Exercising while at Disney

There are many dietary temptations while on vacation, especially a Disney vacation. It can be very difficult to stay on track. And hay - it is a vacation, you deserve that second piece of chocolate cake! I often come home from a vacation weighing several pounds more than when I left.

I talked to one person last year who felt it was easy to maintain weight and fitness goals at Disney. He believed that all the walking plus the heat burned so many calories that it didn't matter what someone consumed. In my experience? That simply isn't true.

I have found several things that help me when I'm on a Disney vacation.

1. Eat a salad at least once per day. It is hot, I don't feel like eating much anyways, and a salad can be very refreshing.  Sometimes it is difficult to select a salad when there are so many other options. Regardless, I adopt this as a rule.

2. Don't over do it in the heat. Florida in the summer isn't the time for anyone to try to prove how physically fit they are. Drink plenty of water and take many breaks. If you have any questions, talk to your doctor.

3. Walk or run. In 2014, I woke up early every day and went for a 5 mile jog. I was surprised how hard it was to jog in Florida's heat and humidity. My times and performance in Florida were way off my training and I often struggled just to breath. There were many times I just walked part of the trail. I would always return drenched in sweat and wringing out my shirt. Therefore, I always took a bottle of gator aid with me to help with hydration, and re-hydrated when I returned.

You can see my Florida Neighborhood jogging path through Indian Creek here. If you are staying on property, ask the front desk about jogging paths. You can simply walk or jog around the resort, or, they may have suggestions that could provide views normally missed.

4. Weights and Bands. If you are flying, you don't want to take weights to Disney as your luggage is weighed and you might have to pay extra. I drive, so, it is easy for me to toss a 25 or 35 pound dumbbell into the back of the van. It really doesn't take much room. I also take some rubber resistance bands, which are light and easy to pack.

5. Taking the weights and bands is one thing. Staying motivated to use them? Is something else
entirely. I would return from a jog every morning and all I wanted was a shower. I wouldn't let myself shower until after I completed some resistance training.

6. Showering after a work out. Florida is hot in the summer and if you go for a walk or a run, your body temperature will rise significantly. This has to be accounted for when taking a post-work out shower. Too hot of a shower can fatigue your body and prevent it from cooling, causing you to continue sweating for an hour after the shower. Too cold of a shower can throw your body into shock. I recommend starting with a luke-warm shower and then slowly lowering the temperature to help cool off your body and return it to normal.

Those are my tips for maintaining your diet and fitness goals while visiting Disney.