Use the Good, Better, Better System for Less Stressful Workouts on Vacation
The vacation season can be busy, especially if you are traveling, hosting, or in charge of all of your Christmas shopping. On the one hand, there is no time to go in for sports. On the other hand, if you skip your workout routine, you may feel more stressed.
We’ve previously discussed the mental health benefits of exercising, even on vacation . Exercise can help you stay in tune with your regular schedule, give your anxiety a little less space in your brain, and help you feel more flexible and capable when you otherwise spend most of your day sitting idle.
But stressful times in our lives make it difficult to measure exercise as much as usual. You may not be able to complete as many minutes of exercise or as many steps, or you may not be able to do all the exercises you would normally do in the gym on a day. However, there is a brilliant solution to this problem that I noticed in a Washington Post article on How to Ditch a Fitness Tracker . (By the way: I fully support the move away from the fitness tracker.)
The trick is to get rid of the all-or-nothing mindset, in which you either succeed in exercising or might as well stay in bed. Decide ahead of time which options are “good,” “best,” and “best” for the day. Then do what works for you.
For example, in recent times I do not feel on a stationary bike for about an hour, but I will sit on the bike, something to do, even if I have little time. For me, half an hour of light pedaling is my “good” workout, 45 minutes is “better,” and my “best” would be a full hour with a dedicated warm-up sequence, some high-energy intervals, and pleasant coolness. down.
You can calibrate this three-tiered system for any activity and any level of time or intensity. Perhaps your “good” result is to do a few sets of barbell squats in the gym and then head home, while “best” and “best” will include accessories and cardio afterward. Or maybe “good” is a walk, “better” is a quick follow-up on YouTube, and “better” is to go to the gym altogether. You decide what makes sense to you.