Who works out during vacation?

It’s so hard to stay focused and motivated while you are on relaxation mode, isn’t it??

This past Christmas, my family and I took a 3-week vacation to Asmara, Eritrea and I had every intention of working out daily. I packed all my workout gear and was ready to go running the morning after we arrived but got a rude awakening when I attempted to go jogging and started feeling chest pains. The altitude was so high that my body couldn’t take it and between not being able to run and not finding an adequate gym, I didn’t get much working out done at all and that’s okay. There will always be times when our schedules just won’t permit.

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Fast forward 3 weeks…we’re back and trying to get into our normal schedules. I thought it would be easy to get right back into my old routine but it was actually extremely hard. At first I blamed it on being jet-lagged and home sick. Then I convinced myself that since Bini isn’t here to help me with the kids, I couldn’t possibly leave them and go in the mornings, which meant I wasn’t going period. Before I knew it a week passed by and I had done nothing. During the second week, I ran 3 miles and lost my breath on day one then worked on my core and legs the second day and by the third day I was so sore I couldn’t even move. Plus, waking up at 4:00am which was my normal time became a struggle. It was like I had become a completely different person.

Why was it so hard?

Where was all my energy?

Why was I so unmotivated and weak?

If you’re going through these feeling right now, I totally feel your pain!!

Feeling defeated has a sneaky way of making us want to give up on our goals. We feed ourselves all these excuses when we know deep down they aren’t true. That’s what was happening with me. I felt defeated in Asmara because of the altitude and completely gave up on running instead of being persistent. Those traits followed me back to the U.S. and I started making excuses.

The key here is persistence. Even when you aren’t feeling it, keep at it, your body will thank you afterwards. Here are some other things you can do to get you out of the vacation blues and back in the gym: 

1. Hit up your gym buddies the minute your back in town- You will need them to push you and it’s easier to work out when you have a friend or friends with you.

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2. Change your music- Find something that will keep you pumped. Here are some of favorite tracks that are currently on repeat while I’m doing strength workouts:

• ‍Finesse
• Miss You
• Hurtin’ Me
• Big Up Yourself- my friends are going to be happy to know that YES, I’m totally digging Sami Dan’s work.

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3. Find a great show to watch or get up to date on shows you’ve missed- Between work and the kid’s social life, watching T.V. is a luxury so I try to fit in all my shows during cardio workouts.

Side Note-  I watched all 7 seasons of Game of Thrones doing this and almost fell face forward so many times… so be careful.

4. Start slow and work your way up- I thought I could just jump right into my workouts and boy was I wrong. I should have started walking on the treadmill instead of hitting it hard and hurting myself. Always listen to your body.

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5. Set new fitness goals - I love doing this. By setting goals you are speaking your wants into existence. Write them down and consistently look at it to track your progress. Any of the below apps will help you track your stats and keep you motivated as well.

• ‍ Aaptiv- extra motivation during cardio and guided workouts. Check them out here.
• Daily Workouts Fitness Tracker
•  Ladder, Your Digital Coach- provides your own personal fitness coach

6. Reward Yourself – reward systems work wonders… that hot outfit you wanted but they only had it available 2 sizes smaller or a girl’s day at the spa. Whatever makes you happy will work.

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By following these steps, I was able to get back in my old routine within 2 weeks of coming home from vacation. I hope it helps you or someone you know.

Stay tuned for the next Fit with Luwame 30-day challenge. We have a great group of accountability partners and guidelines on what to work on and what to eat. I’ll be adding workout videos as well.

As always, I’d love to hear from you. How do you maintain to stay committed to your routine especially after vacation?

Yours,