So, you’ve prepared your body for that perfect summer getaway. Congratulations! But what will happen when you get to that beach or other desirable hideaway? The trick is that you want to maintain your health and fitness regimen while you’re away from home. But how will you do it? Here are some suggestions:

1. Pack a Rope

Take your gym with you. Jumping rope is an excellent way to burn fat and 10 minutes can be a heck of a workout. A jump rope doesn’t take up much room in your suitcase and it beats using (sometimes) outdated and uninspiring gym equipment at a hotel. Another great thing about jump ropes is that they are cheap.

Even if you’re in great physical shape you will work up a sweat after a nice jump session by the pool – perhaps with an ocean view! Here are some great exercises you can do with a jump rope.

2. Move Your Beach Body

Many of us think of the beach when we hear the word vacation. Perhaps your vacation will involve sand and ocean. This will provide a great setting to do some interval training. You could hit the flat part of the sand, near the water and alternate between jogging, sprinting and walking. Pick good visual markers along the shore and make a goal for each section of the workout.

3. A Fitness Holiday?

Instead of making fitness a part of your vacation, you could make it the purpose of your vacation! Why not book a yoga retreat in Bali? You might come back home feeling more recharged than just spending a lot of time resting on the beach – although that’s not bad either. Or you could go to the Bahamas and book a workout vacation where they could whip you into shape while you bask in the pleasures of the Caribbean.

4. Belly (Down) to The Bar

There are some dangers to your waistline on vacation. If we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves drinking more calories than we imagined with all those tantalizing tropical drinks! But we can make a switch that will help us. A nice vodka and soda could do the trick as opposed to a Mai Tai. The clear liquors can be a bit easier on the hangover situation, too. Or have a tequila shot. Simple. Effective. No extra ingredients! If we are going to maintain our fitness regimen on vacation, it will help to cut down on the booze and the sugar.

5. Snack Attack

Snacks are another potential danger lurking in the vacation mist. Many destinations will offer a plethora of fried foods. Instead, you could have combinations of guacamole, fruit and hummus to sustain you. Sometimes, one must eat a cupcake and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, in general, stick to healthy, non-fried foods when you’re on vacation to support your workout motivation.

Many of us lose our motivation to exercise when we are on vacation. This is partly because our usual routines disappear. However, if we are mindful of this before we leave for vacation, we can avoid this problem. Bring a jump rope in your suitcase and you will have a visual reminder each day to integrate exercise into your day. Or you could make exercise the purpose of your vacation with a yoga retreat or something similar. You might return to work refreshed and stronger than ever!