Five Fun Ways to Exercise While on Vacation

With the holidays long gone and very few days off on the horizon, this is a great time of year for a vacation. Trading your usual routine for sightseeing, warmer weather and lounging around sounds great—but can be daunting when it comes to keeping your fitness and health goals a priority. Here are our top five ways to keep up with your fitness goals while on vacation.

#1 Make your time in the pool count

Sure, lounging on a float is a great way to relax. But while you’re hanging out in the pool, you can get a great workout, too. The average person will burn 200 calories in 30 minutes swimming leisurely—or up to 400 calories swimming vigorously.

#2 See the sites

Peel yourself out of that beach chair for some sightseeing walks to burn 100 to 200 calories every 30 minutes, depending on your pace and the terrain. Even shopping burns some calories, so feel free to treat yourself!

#3 Visit the great outdoors

There’s nothing like sunshine and fresh air to motivate you to move. Hiking allows you to take in the outdoor sites while burning about 175 calories in 30 minutes. Up the ante with rock climbing to burn 250 calories in the same amount of time, or try a bike ride to burn up to 300 calories.

#4 Run around town

It may seem obvious, but going for a run in a new place gives you tons of time to explore and take in the local culture. You’ll burn anywhere from 200 calories doing a light jog to 400 calories at a faster clip (7 to 8 miles per hour). Pro tip: Make note of the restaurants and nightlife spots you want to visit later in the day!

#5 Dance

Nothing is more fun than tearing up the dance floor. But shakin’ what your mama gave ya is (obviously!) also one of our favorite ways to exercise. You’re likely to burn anywhere from 120 to 300 calories for every half-hour you spend dancing at a nightclub. Or you can find a local Zumba class to break a sweat and meet new friends. … Check out our class finder to get started!

This post originally appeared on zlife.zumba.com.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Zumba