A good vacation—away from the stress of work and the demands of daily life—is the perfect way to recharge your mind and body. But after two weeks of sun, sand, and umbrella drinks, it can be difficult to put all those good times behind you and resume your workouts. Hey, it happens. But if you let it happen for too long, that two-week break can quickly turn into two more weeks, and then two more, until it’s a few months down the road and you’ve forgotten where your gym is located.
The point is, the longer you stay away, the harder it is to come back. So instead of languishing in post-vacation purgatory, employ these six tips to get your workouts back on track.
Just so you don’t forget, you can take you Aaptiv workouts on vacation with you! Just download your favorite workouts, and press play, no internet connection necessary!
Don’t be so hard on yourself.
Some people hit the hotel gym or run on the beach during their vacations. Others, well, do the opposite. And that’s OK. If your vacation is heavy on the R&R, you probably needed it. So enjoy the time off, and don’t beat yourself up about the leisurely days and extra helpings at dinner. Instead, resolve to get back into your routine now that you’re back.
Schedule a workout—and then show up.
The hardest part of working out is often showing up. After a long day of playing post-vacation catch-up at the office, the last thing you may want to do is hit the gym. That’s why scheduling a workout—seriously, put it on your calendar—can be the difference between exercising and skipping another session. It creates accountability by giving you somewhere to be at a set time.
Enlist a friend or partner.
Similar to the above, working out with someone creates more accountability. It will help you get back into the swing of things. So recruit a friend, spouse, colleague, or anyone else who’s interested. You won’t want to leave them hanging, and that will give you even more incentive to do that first workout.
Start slow.
It’s easy to fall into a trap of going extra-hard on your first day back to make up for lost time. But if that leads to intense soreness—or worse, an injury—then your exercise plans will derail before they even leave the station. Take it easy on your first few workouts. If you’re lifting, use slightly lighter weights than normal. If you’re running, dial it back a mile or two. That way, you’ll feel ready to get back into your workout routine.
Make a plan.
Unless you’ve taken a three-month sabbatical, you shouldn’t feel too different once you’re back in the gym. But it’s still common to experience a small setback in your progress. Instead of getting frustrated, make a plan to get back to where you were. Whether it’s a certain distance on the treadmill or a specific set-and-reps scheme on the bench press, identify a target and work toward it. Before long, you’ll reach that goal, and then you’ll be ready to move past it and set a new one.
With Aaptiv’s new Coach feature, your plan is already laid out for you! Just open the app and check what’s planned for you for the week.
Set yourself up for success.
Resuming exercise is great, but it will only do so much if you’re still eating and drinking like you’re on vacation. To get the most benefits from your workouts, be sure to eat healthily, drink lots of water, and get plenty of sleep. You can do that by stocking up on fruits and veggies at the store, keeping a water bottle by your side throughout the day, and returning to a regular sleep schedule. You’ll feel better overall, your workouts will improve, and you’ll be back to normal in no time.
It’s never easy to resume workouts—or real life—after a fun vacation. Whether you jetted off a for a week or two or you skipped the gym for the full summer, it doesn’t have to be impossible to get back to it. Ease back into and enlist the help of a trusted workout buddy. You’ll be back to your regularly scheduled workouts in no time.