Fitness or vacation?  Why not have both!  This past weekend my boyfriend and I went to Denver,Colorado to celebrate a friends wedding and enjoy some fresh crisp air in the Rocky mountains.  Knowing we would be gone for four days I had to figure out what I was going to do to stay on top of my fitness routine and still have a nice relaxing time away from home.  Do not be afraid to mix it up and have a little fun with it!  Here are some tips that helped me stay on track while exploring the great outdoors.

1) Research your surroundings: When booking your place to stay, pay attention to what the room amenities are.  Does it have a kitchette?  Does it have a microwave or refriderator?  Having these perks in your room will make it easier to keep you food splurging to a minimum.  We were able to stay with a friend in their home which gave me a full sized kitchen to work with:)  Also I researched the nearest gym and found out it was only about  15 minutes away.  I chose to take a break from the gym scene and take advantage of the hiking trails instead, but I still had that option open.  If there is not a gym nearby then get creative and plan a full body circuit using your bodyweight.

2) Have a grocery list and hit the store when you arrive: Sticking to your plan means being prepared.  I had a grocery list already planned so when we landed we could hit the store before heading to our friends house where we were staying.  While there I was able to cook my breakfast every morning and prepare my daily snacks.  Since it is a vacation it is allowed to splurge a little, but not go overboard.  I knew we were going to have most dinners out so I saved my splurges for those meals, but still remained conscience of what I was ordering.  Remember a lifestyle doesn’t go on vacation, it travels with you.

3) Vacation is not an excuse to drink: Most of us see a vacation as a time to relax and let loose…  and it is, but not with alcohol!  Being out on the town with everyone else drinking and having a good time seems so appealing, but will power does have to kick in.  I do not have an issue passing on the liquor which made this vacation quite easy for me.  I do enjoy a glass of red wine or champagne on special occasions so I did allow myself one drink at the wedding. Be smart with what you are consuming and stick with water the majority of the time to stay hydrated.

4) Take advantage of your surroundings: Instead of continuing my everyday routine in the gym, I decided to take a rest from that environment and try some different ways to get my fitness in while on vacation.  Thanks to alltrails.com I was able to find some heart pumping trails for my boyfriend and I to go on.  Not only did we get our workout in, we also got to see some beautiful parts of Colorado.  Since we were staying at 9600 feet above sea level just walking up the stairs even got me huffing and puffing!  Point in hand is, switch it up a bit with a fitness vacation routine and have some fun and yes give the regular fitness routine a rest.

With a beautiful vacation under my belt, I returned home ready to get back to my original routine.  These tips helped me stay on track with my fitness routine… What do you do to stay on track?

Until next time, Happy Training!