Category Archives: Vacation

Make a Splash!

Jun 11

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Pool at the Hotel Riu, Montego Bay, Jamaica

As we inch closer to the official start of the summer season and kick off another work week on a hot note here in New York City, I thought I’d offer a fun suggestion for how to stay active and beat the heat this season: GO GET WET!

In case you didn’t know it, swimming laps is one of the best  ways to get all your major muscle groups in motion. It burns calories and improves cardiovascular health.

According to the freedieting.com website, at my age, height and weight, if I swim laps for just 30 minutes, I’ll burn between 282 – 295 calories. Add a couple of tabatas to the mix and I’ve got a great workout! So, I say whenever you have the opportunity, jump on in and enjoy! (And if you’re lucky enough to get some vacation time at the ocean or near a lake, those natural environments can add even more challenges to your swim.)

Don’t know how to swim, but feel comfortable enough to hang out in the shallow end of a pool? Walk your way or even jog from one side to the other. Hang out on the side of the wall and do leg raises and/or bicycles. And there’s always the “old-fashioned” treading water. If you’re lucky enough to get invited to a backyard BBQ with a pool, you can burn a few calories in between rounds of food or beverages by cooling off and doing some exercises under water. Another benefit: you can still socialize at the same time!

For all you parents out there, go ahead and join your kids in some of their pool games and enjoy some calorie-burning bonding time! Maybe this is the summer you treat the family to one of those pool-ready basketball backboards so you can shoot some hoops and perfect your slam-dunk in the water. (I can tell you, when I was enjoying my Jamaica vacation in March, the one afternoon I joined in a pretty intense water polo game, I was seriously ready for my nap afterward!)

Don’t have a pool, but you do have a lawn? Why not set up a sprinkler and get the blood pumping by chasing the kids around for a game of sprinkler tag? No kids – no problem! Who says grown-ups can’t have some fun, too?

For all you landlubbers, there’s always badminton, frisbee, wiffle ball and dodge ball. It can be fun to use some childhood favorites to add some variety to your workout routine. Of course, for all these outdoor activities, don’t forget to apply and re-apply the sunscreen and stay hydrated with non-alcoholic drinks, preferably water.

This has always been my favorite time of year for adding some extra fun to my typical fitness routine. By taking advantage of Mother Nature’s warm temperament, it’s prime time to find   activities that get your heart rate up while keeping you smiling and moving forward on the path to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

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Happy Memorial Day!

May 28

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I hope your extended weekend has been filled with fun in the sun and good times with friends and family. Today, I offer my “wish list” for you on Memorial Day.

1) Take at least a moment to stop and remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so that the rest of us could live in this wonderful land we call the United States of America.

2) Fit some fitness into your holiday fun. I’m excited to take a Zumba class at 10:30 this morning. Not only will it be the first Zumba class I’ve been able to squeeze into my schedule in months, it also ends early enough that the rest of the day awaits! (Click here if you need a few reminders on how to fit some fitness into your holiday fun.)

3) If you’re outside, don’t forget to apply and re-apply the sunscreen!

4) Whether you’re celebrating the holiday indoors or out, stay hydrated. If you plan to drink alcohol, make sure to designate a driver to ensure everyone gets home safely after the Memorial Day fun.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Memorial Day! Here’s to the summer ahead and all the chances we’ll have to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

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Back to Reality

Mar 26

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Happy Spring everyone!

When I last wrote, I was excited to be leaving for my Montego Bay escape to celebrate Elisa’s 40th birthday. Today, I’m happy to report the trip was everything I hoped it would be: five days of rest and relaxation fueled by tropical breezes, turquoise water and Jamaican rum. I feel refreshed and ready to tackle reality again. (I’m pretty sure the birthday girl feels the same way!)

Another great thing about this vacation was how it allowed me to mix up my exercise routine. While I hit the fitness center every morning for 60 minutes of cardio and strength training, the hotel offered some super fun alternative calorie-burning activities you simply can’t find here in New York City.

Sylvester ran a fun 45-minute aerobics class on the beach every morning while the entertainment staff offered daily Reggae lessons by the pool. There were also water polo games which got pretty intense for some of my vacationing teammates! At night, the cardio could continue in the hotel’s nightclub and on our last night, the dance party moved to the beach where we enjoyed more good music (and more rum punch) under the stars.

While I did my best to keep my body in motion, I made sure my brain did the least amount of work possible. The most stressful decisions Elisa and I had to make everyday dealt with whether we wanted to sit at the beach or by the pool and what we wanted to drink. I bought “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” by Stieg Larson at the JetBlue terminal before we boarded the plane. I think I made it through 90 pages. (I did, however, read two People magazines from cover to cover.) I often lost track of time simply looking at the water, listening to the breezes rustling through the palm trees and enjoying the Reggae music playing from the pool bar’s speakers.

