Vacations Tips for Eating and Fitness

I’m not sure about you, but I always come back from Spring Break with a little more jiggle than I started with. To make that a little less, Elizabeth and I asked some of Nashville’s most accomplished fitness gurus for their top tips on vacation fitness and meal planning. The tips compiled here — in no particular order — pretty much rock for simplicity and motivation. So, whether you’re anticipating Spring Break or summer fun, here’s a go-to guide to keep us all on track!

tropical cocktail 300 Vacations: Tips for Eating and Fitness

Can you imbibe and still keep the weight at bay? Our expert panel weighs in. Image courtesy of Real Simple.

Zane Griggs, co-owner KRANK http://kranknashville.com/

My eating tip is to save the carbs for the special meals but otherwise avoid them whenever possible and stick to protein (meat, eggs, fish) and non-starchy veggies like asparagus, peppers, greens. Most of us drink enough carbs on vacation to last a week, so even if you’re trying to cut them back, you’ll still get plenty.

For an exercise quickie, I like circuits of large muscle groups which can be done by alternating sets of push ups and lunges for 15-20 minutes. Push ups can be done on the ground or a sturdy, elevated surface per current level of strength. You can mix it up and try a lunge cocktail with sets of reverse, forward, side or walking lunges. Your glutes will thank you.

Irv Rubenstein, owner of STEPS Fitness http://www.stepsfitness.com/

There are 5 exercises that can be done anywhere there are floors and walls: wall squats, push ups (on knees if can’t do properly on toes), one leg bridges (hip lifts), side leg raises (for outside of hips), and planks (on elbows and toes, or knees if can’t hold back straight on toes and elbows)

Healthy eating rules: maintain proper – i.e. non-alcoholic – hydration, and have a full glass of water before each meal; have a glass of water before each alcoholic beverage; ask for a to-go box before the food comes out from the restaurant kitchen and immediately place at least 25% if not 33% of EACH of the food items on the plate in the box and take it home for a later meal; and, finally, enjoy those warm-weather fruits and veggies even more than you would here.

Josh Rogers, co-owner of Results Fitness http://resultsfitness.me/

Go for zero-calorie beverages–you don’t need hundreds and hundreds of calories from beverages on top of the extra calories you’ll be consuming from food. Ask for lemon or lime for your glass of ice water, or order unsweetened hot or cold tea, coffee, sparkling water, club soda, or diet soda. Avoid high calorie mixers with your alcohol and stick to low calorie or calorie-free mixers (ex. club soda, diet tonic, diet cranberry juice, etc.). Have one for me!!!

For exercise, run or power walk on the beach or just right in the water for 30-45 minutes everyday for a nice vacation workout. Do it in the morning and then relax all day with one of those low calorie drinks. At night before going out, drop down and do a set of push-ups or dips to show off those guns in your tank top/dress.

Niki Gauthier, Owner of Niki G Fitness http://www.nikigfitness.com/

Have fun, but don’t take a vacation from your water bottle! Not only is drinking water a daily essential, it can also help keep your appetite in check, energize you and help you avoid getting bloated and that puffy look you can experience while traveling.

Jeff Howerton, Owner LEAN Fitness http://www.leannashville.com/

Perform cardio first thing in the morning to get your exercise out of the way and set the tone for the day.

Carrie, Owner Bar Method http://nashville.barmethod.com/

To stay fit during vacation, first of all, celebrate that you’re on vacation! We all work hard and need fun and relaxation with our friends and family. Incorporate exercise into your vacation by taking a walk or jog on the beach, going for a hike, or challenging each other to a tennis match. Bar Method DVDs are another great way to stay in shape on vacation – they’re a full body workout in one hour, no ballet barre required!

Eat regularly. A quick meal like hard boiled eggs and apples (which you can conveniently get at Starbucks) will give you energy throughout the day and can prevent you from over-indulging at dinner.

Bambi Watts, Owner Willow Pilates http://www.willow-studio.com/

Start your day off with the HUNDRED. It warms up your spine & gets the circulation going: lift your head & shoulders in a crunch, hold your legs in the air with your stomach & back completely flat on the floor. Pump arms by your side 100 times while breathing deeply in & out.

Our healthy vacation tip is for every alcoholic beverage you drink, have a glass of water. You’ll slow your alcohol consumption and stave off the dehydration that accompanies travel!

David Harvick, Trainer at Next Level Fitness and LEAN www.facebook.com/pages/David-Harvick-Personal-Trainer/

One of the best workouts for travel is to do body weight exercises with the Tababta method. You do not need any equipment and can really get a great work out from your own body weight. The breakdown of the Tabata Protocol is:

5 minutes of warm up, which can be jogging in place, walking up and down the hall or in the stairwell
Followed by 8 intervals of 20 seconds on 10 seconds off of any one particular exercise or a combination of different ones. This could be body weight squat, jumping jacks, push ups, sit-ups, dips, lunges, stairs, side tricep presses…or if you pack a resistance band in your bag, you can add a whole array of other exercises to the list.
End with a 2 minute cool down.

To keep it simple from the food aspect, one of the easiest ways I tell my clients to cut some extra calories is to get their salad dressings on the side and simply dip their fork in the dressing for flavor. Or another option since most seem to order salads when they are “dieting” is to get salsa as a salad dressing instead of your traditional dressings. Most all restaurants have it and most people find it a good alternative.

Kady Decker, Owner Pure Barre Nashville and Brentwood http://purebarre.com/

Get your exercise done early and out of the way so you can enjoy a cocktail at the pool in the afternoon! If I don’t do it early on vacation I know it won’t happen. It doesn’t have to be a long workout, after all it is your vacation, but get in at least 20-30 minutes of cardio. Hit the resort fitness center and jump on your favorite cardio machine. Do quick intervals, 60 seconds slow, 60 seconds fast for 20 – 30 minutes and you’ll burn double the calories you would if you worked out at the same pace.

Vacation makes you want to splurge! That’s ok, but choose one meal a day that you get to eat whatever you want and then keep the rest of your meals/snacks within the guidelines of your normally daily diet.

So, there you have it! Here’s to a healthier than normal vacation for all. Morning exercise and lots of water seems to be a common theme!

One Response to “Vacations: Tips for Eating and Fitness”

Bernadette says:
March 7, 2012 at 7:28 pm

Well I have to say “spring break” is no longer in our vocabulary, as our kids are grown and gone, But! I will remember those great tips next time beach vacation shows up! Nothing like walking on the beach early morning with the wind and sun, wow, I miss it!