30 Comments
Nov 15, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

It depend! I suppose I have a few categories:

-If I’m on a vacation where a lot of walking is involved anyway (Disney World, a big city that I’m exploring), I consider that enough of a workout.

-If I’m on a relaxing vacation like a beach vacation, I try to go on a decent paced walk once or twice a day.

-If I’m on a longer vacation visiting family i make a point to workout daily (walking, running, strength, whatever) to make sure I’m getting some alone time.

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Yes the alone time part is CRUCIAL

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Nov 15, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

Yes, agree with alone time! I recently had an action-packed work trip and knew it would be a whilrwind 72 hours without much time, but I made sure to get up early on the first day for a 30 minute yoga video to savor a little bit of peace before the chaos.

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Nov 14, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

Going for a run is one of my favorite ways to get to know a new place. And heck, most of my vacations are specifically for the purpose of (for example) cross-country skiing, or ice climbing, or sea kayaking, or surfing. Sitting on a beach with a cocktail is infinitely better if I did something hard and amazing first.

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YES! Endorphins + beach cocktail can't be beat. I'm not a runner but you've made me think of how I explore a new place by doing physical activity -- I love going for bike rides or hikes or just long walks on vacation. Group fitness classes make me feel kind of "at home" in a new place, too, like I'm doing my routine along with the other people who live and do their routine there all the time

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I did a step class outside in a large beach hut in Punta Cana on my honeymoon and it was really nice to have that part of my normal routine in an unfamiliar place. My husband was playing beach volleyball and it was nice for us to have a time of separation and to come back together!

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I generally agree with a lot of points here. but my highschool and college years were spent in a pool, training 30-35 hrs a week. So now that I'm nearly 15 years removed from the sport, I've started to take the approach that even though I love exercise (it also took me a long time to get to the point where I don't have to kill myself each workout), it's ok to just *not*.

I can't tell you how many times I've gone on trips and brought workout clothes with the mindset of working out every day, only to return home never having really worn my workout clothes. The realization I didn't work out feeling worse than not having worked out at all. 

The last few trips I've taken, I started with the mindset that I am not going to work out and just see where the day takes me. I don't bring workout shoes! I bring leggings, but for lounging! And if I take 5 steps that day, I will be ok! I return overall less stressed out about ~ fitness and my body ~ and I end up walking just as much as if I had brought "workout clothes" to begin with. 

I suppose I am travel however you want and don't judge everyone else.

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Thanks so much for sharing this, Brianna. Makes so much sense that if you have an intense athletic background, you're at a point where you want to just relax more (I'm the opposite, I didn't do any sports/anything athletic until I was in my mid-20s, so maybe that's why I'm still able to be so into it!) Your approach of not bringing workout stuff but enjoying the exercise you get just by walking is great, too. I've definitely done that sometimes.

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Great take! Thank you for sharing 🪄🪩

As a person who started exercising and running to get clean and in shape 20 years ago, who found it to be her dose of anti anxiety/ depression over the years and a mother who took to the outdoors with her kids to stay active and get my workouts in I’ve never not run or exercise.

Especially when on vacation. It’s less about my body and more about my well-being at this point in my life. Not only will I be miserable if I don’t, others around me are likely to suffer.

It’s also how I spend my time touring the places I travel. My daughter and I will run all over every city and country we visit, absorbing as much of the culture and sights possible.

I think another part of the conversation is that we live in a drinking culture that promotes - almost praises- those who can go hard on alcohol and stigmatize and shame those who choose to eliminate it out of there lives.

It’s quite sad that these are the voices mending themselves to the masses as an example of what’s good for you be not. It only continues to feed an industry that is profiting from bringing people down. Obviously that’s not all drinkers but that is their intent.

I digress! Low key I do get a little carried away watching the housewives lives play out every few years.

I think Kyle showcasing this part of her life (though I haven’t seen it yet) is the upside! Maybe she’ll normalize drinking less and working out more to a few viewers ❤️

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Thanks for reading, Ashley! You're so right about the alcohol component of this, too. Alcohol is so normalized that if a person doesn't partake, I think people can get very judgmental because they're worried their behavior (which is seen as necessarily "normal" -- it can be! It also might not be) is being criticized. We really just have to stop assuming that anyone else's actions have anything to do with us!

