Christina gets her exercise by riding a bike through Amsterdam. No excuses for bad weather, though: There's always the hotel room

I can already hear the uncertainty of some Belles after reading the title of this article: “20-minute workout on vacation? No thank you!”

Yes, I know vacation is suppose to be about relaxing and taking a break from it all. Still, I think we can all agree on how difficult it is to get back into our normal exercise routine after returning home. Suddenly we are gasping for air after our first lap around the track and our legs turn into spaghetti while doing lunges.

Believe me ladies, we have all been there, myself included. It is easy to stop working out but much more difficult to get back into it. With that said, it is essential to stay on track while on vacation. Here is a quick 20-minute hotel workout that can be done in your room.

No equipment? No excuses! This routine is all about body weight. And did I mention it only takes 20 minutes?

30 seconds lunges on right leg
30 seconds lunges on left leg
30 seconds of squats or squat jumps*
30 seconds push-ups**
30 seconds jumping jacks
30 seconds rest

Repeat the above circuit six times, continuing to the next exercise without rest until needed (totaling 18
minutes).

Finish off with 2 minutes of abs (1 minute of crunches, 1 minute of reverse crunches).

*Come down into a squat, shifting your weight back onto your heels. I always tell my clients to act like they are squatting on a dirty toilet, so that their knees don’t go further than their toes. Yes, I know it’s not the ideal example but we Travel Belles have encountered not the cleanliest of toilets, so I know you understand. If you choose to do squat jumps, come down into squat and jump up before coming into the next set.

**Pushup can be done on your knees, but keep your booty down!

If you are unfamiliar with any of the exercises, you can easily find them on YouTube. Enjoy!

Want more travel tips for staying healthy and fit before and after vacation? Read Christina’s 5 Tips to Avoid a Travel Hangover 

Personal trainer Christina Annaheim shows us that Travel Belles can make the most of a vacation without abandoning health and fitness

After a much anticipated wait it’s finally here…vacation time! You have your trip planned, bags packed, and have stayed on a strict diet and exercise routine to fit into that teeny tiny polka dot bikini.

Upon arrival in paradise, you’re lying by the pool with a drink in hand and all kinds of decadent treats. Before you know it, you’ve spent a week overindulging in unlimited cocktails and sweets, and you realize that you’re heading home feeling a bit puffy and extra snug in your favorite pair of pants. It’s easy to end up suffering from a travel hangover.

I myself am getting ready for a three-week adventure in Indonesia. Being a huge foodie, the first thing that came to mind when booking the trip was, “Hmm, I wonder what the Indonesian food is? Oh boy, I hope they have curry!” And while I plan to indulge in the delicious cuisine, I’m also a personal trainer, so I’ll be sure to use these simple rules to avoid any vacation bulge.

1. Stick to your normal food schedule

When on vacation our normal snacks and meals aren’t as readily available as they are at home. Plan a trip to the local market to purchase some fresh produce to store in your hotel room. Having food accessible and munching on something every two to three hours will allow you to keep your blood sugar and metabolism up. Make sure to fuel your body and to eat before you are hungry so you avoid excess stuffing later on. Great snack options are fruits, vegetables and nuts.

2. Walk, walk, walk

During vacation, it may be hard to squeeze in a full-blown workout but try to plan at least a 30-minute walk each day. You can easily accomplish this, especially when out sightseeing. Opt out of using a cab and explore the city on foot. Not only will you be getting in some exercise, but there is also no better way to discover a place then to get lost in it! Also, ask your concierge about local activities that require physical fitness, such as hiking, canoeing and swimming.

3. Pack a resistance band

These amazing bands are very compact and travel-friendly; it’s like bringing weights with you without all the extra weight. Plan a 30-minute morning workout before your day starts, or spread it out throughout the day. Whenever you enter your room, do a set of bicep curls.

4. Share meals

When dining out, allow yourself to try local delicacies but opt for sharing your main meal. This way, you can have a well-portioned meal that isn’t going to leave you stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey.

