back months of hard work! To maintain your fitness level it is best to make the most of a hotel gym if available. While it likely won’t have all of the equipment you desire or are used to using, there will be some options. This is when you really get to test how well you have been listening to your trainer. Try to work all major muscle groups in your session and remember that form is most important! Stick to exercises you are confident you perform properly and used a weight that you can handle without assistance. Going somewhere that doesn’t have a gym? Pack a resistance band in your suitcase! Resistance bands provide you TONS of options for exercises that can be performed while taking up very little space in your suitcase. Again you would want to work all major muscle groups with an exercise using your band. You also can perform exercises that do not require any equipment. Think back to all of the EFX classes and training sessions and you can do some jumping, planks or push-ups that will really enhance your workout. You can add to your resistance training with a run on the beach or through whatever beautiful city you may be visiting! Hate running? Mix it up with some intervals, run hard for 30 seconds and slow for 1 minute. Running at varying speed intervals will help keep your cardiovascular system working strong! Vacation is also a great time to walk to your destinations rather than driving! Keep your body moving and enjoy the views while you walk from your hotel to various attractions! Now it is time to discuss the greater challenge, healthy eating on vacation! I use that term lightly as vacation is a great reason to indulge and have cheat days, but before you go all out take a minute to think about the hours you have put in at FASTER to achieve the progress you have seen. To get the best of both worlds and indulge without setting yourself back in your progress it is best to cheat within reason. Get the steak you have been dying to have, but pair it with vegetables rather than mashed potatoes. Eat at your favorite beach donut shop one or two mornings instead of all of them. Substitute frozen yogurt with fruit instead of a three scoop waffle cone.  Alternate your poolside alcoholic beverage with a water, not only to cut calories but to be safer in the sun! We all love to vacation and indulge but be conscious of your decisions and make an effort to cut out some of the bad eating choices and you will come back to FASTER still feeling great and ready to get back to your routine! We will miss you while you are away and hope that you will think of us and these tips so that you return from your time away feeling rested and relaxed with no regrets! Vacation is a time to enjoy yourself and not think of your responsibilities, but remember why you work so hard to be healthy! Remember what gets you out of bed at 4:30 to make it to your 5 am training session, what makes you come to your training session after a long day at work, remember your why even while  you are away. Use these tips and make sure your time away does not become a set back!