A healthy lifestyle includes movement.  A lifestyle plan is different from a diet or weight loss plan because it doesn’t have an on/off switch.  It is practiced today, tomorrow, next week, in 5 years, when guests are visiting, and when you are out of town.  But even with the best of intentions, and strategies (like these) it can be difficult to maintain an exercise routine when on vacation.  If your getaway has interrupted your best of intentions, here are 3 simple steps to get back on track with your exercise routine after vacation.

STEP #1: Schedule Out Your exercise for the Week Before It Begins

While driving or flying back home, go ahead and grab your calendar and figure out when you can schedule in exercise during the week. Morning? After work? During a lunch break? When the kids go to bed? By viewing your schedule, you can assess when you want to carve out time.  

Remember, unless you have a ‘recovery day’ you will likely have extra loads of laundry to work into the schedule.  There may also be other activities that require some attention as well like meal planning, a grocery store run and meal prep.

Try to make sure that the allotment of time for exercise is reasonable and doesn’t eat into time required for other life and family activities.

If you think you can just try to wiggle it in during the week when you have some extra time, your ‘extra time’ will never find you.  Carve out the time in advance.

STEP #2: Choose Activity You Enjoy

It can be easy to pressure ourselves into hard-core, vigorous exercise if we have been out of the routine for a long period of time.  Often this is our way of ‘punishing’ ourselves for avoidance of exercise. But, this is not healthy. Shaming and guilting ourselves into certain routines, like exercise, only make us feel bad and keep us in negative dieting and poor self-image cycles.  Make sure to choose exercise that you want to do.

This doesn’t mean that exercise will feel effortless or easy- sometimes it does feel hard.  But don’t punish your body for not exercising for a week by making it run 5 miles if you don’t like running.  Do something different. Go to a class, try the elliptical, go on a hike with a friend… The possibilities are endless!

STEP #3: Get Some Inspiration

When getting back into a routine you desire, it can feel a bit uncomfortable and messy.  Choose a word, phrase or quote that you want to focus on for the week to keep you moving towards your goals.  It only needs to inspire you- not anyone else.

For someone it could be the word “strong.”  For another person it could be the quote, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”  What inspires you this week might be different from last month.

Every morning and throughout the day, remind yourself of your word.  Think on it until it sinks into your beliefs and values.

When you want to get back on track with your exercise routine after vacation, it can feel overwhelming if you allow it.  Instead, decide to schedule it, make it fun and stay inspired.

Commit to your plans, but prepare for interruptions.  

Don’t chase perfection, but run after your best self!