Maggie hiking Mt Kilimanjaro
A few people have asked me what I do for exercise on vacation. The answer: it depends.
Sometimes I don’t. And that’s okay for anyone. It is necessary to allow your body a break from its typical routine for a week or two. In fact, it’s probably good. My regular routine has a lot of physical activity in it. And breaks are vital. As someone who LOVES to be in motion, I probably don’t take breaks as often as I should.
Also, sometimes our personal trips are so physically active whatever we are doing is my exercise. When we hiked Kilimanjaro or the Inca Trail, I wasn’t adding exercise. When I did the El Camino with my mom, I didn’t add more exercise to the 15 miles we were walking each day. However, if we had access to a pool, I tried to swim for 30 minutes. But moving in a pool is a wonderful addition to any workout routine, especially if your body is sore.
Maggie finishing the El Camino with her Mom
Sometimes our vacation is so busy and I’m jet lagged that I don’t find/make the time for exercise.
Generally, at the very least we do a lot of walking on our trips. It is not uncommon for us to get around 20k steps daily. When I was younger, I would not have counted that as my workout. Now, when I travel, I’m happy to just be moving. These walks can also include climbing towers, so stairs wind up being part of the workout.
I love to swim but I don’t have easy access to a pool at home. If I go somewhere with a pool, I try to take advantage of that and do the crawl or breaststroke for 30-45 minutes. This always feels like a treat on vacation. And it’s brought some interesting plank stories. Last year in Germany, I was swimming laps and a naked couple got in the pool. My prudish American sensibilities were stunned.
Maggie hiking a glacier in Greenland
If where I’m staying has a gym, I’ll usually go down and ride a bike or use their weights or exercise ball. I typically skip the treadmill as I personally hate treadmills. I do find row machines fun, but those are rare finds in a hotel gym. I try to use equipment I don’t have at home. Variety is beneficial to our mind and body in workouts. Vacation is a great time to change it up.
If I’m going to be trapped in a car or plane all day without moving, I can get antsy. So, I will try to fit in a walk or a quick HIIT routine. I try to walk before or after a long bout of sitting. I’ll happily walk around the airport more than necessary, opting to walk through terminals vs taking a shuttle if time allows.
When I’m really stuck, want to move, and I’m short on time I’ll take myself through 15 minutes of HIIT. I’ve done this in a hotel bathroom before in an attempt not to wake up Matt. Fifteen-minutes of intense work is enough to make me feel like I’ve balanced the schedule of vacation with a healthy workout routine.
Also, remember, in travel, walking through airports, lifting luggage —it’s all functional movement. When we travel, we do get a lot of movement in. So be gentle on yourself. If you’ve formed a habit of exercise, you will return to it when you get back.
Enjoy vacation. Keep Moving where or when you can. The PE Team will be here for you when you get home!
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