Sure, I came home greeted by a flood of emails and texts. One by one, I read them and responded as needed. The back-to-reality errands like stocking the fridge and doing the laundry got done. Now, I face the week ahead with new energy for work and to get back into my “serious” exercise routine.

I’m especially looking forward to getting back into my UFX small group training class Monday night to work off the vacation pounds I know I put on thanks to all those fruity drinks along with plates of jerk chicken with rice and beans.

So while I realize a Caribbean getaway isn’t something we can indulge in every month, I can’t stress enough how important it is to find a way to decompress and re-boot your body, mind and spirit from time to time to make the daily grind a little less taxing. It’s a surefire way to embrace the attitude that nothing is going to stop you from pursuing your quest to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

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Vacation: The Ultimate Fitness Experience for the Mind!

Mar 16

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A memory from one of my favorite vacation spots: Pompano Beach, FL

If you felt like this work week would never end, you’re not alone!

Despite the fact things have been moving non-stop at my office since Monday, I feared this long-awaited day would never come. Why is the arrival of this particular Friday more special than those of late? Because it means I have only another 24 hours before I leave my production deadlines, conference calls, personal training programs and even this beloved blog at home and board a plane for paradise!

For the past decade, I’ve been trying to plan a girls’ getaway with one of my lifelong friends named Elisa. Then at the beginning of 2012, Elisa decided she wanted to celebrate her 40th birthday by getting out of town with me! Not wanting to be a bad friend, I was more than happy to grant her wish for such a special occasion. We picked the weekend after her March 14th birthday for our escape, found a good deal through JetBlue and booked our four-day getaway to Jamaica’s Montego Bay. Now that it’s almost time to leave, I can barely contain my excitement to completely disconnect from the “real world” for a few days.

It probably won’t surprise you to learn Americans are some of the most vacation-deprived people on the planet. According to Expedia’s 2011 Vacation Deprivation study that surveyed 7,083 people living in 20 different countries, Americans earn an average 14 precious days off each calendar year, and leave two unused. (Canadians are a close second leaving one of 16 given vacation days unused.) Meanwhile, the survey found people in Denmark use every single one of their 30 vacation days.(Smart people!)

Trust me, I completely understand how the desire to succeed can get in the way of our personal well-being. However, as someone who pushes herself too hard for long periods of time, I also know it’s so important to find some way to disconnect from the frenetic pace of the real world once in awhile. Whether you can take 48 hours or a “decadent” whole week at once, it’s crucial for the mind, body and spirit to have a chance to re-boot.

That’s why other than working out in the fitness center every morning, I have no plans on my vacation agenda. There will be absolutely no emailing, blogging, tweeting or status updating while I’m away. Instead, there will be plenty of chatting, laughing, swimming, reading and sipping on frozen cocktails. After a few days of rest, I know I’ll return to New York City with more energy and hopefully a little less anxiety.

I’ll wrap up with a big public thank you to Elisa for giving me the perfect opportunity to take a mental health break. I’m sure all you wonderful readers will understand that this will be my last post for a week. I leave you with wishes for a wonderful weekend and encourage you to find even just one hour to do something good for yourself. Finding some way to disconnect and re-boot can only help you face the next work week with new energy to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

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Laura’s Lo-Cal Cocktails

Aug 26

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To celebrate the end of another work week and help you enjoy one of the last weekends of summer 2011, here’s a fun Friday hit-list:  how to enjoy some of your favorite summer cocktails without all the guilt!

On the rocks:

  • When mixing a Cape Codder (vodka & cranberry), replace high-sugar cranberry juice with light or reduced-calorie cranberry juice. For an even “slimmer” version of this summertime classic, mix one shot of raspberry or blueberry vodka with Diet Sprite, Diet 7Up, Sprite Zero or Fresca. You get the berry flavor without all the sugar.
  • Use diet tonic water when mixing with vodka or gin.
  • For the taste of cream soda with a kick,  add a shot of vanilla vodka to a tall glass of  Diet Coke.
Frosty options:
  • Mudslides are delicious, but wow, do they pack a punch when it comes to calories! My recipe replaces the Bailey’s with a Weight Watchers latte flavored ice pop – minus the stick, of course! Put the frozen “ice cream” into a blender, and add crushed ice, 4-6 ounces of skim milk and a shot of vodka.  Blend and enjoy! (You can also add Kahlua, but that will up the calories a bit.)
  • Calorie-Conscious Creamsicle: I haven’t tried this yet, but learned about the option at a recent Weight Watchers meeting.  Put one packet of a Weight Watchers vanilla smoothie mix into a blender, and add WW orange-flavored fat-free yogurt, crushed ice and one shot of vodka. Blend and enjoy!
  • Speaking of Weight Watchers smoothie mixes, if you can get a hold of them, they’re really good and come in several flavors including vanilla, chocolate, caramel latte and even a berry blend.  Mix one packet in the blender with fresh strawberries, blueberries or banana, along with crushed ice, skim milk (or water) and a shot of vodka or rum.  (These taste just as good without the alcohol.)
I am a big believer in enjoying everything in moderation.  So, here’s wishing everyone a safe and fun-filled weekend filled with at least one or two chances to sit back, relax and pat yourself on the back for all you do to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

