Ahh, summertime is here, and it is time for a vacation. It’s time for you and your family, (or just you yourself), to get out there, explore someplace new, visit family and friends, or just go to the beach. So, of course, you pack your necessary clothes, toothbrush, comb, hair dryer, etc., you have everything, right?

How about your weight loss exercise program?

What about your local gym that you go to?

Or the fitness devices you have at home?

Can you use your vacation as a fitness vacation, also?

Did you pack your discipline, too? Because you’ll need it when you go to all of those restaurants you’ll be going to.

Well, if you forgot to pack those (which most people do when they go on vacation), don’t worry, I am here to help you with all of those questions while you are on vacation.

While vacation is for having fun, you should NEVER lose sight of the big picture. And that is to lose weight, stay in shape, changing your lifestyle, etc.

I can hear the excuse train coming already…

“It’s too hard to work out while I’m on vacation.”

“How will I ever eat right when we go out to eat at restaurants the whole time?”

“Where will I work out at?”

Etc. etc. etc.

Always an excuse, right?

First of all, yes, it will probably be more difficult to stay on your fitness regimen while you are on vacation.

I’ll give you that.

But that’s all I will give you.

You can and MUST get it done…many people do it, including myself…so, it can be done.

Inconvenient?…maybe. Impossible?…Not even close.

There are people in this world who do the most amazing things to survive day in and day out…so before you start complaining that thinking ahead and planning how you will stay fit on your vacation is sooooo hard…just realize that people are always doing bigger and better things.

Now that that’s out of the way…let’s get into the “how” you will manage to stay fit on vacation.

Let me show you how, it’s really not that hard.

Ok, sample scenario…

You and your family are driving to the beach, staying at a nearby hotel for a few days.

Sounds like a basic family vacation, right?

Let’s see what you can do…

1. Stop by a grocery store (there are some by the beach too, you know) and stock up on fruits, vegetables, other assorted healthy snacks (low-fat yogurt, granola, raisins, etc.) to keep in your hotel room as snacks.

2. Also, you can buy bottled water, healthy juices (NOT the ones loaded with added sugar), teas, etc.

3. Most hotels have a small refrigerator (or…just go to the local Walgreen’s and buy a styrofoam cooler to put all of your stuff in). You just have to get ice from your hotel (and change it every day or so).

4. When you do go to restaurants (and there are usually a TON of them wherever you go on vacation)…pick a restaurant that offers a lot of lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.

5. If you need to, eat just enough to tide you over for when you get back to your hotel room…then you can eat from your healthy snacks.

6. Share a healthy chicken, turkey, or fish dish with a member of your family.

7. Stay FAR AWAY from onion rings, french fries, mozzarella sticks, etc.

8. Most hotels have a gym…use it…they also have carpeted floors…use them for doing pushups and other body-weight exercises (more to come on that in the future).

9. Take a brisk walk on the beach in the morning and night…there’s nothing much better than watching a sunrise and sunset while you are exercising.

10. Or, just do this little routine………brisk walk for 2 minutes, do 10 pushups, then 15 jumping jacks, then sprint for 15 seconds….rest for 2 minutes and repeat.

There you go…….I just gave you 10 things you can do to stay fit while on vacation…what other things can you do?

Nothing short of hundreds…maybe thousands.

But it’s about that time.

Let that marinate in your brain for a while…then stop on over to http://www.fitnesswithchris.com for some of the best health and fitness tips you can possibly find. As you should know by now, I’m always here to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. Don’t be afraid to ask me for help, it’s time you turn yourself into the person you’ve always wanted to be.

I’ll talk to you soon.

Chris C.

About The Author: Chris Callegari, founder of http://www.fitnesswithchris.com is unleashing his real-world exercise, fitness, nutrition, and healthy eating tips to the world, to help support lifestyle changes for any and everyone.

Whether you’re taking a brisk walk or running a 26 mile marathon, hydration and stretching are extremely important to preventing injury and to maintaining optimum fitness. However, there are many myths about both these things that have crept into most people’s thinking.

The number one myth about hydration is that you should let your level of thirst signal when you need to drink. This is absolutely untrue. Most athletes only replace about 2/3 of the water they lose when they follow this rule. Instead, drink fluids on a schedule. A general rule of thumb, depending on your weight and weather conditions is to drink 8 ounces of water about 15 minutes before beginning exercise and 8 ounces for each 15 minutes during your workout.

Another hydration myth is that everyone needs eight glasses of water a day. This may not be enough for some people who engage in higher intensity sports. It may be too much for sedentary people. This is because, although it is true that the average person loses 80 ounces of water a day, he or she also gains about 32 ounces of water from food. That means, in order to replace lost fluids a person only needs to drink about 48 ounces of water rather than the 64 ounces contained in eight glasses of water.

A recent study about over hydration has scared people into believing that you can get sick from drinking too much water during exercise. While this may be true in isolated cases, typically among endurance athletes, the average person will not get sick from drinking too much water unless they have an existing heart, liver or kidney problem. If you have one of these conditions, checking with your doctor about the proper amount of liquid to drink during exercise is advisable.

Stretching is another source of myths and misinformation. Contrary to popular belief, stretching will not “warm you up.” Warming up is done by starting a low level of activity and working up to your desired intensity. Stretching before exercise also will not prevent injury although research has shown that it will reduce pain and muscle soreness after exercise. Only a proper warm-up routine will help prevent injuries.

Many people also believe that stretching is most beneficial when done before a workout. Actually, gentle stretching after a workout can help reduce cramping and muscular pain. Also, there is the belief that any stretching is better than none. Improper stretching can actually increase the risk of muscular injuries. It’s worth taking the time to learn stretches appropriate to the activity you’re planning to perform.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://yourfitnesssource.net/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://foodandourlives.com/ and http://1stconsumerinfo.com/

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