Keeping up with your regime on vacation

The big highlight of my summer is always that one road trip in the middle of July. Last summer, it involved a heat wave, two Red Sox games at Camden Yards and my fiancee’s introduction to the City that Never Sleeps.

In case you’re wondering, I was an idiot and didn’t keep up with my training in the 6 days that we were enjoying some baseball and some big-city time. Needless to say, I wound up paying for it at the Tough Mountain Challenge upon my return to the Pine Tree State.

Even though I was a fool and didn’t do an ounce of cardio, core work or even bother to pick up a barbell during this six-day span, it’s very easy to maintain your workout regime while you’re enjoying a week “off.” And as I found the hard way last summer, it’s just as easy to toss it to the side. That will be put to the test again next week when my boys and I hit the road for Jersey for my bachelor party, but that’s a topic for another day!

One good way to keep up your regime while on vacation is to find a good place to do some cardio. The last time I went to Jersey in 2009, I took full advantage of the Seaside Heights boardwalk and got plenty of running in. Go to a beach town, and you’ll see a plethora of locals and tourists either jogging, walking or going for a bike ride (I saw a ton of this in San Diego last spring).

The beach is also an ideal place to do some cardio or some core work. However, if you want to throw some beach work into the mix, do it early in the morning before “peak hours.” It’s hard to get any work in with screaming kids running around. Or, get together with a few buddies and play some beach volleyball! Not only is it a good workout, but if you’re single, it’s a good way to meet some ladies.

Another good option is to pack some dumbbells – if you have some of course – and do some free-weight exercises. Trust me, there are a ton of them! A few of my favorites are rear-deltoid flies, dumbbell push-ups and incline chest presses. Great way to burn some calories and keep that muscle tone fresh to death!

A big key to keeping up the training regime on vacation is don’t cheat on the diet too, too much. There is a safe bet that next week I’ll have a couple of cheat days (hey, it’s Jersey), but that doesn’t mean you wake up at 12 noon, go to the nearest bar and have a cheeseburger, fries and beer as your first meal of the day! Try to keep up with the high-protein and low-fat choices as best you can, and still have fun!

If you’re like me and you’re a Les Mills enthusiast, find a gym and take a class a couple times a week! The best way to locate a facility is to head over to lesmills.com and go to the find a class tab, and go from there! The week I was in San Diego I did three BodyPump classes.

We’ll see if I actually follow my own advice next week and get even a little bit of work in while I’m enjoying Atlantic City, Seaside Heights and the City that Never Sleeps next week. Fortunately, the Tough Mountain Challenge is on the front end of the week off this year, so I’m more than ready for the obstacles they’re throwing at us, including a shotgunning challenge.

Speaking of the TMC, I’ll be giving you folks the scoop on how muddy things got in this space in the days following the race, which is at Sunday River on Saturday.

Ryan McLaughlin

About Ryan McLaughlin

BDN sports reporter Ryan McLaughlin grew up in Brewer and is a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. In "The Boston Blitz" he'll be sharing his perspective with BDN readers about what's happening on the Boston professional sports scene.