Each time I prepare for a vacation, I pack my workout clothes, jump rope, resistance bands, and other workout gear wondering. But will I really exercise on vacation? Isn’t the point to take a break from real life? Getting away from reality is good for the soul, and getting away from the usual workout routine is good for the body.

HOWEVER, a vacation can be the perfect time to exercise. By freeing yourself from your routine, you open your mind to new ways to move your body, have fun, and keep your body fit while you’re on vacation.

In the above video, I was working out at the Kids Play-ground area at Lummus Park, South Beach Miami.

I was getting up around 6 AM, by 7 AM I was there with my jump rope, resistance bands, a towel, and water.
20 to 30 min workout. Enough to get me going and maintain my fitness level.

These resources will help you work your body with short, efficient workouts:

Cardio

If you want to maintain your endurance while having fun, there are a variety of activities that will give you a great workout without feeling like exercise. Some of the best workouts include:

  • Walking on the beach. Walking in soft sand is a killer workout and burns more calories than walking on flat ground. Some experts suggest that you can burn twice as many calories as walking in soft sand. Keep it safe by wearing shoes (you may get shin splints if you go barefoot for too long) and going for a few minutes at a time to get used to it. You’ll be surprised how hard it is.
  • Beach volleyball. You can burn more than 150 calories an hour, depending on how hard you work and it’s a great way to meet other people at the beach while having fun.
  • Surfing, swimming, and snorkeling. Surfing is a total body workout that will challenge every muscle in your body. Even if you just paddle out to the waves and fall off (like I do), you’ll get a great workout. Snorkeling is a bit more leisurely, but you can add intensity by swimming a little harder. If you’re at a beach that doesn’t have big waves, put on your snorkel gear and swim out and back for a few laps to get your blood moving.
  • Leisurely bike rides. Long bike rides are a great way to see the area while getting in some low-intensity exercise. If you take your time and go all day, you’ll burn calories without even thinking about it.
  • Hiking. Anytime you add elevation to your walks, you’ll burn more calories. If you carry a backpack, you’ll challenge yourself, even more, all while enjoying a little nature. Check with your hotel concierge to see about hiking adventures nearby.
  • Golf. Golf can be a dud of a workout if you ride around in a cart and drink beer at every hole. If you want to burn more calories, though, carry your clubs and walk the course. You’ll burn around 200-300 calories per hour, even more, if you hit every ball into a bunker and add 19 strokes to each hole like I do.
  • Tennis. Like golf, a game of tennis can be as easy or hard as you want it to be. Chasing the ball and hitting it like you’re Serena Williams or Roger Federer will give you a great workout, burning up to 400 calories for a 150-pound person.
  • Shopping. OK, maybe shopping isn’t the highest intensity activity, but it can be very aerobic under the right circumstances. If shopping is your activity of choice, make it count by walking fast, taking the stairs, and avoiding fatty foods at the food court.
  • Lifting Weights on the Road

Finding fun cardio activities is easy when you’re on vacation. Lifting weights, however, presents more of a challenge. You usually don’t have much equipment and the thought of going to the hotel fitness room isn’t that appealing when you’re trying to have fun.

You don’t have to do much, however, to maintain your strength and muscle while you’re out of town. A quick workout with bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or full water bottles will keep you strong and fit until you get back home to your usual routine.

If I Don’t Exercise, How Fast Will I Lose Muscle and Endurance?

If you decide to use your vacation to REST entirely, you may wonder what happens to your body. How long can you go before you lose fitness? How fast you lose endurance and/or muscle depends mostly on your genetics but below are some general guidelines:

  • Aerobic power can decline by 5-10 percent in three weeks.
  • All your gains could be gone after about two months of inactivity
  • The fitter you are, the faster you lose your fitness, which doesn’t seem fair, does it?
  • You tend to lose aerobic capacity faster than muscular strength. Muscles are resilient and retain a memory of all those exercises you did.

Taking a week off probably won’t make much of a difference but, any more than that it may be harder to get back to your previous levels. Finding ways to stay as active as you can, will keep you fit, help you avoid weight gain, and make the transition back to real life a little easier. And of course, make the best decision on the NUTRITION part.

Source: American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription – “Maintenance of the Training Effect.” 7th ed. Baltimore, Md: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006.