vacation-related stories
To Exercise on Vacation, or Not?
That's the question everyone is a-Twitter about these days. Here's what these Twits had to say:




Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
Bikini Blues Cost Us Money, Keep Us from Holidays
That's right -- according to recent research, about 250 billion pounds (nearly $500 billion) was spent on bikinis that have never and possibly will never be worn because the people who bought them don't feel comfortable enough with their bodies to don the merchandise in public.
What gives, ladies? Are we buying these swimsuits with the hopes of being inspired to slim down by their presence in our closets? Or are we just hoping we'll work up the courage to bare all once the inevitable trip to the beach becomes a reality?
Wait -- that's not all. Here are some other startling bikini facts:
Bike-Friendly Coastal Campgrounds - Have Fun, Get Fit, Save Money
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| Photo: RichardBH, Flickr |
Active.com lists seven fantastic bike-friendly campgrounds in coastal areas (though, of course, there are probably many, many more -- we'd love to hear about your favorite in the comments). And you might be surprised at some of the locations!
For example, did you know that there's mountain biking available in South Florida, just minutes from downtown Miami? Or that one state park in East Islip, New York, can provide you with both road and mountain biking opportunities of all lengths -- even century rides? Some, like the Astoria/Seaside KOA in Hammond, Oregon (about 100 miles from Portland), rent bikes, so you don't even have to worry about packing your own.
If biking's just not your thing, don't worry -- there are still loads of ways to get in a workout while camping out. Hiking, trail running, swimming, kayaking -- the list goes on and on. Share your favorite campsites and campground workouts with us in the comments!
Bike Riding on Vacation Just Got Easier
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| Take in the sights on your bike! Photo: madnzany on Flickr |
However, if you're going to one of 157 cities in the U.S. or Canada, there's a simple solution -- RentaBikeNow.com. You simply go online, select your destination, reserve the bike of your choice (mountain, cruiser or road bike, height, etc.), pick it up on the proper day, and ride!
Prices and availability vary depending on location. For example, in Tampa, Florida, you can rent a bike for an hour ($10), four hours ($30-$40), a full day ($60-$65) or for a whole week ($150-$230). In San Francisco the prices are a bit lower, but there are fewer bikes available, and your only choices are to pay by the hour or by the day.
The next time you travel, maybe you should worry less about what kind of gym your hotel has, and focus more on finding the nearest bike rental shop!
Ward Off Vacation Weight Gain
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| Photo: cmpalmer/Flickr |
- Pass on the drinks. Frozen drinks taste great when you're lounging by a hotel pool, but those alcoholic treats can really add up. Just check the calories in a margarita. Rather than pile on liquid calories, opt for ice water -- it's refreshing and calorie-free. Ask for a twist of lemon or lime to add some flavor.
- Pack fitness in your bag. Bring a yoga mat, jump rope, resistance bands or water-fillable weights with you when traveling. Also, if you're staying in a hotel, call ahead to see if there's a gym for guest use. Don't pass up the hotel pool either -- if you find a time when the pool isn't filled with families, you can get some laps in.
- Eat in. While most restaurants have healthy choices available, you'll save dollars and calories if you eat some of your meals in. Think ahead and bring foods that can be prepared with what you'll have available. There are even plenty of options for healthy camping recipes.
- Order wisely. When eating out, scour the menu for lighter options. And don't forget to ask for healthy substitutes.
- Plan active activities. There's something simply lovely about relaxing and reading a book while lounging on the beach. But, make sure you plan activities that get you moving as well.
Summer vacations are an escape from your day-to-day life. And there's no reason you can't enjoy some special treats while traveling. But, with a little forethought, you can avoid adding unwanted pounds while you're away.
Travel Active - Staying Fit While On the Go
Spring break, Memorial Day weekend and summer vacation season are all fast approaching. Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, it's important to keep active when you're on the road. Staying active while traveling not only wards off unwanted road-warrior weight gain, it can help manage the stress you might feel from the change in your routine, it will keep you energized so you can see all the sights (or attend all the business meetings ... blech), it will help you get a good night's sleep and it may even help keep your digestive tract regular while it's managing all those away-from-home meals.