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Make Time for Yourself

Aug 16

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There is a phenomenon in fitness called the cumulative injury cycle. Basically, if you continue to exercise without correcting any postural distortions that lead to muscle imbalances, the compensations your body makes to allow you to follow through with the exercise will eventually lead to an injury. I am also a firm believer our mental fitness can take a serious hit if we don’t take time to rest and regroup.

As I sit here looking at the ocean in Montauk, I realize what a different person I am today than just two days ago. I attribute this mind-altered state to two factors: I am on vacation and I am doing things for myself I simply do not do enough of at home. That includes:

  • Letting the sound of the ocean drown out my anxieties about work
  • Not rushing through my workouts
  • Sitting in the steam room after my workouts
  • Getting a massage
  • Eating dessert
  • Not worrying about having less-than-optimal cell or WiFi service

To expand on that last point, I haven’t been able to upload any pictures taken on my iPhone to my Facebook page and I have only been able to update my status once. I have been able to open my work and personal email accounts, but I haven’t been able to send a reply. Forget about Twitter or LinkedIn. I finally decided to stop trying to open my apps and simply said: “You are on vacation!” If someone really needs to get a hold of me, I can still retrieve voice messages from a few spots in the parking lot.

Whether you run the household, run a business or have a job where you answer to a boss, everyone works hard. No doubt the state of the economy has shattered whatever our definition of financial security was in the past. Many of us still struggle from the aftershock of losing a job or may be trying to keep a business afloat. This makes it all the more important to take some time to be good to ourselves when we can.

Realistically, a vacation or trip to the spa may not be attainable at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t shut out the world for an hour or two a week. Some escape plans include:

  • Replace that Bluetooth in your ear with ear buds for 30 minutes a night and plug them into a sound machine tuned to the ocean surf or frogs in the forest.
  • Add 10 minutes to your workout routine and stretch.
  • For once, try yoga instead of that heart- and muscle-pounding cardio kickboxing class.
  • Take a bath instead of a shower before going to bed.
  • While summer is still here, take your dinner outside and have a picnic in your backyard, roof deck or nearby park.

While it’s important to focus on work, we owe it to ourselves to find our own unique ways to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

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Fitting Fitness Into Your Vacation

Jul 20

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Photo by Laura DeAngelis

This will be my last post for several days. Why? Because I’m getting out of the hot and steamy Big Apple for long weekend of relaxation in Newport, Rhode Island.  We all work hard, and we all need to get away now and then.  The good news is while you can leave reality behind for awhile, you don’t have to abandon your fitness regimen. If anything, a vacation gives you the opportunity to mix up your routine.  So, as a break from packing, I thought I’d offer some of my favorite ways to burn some calories while on vacation:

  • Walk, walk and walk some more!  Our hotel in Newport is about one mile from the beach, so we get some good strides heading to and from our daily hangout. Then there’s the 3.5 mile Cliff Walk, which offers such amazing scenery, you may forget you’re getting a good workout while you scramble on some rocks along the way.  Wherever you may be going, make the effort to leave the car behind and explore the town or neighboring area on foot. (Don’t forget to bring supportive footwear.)
  • If there’s a pool where you’re staying, do some daily laps.
  • Pack a Frisbee or paddle ball game to play on the beach. If there’s a beach volleyball game going on somewhere, don’t be shy – ask if you can join one of the teams.  No sand around? Find a park, claim your spot in the grass and have some fun!
  • Try something completely different.  If you’re near a lake, find out if you can rent a canoe or kayaks and paddle around for an hour or two. If you like it on your first day, you can go back for more during the duration of the trip.
  • Use the hotel’s fitness center. More and more hotels are offering some sort of workout space. Granted, it may consist of one stationary bike, one elliptical, one treadmill, some free weights and (if you’re lucky) a yoga ball.  Those options mean you can still get in some good cardio, and use the free weights as extra resistance for squats and lunges.  Then you can work the upper body with a minimum of bicep curls, lateral raises and overhead presses, and round things out with some core work.  All in the comfort of air conditioning!
  • If you’re lucky enough to be staying somewhere with a DVD player and some extra room, bring one or two of your fitness DVDs along for the trip.

Newport, RI

Whatever activity you jump on, remember to stretch the muscles you worked during that walk, canoe ride  or mean game of paddle ball.  Make sure you also stay hydrated, and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Whether or not the coming weekend allows you the opportunity to get away from it all, I wish you some time to relax and re-charge your batteries so you can approach a new week with new energy to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

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