A family vacation is a sacred time. It’s a chance to escape the daily grind, reconnect with your loved ones, and indulge in some much-needed rest and relaxation. But for those of us who have worked hard to build a consistent health and fitness routine, it can also bring a twinge of anxiety. How do you balance the fun and spontaneity of a vacation with your desire to stay active and not completely lose your progress?
The great news is that fitness and family fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The key is to reframe “exercise” as “adventure” and to integrate movement into the vacation itself. One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is by choosing a home base that offers space and access to nature. Opting for a cabin rental instead of a cramped hotel room, for example, gives you the room to stretch out and often puts you right on the doorstep of incredible outdoor activities.
With a little bit of planning, you can come home from your trip feeling refreshed and energized, not like you need a vacation from your vacation. Here are a few tips to keep your family moving.
Make Activity the Main Event
Instead of trying to squeeze in a workout around a packed schedule of passive activities, make an active adventure the centerpiece of your day. This is the easiest way to ensure everyone gets their heart rate up while making incredible memories together.
Plan your days around activities like the following:
- A family hike to a scenic waterfall or a beautiful overlook.
- A bike ride on a local greenway or trail.
- A few hours of kayaking or paddleboarding on a nearby lake.
- A long walk on the beach to search for shells.
When the adventure is the workout, it doesn’t feel like a chore. It’s just fun. For great tips on how to prepare for an outing like this, the American Hiking Society has excellent guides on what to bring.
Embrace “Exercise Snacking”
For those who crave a more traditional workout, trying to fit in a full hour at a gym can be nearly impossible on a family trip. Instead, embrace the concept of “exercise snacking.” This means doing short, 15- to 20-minute bursts of focused activity whenever you can find a small window of time.
This could be a quick bodyweight routine first thing in the morning on the cabin porch before the kids wake up. A simple circuit of push-ups, squats, lunges, and planks is all you need. You can also pack a lightweight resistance band, which is a versatile tool for a quick and effective workout anywhere. Fitness resources like the American Council on Exercise (ACE) have tons of free, no-equipment-needed workout ideas.
Explore Your Destination on Foot
One of the best ways to get to know a new place is to walk it. Whenever possible, ditch the car and explore on foot. Instead of driving from one end of a tourist town to the other, park once and make a day of strolling through the local shops, parks, and attractions.
This approach not only gets you thousands of extra steps but also allows you to discover the hidden gems you would have missed from inside a car. You’ll find charming little cafes, interesting galleries, and beautiful side streets that weren’t on the main tourist map. It turns a simple errand into an act of discovery.
Turn Playtime into a Workout
If you have kids, you have a built-in workout partner. The key is to get involved instead of just watching from the sidelines.
Pack a frisbee, a kite, or a football and start a family game in an open field or on the beach. In the pool, challenge your kids to swimming races from one end to the other. If you’re at the beach, get serious about building an epic sandcastle, which involves a surprising amount of squatting, lifting, and carrying. Kids have boundless energy, and tapping into their natural desire to play is a fantastic way to keep the whole family active and engaged.
Prioritizing exercise on vacation isn’t about maintaining a rigid, stressful schedule. It’s about finding joyful ways to move your body, explore a new place, and connect with your family. By weaving activity into the fabric of your trip, you can create a vacation that is as healthy for your body as it is for your spirit.
