Exercise on Vacation?

I have finally finished college and as a graduation present my boyfriend and I are headed to Mexico for a getaway. Many of my friends go away during winter break to escape the cold with their family. I was thinking about it though, am I really going to workout? I am the person that wakes up everyday by 6-7 AM to hit the gym for a run on the treadmill, but I will be in paradise, which will make getting up that early very hard. I am not sure how many of you plan on going away this winter, but even if you don't these are some exercises you can do while on vacation this winter or coming summer.

Walking on the beach: Walking in the sand burns more calories than walking on the flat ground. Some experts say you can burn twice the amount of calories! Be careful to not overdue it shin-splints can occur if you run.

Activities such as snorkeling, bike rides, or hiking: Put on the snorkeling gear and swim some laps to burn calories while enjoying the beautiful scene of the ocean. Bike rides are a great lower body workout. The legs get the most out of this workout. The more you peddle and the more calories you will burn. Hiking is a great full body workout where you can use your upper body and lower body strength to push yourself to keep climbing!

If the hotel has a gym: I think it is best to keep your physical fitness up while on vacation, so if you enjoy the gym like I do, I would suggest going every other day while on vacation. It is not fair to let yourself not relax while on vacation. Keep your fitness up while still sleeping in and getting your tan on!

It comes down to what works best for yourself while your on vacation. Use the activities at the hotel and the beach as your gym and fitness equipment. Don't push yourself to go to the gym if you know you will be staying active in other ways. The bottom line is, have fun!