Did you know that aerobic power can decline 5% in one week, 10% in two weeks and up to 25% in three weeks if you stop exercising? Did you know that all your gains could be gone after two months of inactivity and that the fitter you are the faster you lose your fitness level? Scary thoughts! With summer holidays beginning, time spent in cars, campers, planes and hotels can compromise all the hard work and sacrifices you have made preparing for summer. Here are a few tips to consider when traveling on the road and how you can stay fit while enjoying your vacation. There are three components to focus on: cardio, strength/flexibility and nutrition.

There are many vacation destinations that offer a variety of cardiovascular activities. For instance, walking or jogging on the beach, swimming, bike riding, hiking, golf and tennis are all forms of cardiovascular activities. These activities can keep you moving without realizing you are ‘working out’.

Many believe you need a commercial gym to strength train. That is not the case. Bring a resistance band with you and set a goal to do a quick workout 2-3 times a week. Focus on compound exercises (exercises that use more than one muscle group) to maximize your time. Here is a fast, effective workout that utilizes little to no equipment that will keep you strong while enjoying your time away:

Pushups – work your arms, chest, back and core without any equipment at all. Do them from your knees (easier) or toes (more difficult) and ensure that your back is straight (no sinking towards the floor). Your head is a natural extension of your spine and your abdominals are tight as you inhale while you lower down and exhale as you push back up. Do as many as you can for 1 minute. Stretch: interlace hands together behind the back and push the chest forward – hold for 30 seconds.

Squats with bicep curl – targeting your quads, hamstrings, glutes, biceps and core. Stepping on the middle of a resistance band with both feet, holding the handles, palms facing up, elbows close into the rib cage, feet shoulder width apart. Squatting down as though you are about to sit in a chair, keeping the chest lifted and knees over the ankles. Bend at the elbow as you curl your palms to meet your shoulders. If you do not have a resistance band, fill two water bottles and hold one in each hand. Do as many as you can for 1 minute. Stretch: Find balance on one foot and grab opposite ankle as you bring your heel towards your buttocks. Knees are together. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides.

Modified Dead lift with a Row – working hamstrings, glutes, core and back. Stand on band and pull it tight, hands in front of thighs. Keeping back flat and knees bent for support, hinge from the hips and bring hands down the legs to mid shin. While you're down there, bend elbows and pull them up to your ribcage, contracting the back (imagine holding a pencil between your shoulder blades). Tighten buttocks to lift back up. Do as many as you can bear and move on. If you don’t have a resistance band, use water bottles. Stretch: Place right heel in front, hinge at the hip bending the left knee keeping your chest tall and back straight. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides.

Tricep Dips - Find a chair or solid object and sit on it with hands next to hips. Move hips in front of chair and, keeping the buttocks close to the chair, bend the elbows and lower a few inches. Be aware not to sink into the shoulder or lower past 90 degrees. Do a whole bunch and get ready for your last exercise. Stretch: Bending at the elbow, bring the left hand behind the head pointing the elbow straight up to the sky and reach the hand in between the shoulder blades. Place the right hand on the left elbow and gently pull back. Hold for 30 seconds.

Plank - Lie on your side and push up so that your body is supported by right hand (or bent forearm), feet stacked. Straighten left arm and reach for the sky. Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and get ready to hit the beach – you’re done!

Finally, eating healthy while on vacation can be difficult. The key is to find the happy medium between denying fatty foods and an occasional indulgence, and you'll be on your way. In today's society, healthy options can be found on almost any menu, even at McDonald's however, the main concerns with eating out are the portion sizes and making the right choice. There are several things vacationers can do to guide them towards healthy restaurant eating. The first key to eating healthy while at restaurants is to stay away from anything fried or with a mysterious special sauce and go with anything grilled, broiled or steamed. Second, appetizers offer smaller portions in comparison to full meals. Third, try sharing a meal or only eat half of what you order and take the rest home for lunch the next day. Most importantly though, just because the food is in front of you, does not mean you have to finish your plate - stop eating when you feel full and remember that eating out doesn’t always mean pigging out. You are on vacation so it's okay to indulge now and then, if you make healthy decisions the rest of the time.

--Jenn Naiman, Group Fitness Director