5. Enjoy yourself!

Last but not least, make the most of your vacation. It goes by quick, so while you’re there do everything and anything you want to do. Wake up early to watch the sunrise and stay up late till the sun goes down. If you miss a workout or indulge in one too many cocktails or treats, keep calm and carry on. The not-so-secret “secret” is to be sure to jump right back into to your normal routine upon returning home.

Bon Voyage!

How do you avoid a “travel hangover?” 

Want more tips on staying fit before and after vacation? Read Christina’s 20 minute hotel room workout

If you spend your life in your car, then walking and riding a bicycle is different.

If you live in a very warm climate, then it is time to go ice-fishing.

If you have lived a city life for many years -then it is time for a Full Moon Paddle.

On Lake Wingra in Madison, Wisconsin, you only get to have this treat four times per year, five if you are lucky.

Spring in Wisconsin can be quite cold, chilly, capricious. Opening up your boathouse when the ice is still on the grotto: a difficult thing.
But once it is warm, there is no greater heaven on earth than a Full Moon Paddle.

Tonight I had the privilege of such a gift. Although the leaves are already changing color and the wind chill and brisk, it was the last Paddle of the season.

We went down to Wingra Park where we were greeted by a warm and lovely firepit, brownies, hot cocoa, tea and a gorgeous bank of blue clouds painting a darkening pink sky. And the breeze, the breeze. The lake smelled like fresh and June mornings and childhood and midlife and remembrance. It welcomed us, as did our hosts.

Given the choice of kayaks and canoes, we chose three canoes – there were seven of us. After the long discussion on who was Bow and who was Stern aka “Who is the control freak and who is the power paddler?,” we got into our canoes.

For an hour and a half, we floated, we glided; we listened to the wind, to the fishes last splashes, to the bats overhead…to the sweet musical hush of the paddle sliding through the water and the drip, drip as it floats above the surface for a brief second before it descends again.

Our canoes came together. We giggled, held onto each other and then we let go and went our separate ways. We explored in the darkness.

Our minds cleared. Forgotten were the electrical problems, the family worries, the approaching cold weather. All we felt, all we saw was the wind, the water, the moon and the peace.

My biggest regret is that this was the last Full Moon Paddle of the season. My biggest sadness is that I have to wait until June to do this again.

This is the best thing I have done in years.

Traveling alone for some may be a daunting thought.  Visions of your plane landing with no one to greet you at the gate make you shiver, or the thought of having dinner solo could set you into a potential, panic attack.

*photo of Turks & Caicos by Renata Parker

With a growing number of empty nesters, solo vacationing among women is becoming more mainstream and with a little homework you may not want to travel any other way.

Here are a few thoughts on going solo:

• Have a Sense of Purpose – Build your trip around one activity or event.  When traveling alone, I usually have a goal in mind.  An architectural tour in Barcelona, a photography class in Siena, or a wine tasting in Napa, there are number ideas to build a trip around.
• All About You – The good news about traveling solo is that you can do anything YOU want to do. When in another country, I’m not compelled to see every single sight.  Many times I will just soak in a day of people watching or spend a few hours in the local grocery store.
• Do Your Homework – Being prepared is important to any successful vacation.
• Solo Surcharges – You would think that it would be less expensive traveling alone.  Not always. Single supplements can impact your budget so ask before you book.
• Table for One – When making a restaurant reservation, tell the manager your seating preference.  The first time I dined alone was at the fabulous Wolseley restaurant in London.  When I arrived, the manager first ushered me to a remote table near the kitchen thinking I would feel more comfortable away from the crowd. With my heart pounding, I asked to sit smack in the middle of the dining room.  Not only did I have the best time watching people but I also felt empowered. Now, I never even think twice about dining by myself.
• Safety – Traveling alone just means being more prepared and more aware of your surroundings.  At night, go to established and recommended places. Hire a taxi from the hotel or get recommendations from your travel adviser. Find out before hopping into any car you think is a taxi. Learn about health concerns for particular countries and travel with a small first aid kit. The U.S. Government posts regular alerts for U.S. tourists traveling to different countries.
• Reach Out – Connect  with friends and family during your trip. I regularly text a friend when I’m on trips to let someone know what I’m doing.