Luckily, staying fit while on the go isn't as difficult as it might seem. Some tips:
- Choose your hotel wisely. Call around and pick a hotel that has adequate fitness facilities. A pool and a well-equipped fitness room will make your workouts convenient and easy.
- Walk it out. Pack some comfortable clothes and a pair of walking shoes. If the area outside the door of your hotel isn't ideal for walking, just ask the front desk staff for suggestions. They may have great ideas for interesting neighborhoods, parks or rail trails just waiting for you to explore. You can also use "Prevention's" walking tools to map out a route ahead of time.
- Pack some portable fitness. There are lots of fitness tools you can pack that don't take up too much room in your suitcase. Try a jump rope, resistance bands, yoga pose flash cards, AquaBells® or sliding discs.
- Be a day tripper. If your hotel doesn't have a fitness center, call around to area gyms and see if they have a day pass. And many national chain gyms (such as Gold's Gym and Bally's) let members work out at any of their fitness facilities.
- Choose active outings. Look for active attractions while you're on the road. Fitz has some great ideas for fit vacations.
What are your tips for staying fit while traveling?
Sick of Winter? Plan a Fit Vacation Now!
Fit Kicks Videos, Diet & Weight Loss
In case this video compels you to book a fit vacation, I thought I'd include these links for my favorite healthy vacation spots!
Paradise - Fitness, Fun and Sun at Sandals Resorts
I'm writing to you from Jamaica, where I've been enjoying a week at several beautiful Sandals resorts. The sun is bright, the waves are warm, the healthy food is plentiful and the endless amount of free athletic activities mean I'm sure to leave this place at least a pound or more lighter than when I arrived. Am I trying to lose weight? No! Is it likely to happen, though? Probably!
Sandals is a chain of "couples only" resorts located in posh spots around the Caribbean. They're all inclusive too, which basically means you get to eat, drink and play as much as you want without shelling out extra dough. This all-inclusive thing removes lots of vacation-related stress, I assure you.
Most folks believe gaining at least five to 10 pounds per week of vacation is a rule, and my job is to convince you that it's not. Not if you come to a place like Sandals, anyway. As readers of this site, I know you're health conscious and eager to pursue and maintain your fitness levels wherever you go. Sandals allows you to do that.
Amy Winehouse Dating Fitness Instructor?
They say that opposites attract. But even that's a stretch for the most recent couple to hit the tabloids. Amy Winehouse -- also known as possibly the least healthy 20-something on the planet -- is reportedly dating a fitness instructor. She's been seeing her shapely suitor -- known only as 'Andrew' at this point -- on the sly while vacationing in the Carribbean. Could this mean she might give up her old ways and become a fitness buff? Well, maybe that's too much to expect -- she probably needs to first give up her habit of begging on her knees for drinks after being cut-off at the bar -- but I'm crossing my fingers that at least some of 'Andrew's' healthy habits wear off on her. You too?
Getting your healthy groove back: Five tips
My healthy habits have taken a bit of a vacation over the past couple of week. Ten days ago, I took a short trip to Vegas (which-- let's face it -- is not the kind of place that helps you stay motivated to eat well and exercise.) Then, this past week, I had out-of-town guests, complete with four birthdays to celebrate over the weekend -- one of them my own. But I'm not writing this to tell you about me -- I'm trying to offer you (and myself) some tips for getting back on track after falling off the health wagon.Here are five ways to revive your routine:
Fitz's Fit Family SeaWorld Vacation -- Focus on the Physical
Healthy Places, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
I spent many of my summer vacations as a little girl visiting SeaWorld. I loved it so much that I almost pursued marine biology. The thought of riding Shamu was and still is more enticing to me than flying or any other magical act. So, bringing my family of four to SeaWorld last week was a no-brainer. This time, though, not only was I in search of fun ... I decided to dissect the park and find out how it fared in the healthy living department. Could we leave more fit than when we arrived?
I've done this experiment before at other major theme parks and vacation destinations and these are the things I look for.
- Is there an opportunity to be physically active?
- Is healthy food readily available?
- Will I and other guests be inspired to do and be better?
- Is the vacation fun?
Here, I focus on physical activity.
FitSpirit: Blues traveler
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation
When my body isn't moving so much, my mind goes to a bit of a blue place. I'm not quite there, but I feel myself getting close. Ironically, this week my body has traveled thousands of miles and I've seen my favorite blue place in the world -- the Pacific Ocean.
