Summer is here, which means a lot of people are planning their summer vacations if they aren’t already on them. Vacations should be fun, but if you have been working really hard to improve your fitness, sometimes people stress because you aren’t typically exercising on vacation. Non-disabled people can still remain active on vacation because you are able to walk around the mall for hours, but it is a little more difficult for disabled people who aren’t able to do that. When I go on vacation, I am not able to be as active as my non-disabled peers because I can’t walk for as long and am not usually in environments where I can get some steps in. When I am on vacation, I am not stuck in one location, but usually, I am sitting in my wheelchair, not getting any exercise because the places we go usually require long periods of standing, which I am unable to do. The struggle to stay in shape on vacation when you are disabled is real because there are not always a lot of opportunities for disabled people to stay active. How can you stay in shape on vacation when you are disabled? In this post, I am going to share how I maintain my fitness when I am on vacation.
Bring healthy snacks for long road trips- Long road trips can be tiring, and sometimes people stop at their favorite fast food restaurant to stretch their legs and eat some lunch. There is nothing wrong with eating out and going to an ice cream shop, but I wouldn’t do that every meal because not only is it costly, but those calories add up. I don’t think that people should be worrying about their fitness on vacation because being gone for a week or two is not going to make you lose significant progress as long as you get right back into your routine as soon as you come home. It can be hard to stay active on vacation because you are not able to go to the gym and do a full-length workout like you normally which is why it’s so important to be somewhat mindful of your nutrition. Pack healthy snacks if you know you are going to be on a long road trip, because good nutrition plays a major role in maintaining your fitness. There may be times you don’t have access to healthy food, which is why it’s so important that you eat healthy when you can, so it will all balance out. I try to eat as healthy as I can when I am on vacation because I don’t feel great when I eat fast food for every meal, and no one wants to come back from vacation feeling like they need to do a detox.
Drink plain water most of the time- If I am on vacation, sometimes I will drink sugary beverages but most of the time I will prefer to drink plain water. I enjoy plain water more than soda because it is more effective in quenching my thirst and I will also choose that on a hot day over a soda. There is no shame in drinking a sugary beverage, but it can be a lot of calories, which can add up, and it’s something you may want to limit if you are concerned about gaining weight and losing your fitness progress. It is important to stay hydrated when you are on vacation, but I would stick to plain water most of the time because it’s zero calories and won’t raise your blood sugar like sugary beverages will.
Move as much as you can– When you are disabled, it can be more difficult to stay active because some people like myself can’t walk for long distances and often aren’t in environments where we could do a little bit of walking. I am not as active on vacation as I wish I could be but if I went to the beach and had an opportunity where I could walk, even if it was only for five minutes, I am going to take it. Move as much as you can because even though you may not be exercising at the same intensity you normally would be, something is always better than nothing. Move as much as you can while on vacation because it will help you maintain your fitness.
Bring a resistance band to maintain strength– My body craves strength training because when I skip a few workouts, I get shoulder pain that is not relieved until I do some kind of resistance training, which keeps me consistent. Weight lifting has gotten me the most results, but it is not usually an option when I am on vacation, so I do the next best thing and bring my resistance bands. I sometimes wake up hours before anyone in my house because pain prevents you from getting good quality sleep, which gives me the perfect opportunity to do exercises that will keep my shoulder pain away. There are a lot of body weight exercises you can do in your hotel room that do not require equipment and can help you maintain your fitness. Disabled people don’t always have a lot of opportunities to do a workout, and sometimes waking up early and doing your own body weight exercises is your only choice for maintaining your strength. I don’t exercise to the extent I normally would, but I do make it a priority to do something to make sure I maintain the strength I worked so hard to get. Resistance bands are a great lightweight option for maintaining strength while you are traveling.
Ask people not to push you– When I am walking, I get the best workout, but sometimes I do have to use my wheelchair because I am not able to walk long distances. Non-disabled people often want to push wheelchair users because they think they are being helpful, and that is okay if I ask for help, but sometimes I don’t want you to push me and would rather push myself to get some exercise. It is okay to tell your non-disabled loved ones that you don’t want to be pushed and want to push yourself to get some exercise. There is no guarantee people will listen, although they should, but it never hurts to try. Non-disabled people get exercise while walking around the mall, while disabled people can get exercise by pushing their wheelchairs independently.
When you are disabled, it can sometimes be difficult to stay in shape on vacation because you aren’t always in environments where you can walk, and people want to push you all the time. The struggle to stay active with a disability while on vacation is real, but I wouldn’t stress about not exercising because unless your vacation is months long, which it normally isn’t, it’s unlikely that you will lose significant fitness progress. You may lose some strength on vacation, but you should try and enjoy yourself because the strength you lose is not lost forever, and you can always get it back. When I had hip replacement surgery, and could not exercise for a few months, and lost a lot of strength temporarily, but when I was able to exercise again, I was able to get it back, and now I am even stronger. It is okay to take breaks from your workout, and I highly recommend it because exercising too much can prevent you from being able to push yourself harder. How do you maintain your fitness while on vacation? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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