Just because you’re leaving home sweet home in Salt Lake City, Utah on a relaxing summer retreat doesn’t mean you should leave your weight loss regimen behind, too. After undergoing bariatric surgery such as a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass procedure, sustaining weight loss efforts through physical fitness will help you prepare for long-term success. Vacation or no vacation, your new healthy lifestyle will require you to stay on top and in control of your healthy habits at all times.
Vacations can really be tricky for bariatric surgery patients as they present you with a ton of down time for relaxation and plenty of opportunities to dine out. You don’t have to give up relaxing while you’re out of town but you should try to sneak in a little physical fitness here and there.
Here are some compact fitness accessories to pack in a suitcase and keep you motivated for a workout.
Water Dumbbells
Packing some travel dumbbells in your suitcase will surely keep you motivated to tone your muscles before hitting the beach. Travel dumbbells, such as Aquabells, are collapsible dumbbells that weigh virtually nothing when packed in your suitcase. When you’re ready to get pumping, all you have to do is fill them with water to increase their weight. Depending on how much weight you want to lift you can monitor how much water you fill them with. Aquabells can be filled up to 16 pounds each and when you’re done using them, simply pull the plug and watch them shrink back down to nothing.
Jump Rope
Jumping rope is a great way to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Jump ropes come in different sizes and different weights but can still be easily packed away in a suitcase. Jumping rope is an easy way to tone muscles and improve cardiovascular fitness. However, jumping rope will require a little bit of moving room, so you may want to find a big enough space to easily jump rope without breaking anything. A jump rope is the perfect on-the-go fitness tool to bring on vacation this summer.
Exercise Ball
A deflated exercise ball can easily be packed into any suitcase. Just make sure you remember to bring the pump and you’ll be ready to do toning exercises right in the comfort of your own room. There are tons of strength-training exercises that can be completed with the help of an exercise ball. Write down a few of them before you leave home to have them handy once you’re ready to work out on vacation.
Travel Yoga Mat
Though the hotel or resort you’re traveling to may have on-site yoga classes, not all will. Pack a lightweight travel mat with you to do your own yoga routine wherever you’d like. Yoga is a relaxing form of fitness that helps strengthen and tone your muscles and can easily fit into any vacation schedule. If you’re heading to a beach, try bringing your mat out during low-tide and watch the sun rise.
Maintaining your fitness program will help you maximize weight loss as well as sustain results long term. Though it may seem like a chore, keeping up with your routine on vacation will help you stay focused on your new healthy lifestyle. If you veer off course on vacation, you may be less inclined to get back into your fitness groove once you return home.