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Here are top 10 tips for the want to remain fit while they
are on vacation.
1. Opt for stairs
Whether in hotels or higher-altitude destination like the Eiffel Tower, leave
the elevators behind and climb stairs. Just 10 minutes of stair climbing can
burn more than 100 calories and every calorie does count. If you burn 100 extra
calories every day for a year, you’d lose about 10 pounds.
2. Sight-see in walking shoes instead of taxis and trolleys
From the magnificent parks of London to Tiananmen Square, there’s often no
better way to take in the joys, scents, and surprises of the cultures you’re
visiting than on foot.
3. Play with the kids
Go ahead, relax and sunbathe a little, but make sure you have some
calorie-burning fun with the kids, too. Play “Marco Polo” in the pool. Go bike
riding. Shoot hoops. Pick up sea shells on the sea shore. Warm up those
decades-old-but-you-never-lose-’em ping pong skills. Chances are, you’ll have as
much fun (maybe even more!) as the little ones.
4. Plan movement opportunities into every day
Is the morning full of standing (and very little walking) in art museums and
cathedrals? After lunch, take off for aerobic adventures. Go for a nice long
walk along a park or shore. Ask your hotel’s concierge for walking maps of the
area. If you’re in unfamiliar territory, your concierge should also be able to
point out safe, crime-free pedestrian routes.
5. Turn airline terminals into walking tracks
Instead of sitting (you’ll be doing plenty of that on the plane), plug into your
favorite music and march up and down the terminal. Sure, it’s not a full-blown
workout, but every step counts. With just 15 minutes of brisk walking, you can
burn 100+ calories. Plus, all that walking may keep you from getting bored and
ambling into the airport’s snack shop.
6. Book For fitness
When booking hotels, choose only those with fitness centers and/or guest passes
to nearby gyms. If you can roll out of bed and roll into a gym minutes later,
you’ll have given yourself the best insurance that you’ll fit fitness into each
day. Plus, working out every morning will increase your motivation to eat more
healthfully throughout the day.
7. Break free — Explore new possibilities!
It’s great to know there’s a gym just downstairs from your hotel room, but
vacation’s also the time to have some fun! The kids want to hike up a mountain?
Lace up your walking shoes. Are they bound for scuba/snorkeling class? Join in!
Go paddling in river canoes. Learn salsa dancing. Play beach volleyball. Water
ski. Anything that elevates the heart rate and allows you to have fun is a
win/win situation.
8. Find restaurants that are within walking distance from your hotel
Why take a taxi when you can enjoy a leisurely walk in the cool evening air to
and from the restaurant? Plus, “walking after a meal is a wonderful way to help
keep blood sugar levels down,” advises Robert Bauer, MD, diabetic specialist at
the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa.
9. Aim For fitness-maintenance
While vacationing, you may not have as much time as you do at home for your
regular workout, but that’s okay. Always remember: Doing something is a whole
lot better than doing nothing at all. Shoot for at least 50 percent of your
normal routine.
10. Savor the rewards
Each day as you wake, anticipating the wonderful things you’ll be doing, the
sights you’ll be seeing, remind yourself how great it feels to be able to walk,
to move. “Travel imparts new vigor to the mind,” said the ancient Roman
playwright Seneca. Because you’ve taken good care of yourself by staying fit,
that vigor is yours!
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