Traveling is a very important part of my life. So is fitness. I try very hard to stay active on vacation without hitting the gym because I don’t want to ever feel like I have to workout. Instead I’m always looking for fun ways to workout on vacation!
I looked back over several of our trips over the past few years and came up with my favorite ways to stay fit and workout on vacation! It’s really all about getting out and finding new ways to explore the city you’re in.
Fun ways to incorporate fitness into your vacation!
Don’t get me wrong, I know that sometimes you just need to rest and relax. Especially on vacation, right? But there are always some awesome ways to explore a city or beach or countryside wherever you are while getting in a good workout!
Biking
There are so many bike friendly cities out there! Check and see if there is a bike tour or a shop that rents out bikes for self tours. Some cities are easier to navigate on your own. Do some research and see if a self guided ride is for you and you can save some money there! Plus you won’t be paying for any other transportation that day!
Bike Friendly Cities
Let’s start with San Francisco. I made plans to ride bikes on our first day there! I don’t like sitting for long periods of time and that’s pretty much required on a plane, so getting out and about to explore is always on my to do list for day 1 on vacation!
SF is incredibly bike friendly. We chose to do the self guided tour, so we were given a map, a route and recommended stops along the way! We rode through the Presidio, Crissy Field, stopped along the beach, visited the Fort Point for the most gorgeous view of the bridge, rode over the Golden Gate Bridge, to Sausalito! Then we explored on foot for a while, did some shopping and eating before taking the ferry back to San Francisco.
Next time you book a trip see if biking is an option! You’ll be glad you did it. It was probably the best part of my trip!
Biking at Resorts
If you ever head to an all inclusive resort, be sure to check out their daily activities schedule. Sometimes they’ll have free bike rides around the resort and into the local city for some shopping! That’s just what we did when we visited Riviera Maya, Mexico. It was the perfect way to get our heart rates up a little before relaxing the rest of the day!
Running
I know not everyone is a runner, but you can walk/jog around to see a new area! I try to go on a run during every trip I take. I find that I see more, take more in and the run goes by so fast because I’m distracted by everything around me.
It’s also interesting to see how your body handles working out in different climates! Above was a run I went on in Golden, CO. Hello altitude! The weather felt great, but my lungs were killing me! I loved running around Colorado School of Mines campus and exploring their little city on foot.
I know beaches are usually for relaxing, but a run or power walk on the beach can get your heart rate up and work some leg muscles that you didn’t even know existed!
Some of my favorite places to run were in Lillehammer and Rome! Here’s a shot from Norway because I loved the trails so much!
Hiking
Visiting a city with hilly or mountainous terrain? Go for a hike! You’re bound to see some amazing scenery and things you wouldn’t see from a vehicle. Since I’m from a city whose hills are mostly on and off ramps from a freeway, I love getting the chance to hike and explore this way. My best hiking experience to date were in Bergen and Lillehammer, Norway. Good company also makes the hike even better!
Walking
Try to get a hotel that is closer so some of the things you want to see. This way you can walk instead of catching a cab or public transportation. The more you’re moving the more you can counteract all the delicious food you’re eating on your trip. We love to walk as much as possibles on vacation. I feel so accomplished!
In London for our babymoon, we used the hop on and off bus tours to get us around town for a couple of days. Instead of the just staying on the bus, we took advantage of the hop on and off bit! We would hop off and explore a large area. Walk around, skip some stops and hop back on when our next destination was far away or we needed a break. It was a great option for us and we were able to see more than we would just driving by!
Walking Tours
There are also TONS of walking tours in most cities! If you like tours for sightseeing, then go for it! We did walking tours in both Glasgow and Edinburgh on our big Scottish adventure and learned far more than we would have just walking around on our own. In many cities, groups will offer free walking tours where you can pay based on how much you felt it was worth! This is really great when traveling with kids and it gets more expensive to pay per head. Be sure to check out Tripadvisor before your next trip to see if there are any offered in the cities you’re visiting!
Gym Time
I personally try to find ways to be active that don’t involve the gym on vacation. Of course, I work in a gym, so it makes sense. But if you need to squeeze in a workout because it’s going to be a pretty sedentary day, then this is a great option!
If you’re on a vacation that involves a lot of walking and exploring the city, don’t worry about missing gym time. Instead, enjoy the time away and find other ways to stay active! There are more ways to move around when exploring a city then you realize.
Keep up the hard work!
Getting into a workout routine can be so hard. It’s even harder to workout on vacation, but there are so many ways to make it fun! It’s all about getting out, moving and having fun! If you can do that, you can stick to your fitness routine even when on vacation.
Remember to relax, but also make yourself work just a bit!
What are some ways that you workout while on vacation?
What’s your favorite vacation “workout” to date?
