Staycation? No, Fitcation

Ah, the "Staycation".  It's how Americans spend time off all too often.  See, we have it all wrong.  I work for a European company, and those guys take 2 weeks off and go rent a villa in Portugal or something.  Me, I take a day or half day here or there to get something done - doctor appointments, work around the house, etc.  We need to learn to recharge.

But that's not what this is about exactly.  No.  I'm sort of advocating the mini break that isn't about going off relaxing somewhere.  Instead, take a day, and spend it being fit and active.  It will recharge you, get you boosted onto the right track, and not dip into your bank of days off too much.

Here's the ideal situation - adjust it to fit your budget and time accordingly.  Get a hotel room close to home or, better yet, close to some area you want to work out in (e.g. a good bike path, great running course like a river, etc).  Also, pick one with a good gym and a mini fridge in the room.  Don't worry about room service too much since you can bring stuff from home.  If a hotel isn't in your budget, you can just stay at home, but sometimes the new setting is good in terms of removing you from your day to day a bit.

Use this day to exercise and eat right. Don't set an alarm and allow your body to wake up naturally when it's ready (remember to put out the Do Not Disturb sign on the door).  Then go for a morning workout - in the gym, on a trail, along a river - whatever you have at your disposal.

Come back, shower, have a healthy lunch.  Find a nice setting and read a bit after lunch while you digest.  Pick something empowering, enlightening and educational.  I have several great recommendations here.  If a book feels like too much, grab something like Runners World and take in a few articles.

Then, go for an afternoon workout.  Come back, shower, have a healthy dinner, and then relax a bit.  Maybe lay down and listen to some music.

Then go for one last workout.  Shower, and get to bed.

I realize three workouts may seem like a lot, but they don't all have to be intense, and you can spread activities out over the three sessions.  I did this at home one day, and did my typical morning workout of about 45 minutes of mixed cardio with some body weight stuff (pull ups, sit ups).  Then I did a mid-day run.  Then at night I did another mild cardio session of about 30 minutes, but not crazy intensity.  I finished up with a sauna session and shower before hitting the sack.  Awesome day.

That's it. Simple. Healthy. Active. Rejuvenating. Empowering. Enlightening.