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I LOVE THIS!!!! I fall precisely into your same camp. I tend to see vacation and travel as two very different experiences (vacation being relaxing/rejuvenating and travel being adventurous/enriching), so on a true vacation, working out is *the best* because no time constraints!

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Such a good point! You can do a reaalll nice extra long workout on vacation

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Nov 14, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

oh, it's classic Real Housewives to show cast members picking each other apart for the tiniest things, as long as it enhances the drama. the shows have also presented cast members working out on vacation as a normal thing they have to do to stay "hot" (RHONY did just this last season on the anguilla trip)... this franchise can be a rich text that's very reflective of how women can never do the right thing.

anyway most of my vacations are bikepacking or backpacking trips so I never know what to do with myself on trips that are for "relaxing"

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i don't either ... i max out on my "relaxing" time after like 2 hours. I can sit on the beach for a while and then i'm like ok let's GO do SOMETHING

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Nov 15, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

My husband and I have very different approaches to exercise on vacation. He loves his routine but I really hate spending time in a gym when I’ve spent so much money to get out and see a place that doesn’t look like a gym. I believe in keeping active though. I need movement, preferably outside. We usually split the difference 🙂

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On beach vacations I usually go on more walks, depending on time of year I may run but I don’t run when I go in July. In the mountains we also walk trails more. My husband’s cousin is a yoga instructor and has led yoga on the beach on family trips which can be fun and we have done some group fitness like classes with all of us together too. I like to walk alone in the morning if I’m on a family trip too.

Disney World I very much expect to be a major walking vacation and I’m interested to see how I find alone time, my family of 4 with 7 and 4 yo kids plus my parents are going and my 4 yo has been dropping his nap for over a year and still randomly falls asleep at 4 pm! I haven’t been since I was 7 so it will be quite the experience.

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Disney World feels to me like it’ll be pretty exhausting! Def don’t pressure yourself to work out but yeah I’d be looking for any places to find alone time!

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Nov 15, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

I enjoy working out on trips if there's not much movement built in. On visits to see my family in south Louisiana, the Orange Theory Fitness studio saves my sanity because it gets me out of the house, helps me feel good about myself, and releases pent-up energy. Otherwise, we just sit around, chat, and eat.

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Yes gotta release that pent up energy around family time lol

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Nov 15, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

Yesss!! I’m having a semi destination wedding next year and plan to arrive a day earlier than everyone and take a Pilates class bc I want to feel calm, grounded, and good. Finding exercise you enjoy is life changing.

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Love this! Congrats on your wedding :)

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Nov 15, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

I don't exercise in the same routine as when I'm at home - BUT that's because I do a ton of walking or I'm skiing. So I'm still exercising. My holidays are generally pretty active.

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I have never been much of a skiing person but lately I’m intrigued by it

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highly recommend.

signed,

a person who skis a lot

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Nov 14, 2023Liked by Mikala Jamison

LOVE to exercise on vacay-- 1) to snoop on the local pilates studios bc I'm nosy and I like to see what other people are doing 2) because it helps me adjust to jet lag depending on the destination and a good pilates class helps my hips and back feel human again after a long flight 3) if my flight isn't an ungodly hour I always try to move a little before heading to the airport so I don't feel antsy and restless on the plane....also wholeheartedly agree that it becomes problematic when it impacts your plans during the trip-- no one should fly to Vegas JUST to workout and you shouldn't skip out on girl time because you're so stressed about missing a workout, but if you have time to workout before the casino AND you want to....why tf not?? Kyle is problematic in other ways, but this isn't one of them IMO!

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Totally agree on snooping on studios/gyms! I like to see what the vibe is like at different places. I'm a gym/studio nerd, sue me! And yes, moving before the flights is HUGE. Last time I had a long flight I was just doing laps in the airport lol

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Movement is freedom!!

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I am so glad you raised this, because I actually watched the episode and was like WTF, who cares if she exercises while on holidays! Guess that means I'm ok with it conceptually haha :)

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I feel like some people treat vacation as a time when they don’t want to do anything, just chill - and that’s okay. However, there is something about exercising which can make your time off even better!

This endorphins pump in the morning set you up for the day, so why would I avoid a little routine before setting off to a beach? I choose endorphins 👌

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I’m obsessed with this response lollllll

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