As most of us know, traveling usually means our health suffers a bit due to lack of exercise, increased stress and the subsequent effect on our mental state of both. I travel from my home in the mid-Atlantic to my native California at least twice a year. I am writing from my mother's home in the Los Angeles area right now. Before heading home a week from tomorrow, we will have traveled by air and navigated airports for more than 12 hours and spent almost 20 hours in cars in order to visit family and friends on opposite ends of the state. So much movement, so little exercise.
Thankfully, visiting the loved ones we live so far away from keeps my mind a bit happier during these sedentary vacation days. And I do try to adhere to some of the common tips for maintaining good health and fitness while traveling, such as making good food choices and drinking lots of water. I also follow certain prevention guidelines.
When I get home, I'll run through the neighborhood, hop on my bike or swim laps at the rec center in an effort to kick those endorphins back into high gear and then some. I'll certainly have to in order to heal the little bit of homesickness and heartsickness that's sure to crop up after leaving so many loved ones behind.
Helping a stressed out co-worker
You exercise, you eat right, you get a good night's sleep, and you try to stay organized; you're doing everything you can to manage your own stress. But what if you work with someone who isn't managing stress well? Regardless of where you might work, there are a lot of reasons for stress in today's workplace -- threats of layoff, increased workload due to reduced staffing, and so on. When you add in all the non-work-related causes of stress, it's no wonder some people aren't managing the pressure well. And, no matter how well you handle stress, when a co-worker is stressing you'll be affected by it.
So what can you do to help a stressed out co-worker? As long as you don't take on the reasons for their stress (e.g. taking their workload), it's a good thing to help out. And, if you happen to be the boss, it's imperative that you do so in order to maintain a positive workplace and to prevent productivity from slipping. Some ideas:
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs: Mariah Carey's wet workout
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Mariah Carey loves to wear tight, tiny clothes that show off her curves, so it makes perfect sense to me that she loves working out in the pool -- she gets to wear a bikini! And hey, if we all had a body like that, we might want to live in a bikini, too.But in all seriousness, the diva has worked hard to get her body toned, and keeps it that way by swimming in her pool at home every day. She's currently on vacation, but she's not just lounging around -- she's taken her exercise routine to the Mediterranean Sea. And, we assume, eating artichokes.
Mariah prefers wet workouts, saying, "What's great about working out in the pool is that the water acts as resistance, so you're actually exercising twice as hard without feeling it." Plus, even if splashing around in the Mediterranean is burning calories, nobody's going to deny it's also fun, right?
Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered -- Vacation Weight Management
Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Places, Stress Reduction, Womens Health, Celebrities and Entertainment, Healthy Kids, Ask Fitz!, Cellulite, Obesity, Healthy Events, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Hello! I came across your trip reports from your Disney World vacation in June while searching the web for some advice on healthy eating at Disney. Very helpful posts -- thank you! Our family was there last summer and we are going back next week. However, since January I have lost around 55 lbs (with a few more pounds still to go). I wasn't that concerned about eating healthy last summer, but I am worried this summer that I will gain weight during vacation instead of maintaining or losing weight, as I am still trying to do. I know that Disney World is tons of walking (it's me, my husband, and our two boys, ages 7 and 5), but there is no nutrition/calorie information for any of the food from Disney's table or counter-service restaurants. The main way that I have lost weight is by counting calories and exercising. So I feel a little "lost" when it comes to what I will eat on vacation. Also, my husband and kids are fairly picky eaters and so we pretty much only eat at places that offer the standard "hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, pizza", etc. Thanks for your trip report -- sounds like you and your family had a wonderful time at Disney World!!! Melody from Delaware
A. Hi Melody. Lucky you! I wish I were going back to Disney next week! Hopefully my answer will prove to be the simple reassurance you need to relax and enjoy the magic of Disney. Sweetie ... you've lost 55 pounds; you already know what you are doing! All I want you to do is to continue pursuing the same fabulous food you choose at home in Delaware. Disney has totally cleaned up its act in the healthy food department. I literally found healthier menu items at Disney's Magic Kingdom than I have ever found in my own home town!



























