While vacationing in Budapest I took the chance to visit one of the many baths that they have. Sitting there relaxing in warm water reminded me of how important recovery is.
I Don’t Work Out On Vacation
My clients usually ask me if I work out when I am on vacation. I do not. I find that vacations are a good time to give the body nothing but rest, and that is an important part of a good exercise routine. In fitness, this rest period even has a name. It’s called a deload phase.
Why Deload?
The body is great at adapting, but can’t take non-stop beatings forever. Eventually, you need to give it a chance to just relax. Not only will this help prevent injuries, it will also keep you out of plateaus and renew your energy and motivation.
Embrace Natural Gaps In Your Routine For Recovery
I’ve learned to make any vacation an automatic deload phase. Not only does it have physical benefits, but it’s also a great psychological relief. I don’t have to figure out how, where, or when I am going to exercise in a strange place. I also don’t risk injuring myself on unfamiliar equipment or by attempting to improvise an exercise when the equipment is missing.
That’s A Real Vacation
After all, vacation should be a rejuvinating experience both physically and mentally. It’s fine to be active if it fits into the trip, but don’t force it. Remember that fitness is all about the long game. The week or two that you are on vacation and not working out really doesn’t mean that much in the scheme of a whole 52 week year. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the rest will probably do more for you than the exercise would. So next time you are on vacation, take the time to just chill out. You’ll be more fit for it.