Activities gaining popularity among independent women travelers are walking and biking trips. You don’t have to be in Olympic shape to participate. Butterfield & Robinson offers organized walking and biking tours throughout the world.  Highlights of a tour in Provence, for example, include biking through the picturesque town of St-Rémy with a chance to visit its weekly market and the pastoral landscapes of Van Gogh.

Or consider Tuscany where you can bike through the Val di Chiana to the famed Avignonesi wine estate, tour Cortona with a local artist, bike through olive groves, scenic farmland and past hillside towns to Montepulciano, Enjoy a wine tasting with an award-winning oenologist, enjoy a guided walk through Siena with an art historian and then learn how to make the perfect pizza.

SmarterTravel.com recently featured a list of the best and worst places for women to vacation alone.  Some of the best included Ireland, Amsterdam and Costa Rica. Places to use extreme caution traveling alone included Russia, Mediterranean Coast and Latin America to name a few, as well as larger cities in the U.S.

Get out of your zip code and take a solo journey made just for you. It will give you an incredible sense of freedom and renewed energy.   Explore unbeaten paths, meet someone new, and learn and see something in a whole new way.

* photos by Renata Parker and Margo Millure

Why? Well because I’m a life and weight loss coach, who happens to believe in the power of travel.

Travel intoxicates me.  Seriously, I believe I could wake up in a different part of the world every morning of my life and feel like I’ve been handed a million bucks.  In fact, the experience of travel is priceless. Once you’ve encountered a place and its people, your life is changed forever.  The culture, foods, language, art, and scenery go much deeper than the experience itself; it is forever a part of your soul.

Most specifically, I’m a devout Francophile. I study the French language as often as possible, going for it, even though my accent is horrible! My favorite French phrase is joie de vivre. In homage of sorts to this passion, my newest coaching model is:

How to French Kiss Life

Imagine this: It’s a beautiful summer morning; you wake up with energy and feeling fabulous. You look in your closet and find the cutest little sundress that screams “gorgeous.”  You step out into the world with confidence and style.  You smile at everyone you meet. You smell the roses (and tulips and honeysuckle). You eat delicious foods without guilt or remorse. You work and play with passion.

You are FRENCH kissing life baby!

“Yeah, that sounds like a dream,” I’ve heard some people remark.

But why?  Why can’t you live with that joie de vivre?

Many people focus on what they perceive as not being right in their lives: their job, marriage, weight or finances. Over the years, I’ve learned that if you habitually gaze what’s missing in your life, you can’t see what’s really there – a beautiful life ready to be French Kissed.

The coolest part? As you begin to live a life of pleasure, intention and sensuality, magical things begin to occur.

One of the most common things I see in my practice, are women who subscribe to what I call the “After I do BLANK, I will” syndrome. So accustomed to putting their lives on hold until after they lose the weight, after the children graduate, after finding the dream man, the better job, the winning lottery ticket, they miss out on the chance to embrace the beautiful thing that is their life right this minute.

Each day can be approached with a little bit of joie de vivre, regardless of whether you clean toilets for a living, are responsible for young children or elderly parents, or running a Fortune 500 company. Each moment deserves to be French Kissed, because every second is YOUR life. So, I leave you today with one suggestion for How to French Kiss your life NOW:

Pleasure and Play

“All work and no play,” is SO 1950’s.  Seriously, American puritanical culture has tried to convince us that anything short of an 80 hour work week means we’re lazy. People walk around feeling overworked, overstressed, and guilty about wanting to work less and play more.  Take one look at the amount of depression and disease in our society, and you will clearly see that this mindset is not working for most of us.  Something’s gotta give, and I think it’s the need for more pleasure and play in our lives.  Plus, if you want to make the argument for a hard working lifestyle, adding play actually increases productivity.  Just ask Tim Ferris. He’s perfected the play/work lifestyle.

So what kind of play brings you pleasure? Dancing around the kitchen while you cook a gourmet meal? Curling up on the couch with a good book or watching a movie? A vigorous game of tennis? My best advice to you, whatever it is, even if it’s just for a few minutes, to start today.

Here’s To Your Health!