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 http://www.mtnlifefitness.com, and her email at jackie@mtnlifefitness.com