This week I returned from a two week road trip through Europe (more on that soon!). It was awesome and full of not-so-healthy things like eating all the cheese in Switzerland, all the fresh bread in France and all the pizza in Italy, #noregrets.
I did manage a few workouts too–I went on a couple of runs and hikes during the trip. Even though I fit in some workouts, it definitely was not my normal fitness routine. Because of this, I expected to arrive back in Barcelona itching to get into the gym. But I wasn’t. I actually came back feeling unmotivated and not excited about my workouts.
My current workout program consists of a mix of cardio and weights and I’ve been loving it. I stick to it between trips but while traveling I usually run instead. As much as I love the program, I just was not in the mood this week. Instead of forcing myself (okay, actually I did force myself one day and the workout was NOT good because my heart was not in it), I’ve been switching things up to slowly get myself back on track.
If you’re feeling a little unmotivated after a trip, or just in general, check out my tips to snap out of your funk.
5 Ways to Ease Back into Workouts after a Vacation
Do Exercise that Doesn’t Feel Like Exercise
Basically do something active that doesn’t feel like a workout. For me that’s long walks but for you maybe it’s a dance class or a game of tennis. Any movement is god movement. Just do something, even if it doesn’t exactly feel like a workout. No matter what I try to get my 10k steps in each day.
Try a new form of exercise
While my normal action plan is cardio and weights at the gym, this week I switched to swimming. Instead of forcing yourself into a workout you’ll probably end up half-assing, find one you’re actually excited about.
Slow it down
When returning from a long trip, there’s a chance you feel low on energy and stiff. This is especially likely if a long flight or drive was involved. And even more so if your eating has been out of whack. Poor eating = low energy. Consider yoga or a stretching class to loosen up your muscles.
Give yourself an exercise break
After a vacation you probably just had a break, so when you return from vacation it should be BREAK OVER. But sometimes the body isn’t on board. Instead of getting down on yourself because you should be at 100% motivation, cut yourself some slack and ease in as slowly as you need. Maybe this is the week you focus on healthier eating habits and staying well hydrated and next week you get back to your normal fitness self. You’re not going to gain or lose 5 pounds by taking another day off.
Remember your fitness goals
Sometimes we need to push through feeling unmotivated and get to work. Those times might include training for a marathon or other big race or working towards other big fitness goals. And if that’s the case and that’s in your future, push through. But other times there isn’t some big looming item we’re working towards. If your fitness goal is to workout to honor your body, feel your best and be healthy (all great goals!), then this is the perfect time to listen to your body. If your body is saying I need a breather and can’t handle that HIIT class, this is the time to honor it and say, great we’ll do some light stretching instead.
That last item is always a tough one for me. Even though I’m not training for anything at the moment (and actually haven’t been in a long time), my mindset is always that I need to workout daily and make each workout really count (as in, I need to sweat a lot and burn as many cals as possible). But you know what, it’s okay to not do that. Not every day needs to be our strongest or our most motivated. If you’re in a small lull, it’s okay. Honor those feelings and do a workout that you feel good doing.
How do you feel after traveling? Ready to jump into the most intense workout or do you need a few days to ease back into it?
