Healthy Holidays: Adapting to Disruptions

by Mary on December 7, 2011

Travel and extra-busy times inevitably disrupt fitness routines. I hope you find some way get the stress relief that exercise brings even when your normal workout is impossible. I figure skate, and when traveling I can’t always bring my skates. I walk instead or bring resistance bands, which are light and take up little room in your suitcase.

A week or two away from your normal exercise routine can actually be a good thing. If you do the same kind of exercise month after month, a break or a full rest can give your body time to heal and prevent overuse injuries.

The real question isn’t the break– it’s whether you will be able to successfully pick up the routine again once life settles down. It’s not a problem to solve right in the middle of your busy period, just something to make a note of for the future. When do you think you will be able to return to your normal routine? Put a note in your calendar on that date, or set a text reminder to yourself. Make an appointment with yourself,  or better, with someone else, to exercise then.

When that time comes, think hard about what your full exercise routine was before it was disrupted. It’s easy to forget parts of what you were doing before, especially unfavored parts of your routine. In my case, stretching is the first thing I forget when I’m hurried, and I often leave it out until my body makes clear that it’s needed. I also tend to omit my physical therapy exercises that are supposed to be on-going until the body part in question starts to complain.

So if life is making this a good time to take a break from your workout, be flexible. Look for other other opportunities to stay active now and make a date with yourself to reinstate your regular workout when you can.

{ 0 comments… add one now }

Leave a Comment

CommentLuv badge

Previous post:

Next post: