by Glenda K. Fralin

Created on: February 06, 2008

When vacationing I'm getting away from routines. Can't I break from exercise too?

As women we have a need to exercise just as men do. We have some of the same health issues such as obesity, heart health, respiratory health, and many more. But, we also have unique needs such as exercise during pregnancy. We are more highly prone to blood clots due to our monthly hormonal changes, birth control pills and patches. After age thirty five, we are more prone to obesity, especially where we don't want the fat. We also have the need to exercise and take in vitamin D for bone health before osteoporosis begins.

So, what does this have to do with my vacation and exercise?

Peripheral Artery Disease is no joke and when we travel long distances the chances of developing a blood clot increase. If we are traveling during our monthly period, we add the extra fluid retention, and agitation not to mention cramps. Exercise helps relieve all of these.

Exercise is one of the easiest routines to break and hardest to restart. So we need to build an exercise program into our vacation. Our routine is interrupted, but we can still find ways to exercise effectively.

Some ideas for travel exercise are:

When stopping for a bathroom break, take a ten minute walk.

If you are staying in a motel or hotel with exercise facilities, make good use of them.

If there is a pool, water exercise is ideal. Just walking through water against its resistance can effectively burn calories.

If you have weights such as ankle weights that you use at home, see if you can dangle your legs outside the car or at a picnic table and do repetitions with the weights at rest stops.

Do a similar exercise routine with dumbbell weights to keep your arms toned. Canned goods can also be used.

Use sunscreen, but make sure that you are in the sun or outside under natural light for at least thirty minutes daily to gain the needed vitamin D.

Distance walking and getting natural light, even through sunglasses and sunscreen, can help reduce symptoms of stress, fatigue and depression.

If your trip is an over-the-road trip, exercise can be especially helpful for circulation.

If you are flying or going by train, make sure to shuffle your legs every so often, and find ways to do stretching exercises, even if you have to hide in the bathroom for a couple minutes. Once you've reached you destination, employ some of the exercises noted above, or if possible schedule in your normal routine.

If you are staying at a resort or hotel, get outside. Take the short walks, whatever you need to do to make your body move. It will keep you motivated and help alleviate possible problems due to travel. Most of all use exercise as a part of enjoying your vacation.

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