Have you had any summer
visitors lately? Well, we have and that is to be expected when we live in a
beautiful mountain community with a plethora of exciting and fun outdoor
activities to enjoy.
However, hosting summer visitors may play havoc with your summer workouts and may create some inconsistency leading to potential loss of fitness level and unwanted weight gain. Therefore, this week’s tips are for staying on track while enjoying your wonderful summer visitors. As always, please consult your physician prior to beginning any exercise program.
Tips for staying on track:
1. Plan your workouts ahead
of time and inform your visitors so they are aware of your workout schedule. Assure
them that your workouts will not interfere with their visit but that you need
to stay on track. Asking for their support will indicate how important staying
on track is to you and should in turn allow them to provide that support.
2. If they live a healthy and
fit lifestyle, suggest that they join you for your scheduled workouts. It may
be great fun to workout with your friends and family and it gives them an
opportunity to witness what you do to stay fit as well as to maintain their
fitness levels during vacation.
3. If they choose not to join
you, then plan an alternative activity for them to enjoy while you workout. If
your summer workout at your health club is not the right fit for them, then
drive them to a great hiking location, send them off for a hike and pick them
up later for lunch.
4. If everyday is hectic with
your visitors, then while they are staying with you, plan to get up earlier and
get your workout in before they begin their day or after they retire for the
evening if it is early enough.
5. Create a plan which will
be inclusive so that all visitors enjoy the activities of their choice. This
may take some additional pre-planning on your part, but it will enable everyone
to be active, have fun and may provide you with the time to get in your
personal workouts (i.e. outdoor activities such as
hiking/biking/swimming/sailing, etc. are great choices for visitors).
6. Get everyone moving! Go
for walks every morning, after every meal and before bedtime. This may be
quality time with your guests that they will remember for years to come. The
walks may also help to supplement your workout schedule if you are unable to
squeeze every workout in during their visit.
7. Create a quiet time each
day following the day’s activities and use this time to pop out for your
workouts. Again, your guests may rest, regroup and rejuvenate prior to the
evening’s activities while you scoot out for a quick calorie burn and stress
release.
8. If you do not have a full
hour or more for your workouts while they are visiting, then workout more
frequently during the visit but shorten the duration and increase the intensity
(i.e. the shorter the duration, the higher the intensity must be).
9. Make this the summer that you stay fit throughout while truly enjoying all of the special moments and memories experienced with your visitors. It is possible to have the best of both worlds with a little planning and commitment!
Jackie Wright is the owner/manager of Mountain Life Fitness in Granby, Colorado. She may be reached at her website at www.mtnlifefitness.com, and her email at jackie@mtnlifefitness.com