No Fitness Vacations

As I make my way north from NYC to Boston on the Amtrak Acela, en route to meet my family for the yearly Quinn Family Trip to Maine, I’m thinking about all the fun ahead. With two nieces and two nephews ranging in ages from two to seven, this week will be an active one for sure. They have unbelievable energy.

My fitness plan for the week will be primarily to see if I can keep up with their every move – literally. Spend a week building sand castles, exploring tidal pools, flying kites, swimming, playing with toys on the ground, in the water, and in the air, taking walks, playing tag, re-enacting Star Wars light saber duels, playing catch, kicking soccer balls, riding bikes, etc and you’ll know what I mean. Add to that the multiple times per day requests for piggy back rides, shoulder rides, and “Uncle Jon, throw me up in the air” requests and I’ll have no need to do anything else. I may take an occasional run or bike ride for my own enjoyment (or to get my second lobster roll of the day), but that’ll be it. I’ll be active on and off through-out the day. I’ll be lifting of things large (small people mostly) and small (Coronas mostly). I’ll run, jump, walk, bend, stretch, squat, and crawl. There will be moments of intensity and periods of extended endurance. And, there will be resting.

That’s an ideal fitness program. In a perfect world we’d all do that every day (much as all humans did up until a few hundred years ago). Unfortunately, reality requires most of us to spend our days being mostly sedentary with activity relegated to a small portion of our day – if at all. That’s why we have to actively make time for exercise in our busy and not-so-busy days. Or bodies need it to stay healthy. Even on vacation…

So, how do you incorporate exercise into your vacation? I know many people associate vacation and relaxation with sitting on a beach and not moving much. After all, your body does need to recharge, right? If that’s your thinking, I would encourage you to consider adding exercise to your vacation plan. Even just a little. You’ll be amazed at how much more relaxed and re-energized you’ll be when you return to the daily grind.

Exercise doesn’t have to equate to time spent in a hotel fitness center. Get out and move. Rent a bicycle. Go for a hike. Take a long walk on the beach. Build a sand castle even if you don’t have any kids to help. Take extended swims. Go kayaking. Climb some rocks. Take a surfing lesson. Go fishing. Walk to the restaurant instead of driving. The list is endless. If you’re fortunate enough to have children or nieces & nephews, try matching their every move for a day.

By all means, if you’re feeling extra ambitious, you can always throw the Captain Quinn road warrior workout into the mix to up the intensity:

http://www.captainquinnfitness.com/fitness-on-the-road/

However, as long as you make a point of being active several times a day a part of your vacation, you’ll sleep better each night, you’ll enjoy yourself more, and you’ll feel much, much better when you return.

Happy Birthday, America! Have a wonderful holiday!