How To Have a Peaceful and Relaxing Vacation- Guest Blogger- Kendra Thornton

Today I have a guest blogger here to share her tips on how to have a peaceful and relaxing vacation.  Since summer vacation season is wrapping up below are some great tips by Kendra Thornton.  Get ready to relax and enjoy your vaca! 

When I go on a vacation, the last thing I want is to be stressed! I like to exercise and stay healthy at home, and it is important for me to continue that habit while on vacation.  I've developed some ideas and tips that have helped my family have relaxing vacations while having a great time. 

Tip 1: Look for a hotel with amenities you can use.  I use Gogobot to read reviews of hotels from former guests.  Using this, I've found that the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in San Francisco offers yoga mats in each room and their televisions have free fitness programs to use whenever you need to. With this hotel, I can get an early morning workout in before my children wake up!

Tip 2: If you are searching for a way to stay healthy and save money on vacation, consider packing half of your restaurant meals in a to-go container.  Do this immediately when you receive your food so you are not tempted to eat all of it.  Most restaurant meals are bigger than the recommended portions, especially in the United States.  This is a great way to save money on vacation and still eat healthy. 

Tip 3: People who experience frequent back pain may benefit from a yoga strap to put around their upper thighs.  This device helps a person to hold his or her upper legs together when they relax.  It also helps develop rotation to the thigh bone, which in turn helps rest the lower back. 

Tip 4: Experiencing jet lag or different time zone affects? My tip is...don’t take a nap or rest when you get to your destination! Grab a coffee and get sightseeing, you can always catch up on your sleep and you don’t want to throw your bottom off balance anymore than it is. 

Tip 5: At the end of the day on vacation, I like to unwind.  Days filled with sightseeing or chasing after my kids can be exhausting, and I bring my own tea packets on vacation just for this reason.  My favorite is Yogi tea, and sometimes hotels do not carry this type. Depending on where your vacation destination is, you may try foods you are not used to.  Sometimes these do not sit well in my stomach, so it is nice to have a cup of tea to help settle it.  When I drink my tea on vacation, I like to light some tea light candles to add to the relaxing atmosphere.   

Even though I try not to plan too many details of my family vacations, I do try to incorporate these ideas into our tertiary.  Having basic ideas such as how to relax and be comfortable on vacation really increases the quality of my vacations.

 

 Kendra Thornton

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness tips and inspiration!  

In good health,

 Andrea

Dream Boards

How many of you have made your dream board?  I made my first one a few years ago.  My first dream board was of my fitness goals.  I have various fitness models with amazing bodies, and quotes to keep me motivated to do my workouts during the week.  I now have 3 fitness vision boards for myself.  While I was at a nutrition conference last week they stressed the importance of a dream board of your life and what you want in the future.  I than bought the board they offered because it can be folded up and taken with me.  Yes I am that big of a dream big person that I would take mine with me.  I have not started to make mine yet but am contemplating what do I want on it?  If money was no object what would make me happy?  Where would I want to live, what would I want to do?  I really don't know I also feel a little greedy putting outlandish things on my board that really won't make me any happier.  I know money makes things easier but what would I truly want to do with my life if money was no object.  That is my question- I personally love what I do with my life now and how could I make that even better?  That is my challenge to myself as well as to you?  What would your board look like?  How would that alter your life if money was no object?  Remember to Dream Big!

Staying in shape on the road

Summertime often means vacations and getting out of your routine.  Summertime often means you are loosening up on your diet as well when on vacation.  So what can you do when you are on your vacation or traveling for work to stay in shape? Well most people do not want to bring equipment with them which is understandable.  If you do have a band-go head and pack that in your suitcase if not no worries.  If you do have a band exercises you can do are-bicep curls, triceps ext, squats, shoulder exercises, rows, chest press.

If you are going without equipment here are the exercises for you:
20 Dips (see picture above)
40 Mountain Climbers
15 Push-ups
15 Burpees
20 Squats
30 Crunches
12 Jumping Jacks
15 Oblique Cruches
10 Triceps Push-ups
10 Lunges
End with 1 minute Plank Hold
30 Second- Side Plank Hold
*Have a wonderful and healthy vacation- That workout can be completed once or 2-3 times if you want to really vamp it up or burn some calories.  If you only have time to do it once it is better than doing nothing at all remember.