Yummy Fitness

This year we have sailing trip planned to go around the San Juan islands for about 2 weeks.

I really believe that when on vacation you should have as much fun as possible, and while you’re out, you also want to keep fitness in the back of your mind. It’s important to integrate fitness into your vacation so you don’t set yourself too far back on your goals.

When on vacation it’s easy to just go crazy, eat way too much food, have a little too much of the “silly juice” and go off into “vacation crazy world.”

If you know me, you know I like to have fun while I’m on vacation, and I don’t really hold much back. In fact I often need a vacation from my vacation when I get back because we did and saw so much while we were out. But I like that.

I also like to eat a ton of great food, I like to go out to eat, and I do like to drink the “silly juice.”

So how do you integrate going buck wild crazy, truly enjoying yourself, and not setting yourself back light years on your fitness goals?

What I like to do is to experience as much as I can, so that means trying to go on great hikes, renting bikes and exploring cities/towns/islands, walking around and exploring town, etc. Basically, be adventurous, be active, and really enjoy and experience where you are!

You don’t want to spend your vacation locked up in a hotel room, or driving around in a car. Why not go smell the smells, breathe the air, go see what’s around the next corner. Keep moving.

Now, you don’t have to keep moving all day long, but at least a good part of your day could be spent moving, and having a great time while you do it.

The best part about this is that it doesn’t really feel like exercise at all because you’re just exploring, your not exercising. You’re not hiking, your enjoying nature, and the great scenery. You’re not biking just to burn calories, your enjoying the breeze, the wind in your hair, and the countryside.

Enjoy your vacation and you’re sure to burn tons of calories.

And when you burn a ton of calories, guess what… you can eat a ton of calories, and you’ll be just fine.

You might not lose weight if that’s what you’re trying to do, but you probably won’t gain weight if you’re really experiencing your vacation. And as an extra bonus you might just rev up your metabolism by eating lots of great food, so when you get back you’ll be losing weight at an accelerated pace.

If you’re trying to gain muscle, just remember that challenging hikes and bike rides can be great for those leg muscles. And remember to get lots of protein rich foods at the great restaurants you go to. Also remember that a “strategic deconditioning” period for 2 weeks is actually recommended by many muscle building programs. (Strategic Deconditioning basically means taking a rest from lifting weights so your muscles can recover, and actually are more primed for growth later. This term was created by Bryan Haycock’s Hypertrophy Specific Training, which is a great program by the way.)

Anyhow, remember to have fun! That’s the key.

I just found a video slide show I made of Lindsey and myself on our last sailing trip in September of last year. This was before we even knew we’d be making a blog, and to be honest I haven’t seen the slide show in many many months.

But I hope you enjoy watching us being silly, and maybe you’ll get some ideas of your own.

Have fun and enjoy!