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| Wherever we may travel water views always present a photo op. |
It’s not always possible to find a fitness center nearby our vacation rental. Many remote areas we visit don’t have fitness centers at all when many of the locals don’t have cars and walk up and down steep hills all day and tackle varying degrees of backbreaking work in their jobs and day to day lives. They certainly don’t need to workout nor can they afford the cost.
I often wonder what fitness-minded ex-pats and foreigner temporary residents do for fitness, although many may scuba dive and partake in a variety of activities that may suffice during short visits.
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| A bridge across the pond. |
Here are stats from the US from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition:
- Only one in three children are physically active every day.
- Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day; only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.
- Only 35 – 44% of adults 75 years or older are physically active, and 28-34% of adults ages 65-74 are physically active.
- More than 80% of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, and more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough aerobic physical activity to meet the guidelines for youth.
Based on the above stats, many travelers and ex-pats may not be as interested in fitness as I am or as I may assume, making the availability of fitness centers less important in many resort areas.
Some resorts and hotels have workout facilities which would most likely be adequate for my needs with many “all-inclusive” resorts, unwelcoming to “outsiders,” even for a fee.
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| A walkway to another area of the Arts Village. We toured every nook and cranny. |
The more outsider-welcoming resorts and hotels with workout facilities in more remote locations require a taxi fare making working out not as feasible when added to the cost of the temporary membership. In Kauai, we had a rental car and could easily drive to the golf course we joined for the pool and fitness center.
The cost for that fitness membership was USD $225, FJD $533 a month. If we’d had to add taxi fare, the total cost would be impractical for our budget. As a result, we decide on a case by case basis.
The last location where I had access to a fitness center was Trinity Beach, Australia, our stay ending in early September. Once we arrived in Savusavu with no fitness centers in the area and at only the all-inclusive resorts, options were non-existent. Living at the top of the steep mountainous road made walking in the neighborhood literally impossible.
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| Walkways are often uneven with potential tripping hazards, particularly for seniors. |
Although seemingly less significant, I didn’t clean or do laundry with the included daily household help and spent considerable hours each day relatively inactive. This didn’t serve me well. I’m feeling out of shape, more so than I have since the onset of our travels.
Now that we’re living on flat ground walking is definitely on the agenda, daily if possible, weather permitting. In the mornings and at dusk the mozzies are in full force. After completing the day’s post a walk is definitely in order.
Walking on rock covered roads is not necessarily a strenuous exercise while attempting to avoid falling or turning an ankle. Tom, having walked on rough terrain most of his life, is certainly more surefooted than I am. In our travels, we’ve certainly done our fair share of walking on rough terrain and have been fortunate to avoid any major injuries.
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| A hostel for backpackers or budget-minded travelers. |
However, we never take for granted that we’re not exempt from tripping or falling while walking. The more fit we are, the less likelihood of a fall. A bad injury from a fall could put a fast end to our travels. How many seniors do we all know who’s been injured falling ending up in rehab centers and becoming immobile for the remainder of their lives?
In a little over three weeks, we’ll be on the ship where an ideal fitness center will get me back on track on my high-intensity interval training (HIIT). I can hardly wait for that reason along with all the other benefits of cruising we both so well enjoy.
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| Unique colorful lily pad flowers. |
By the time we get off the ship, I’ll be on my way to restoring my former level of fitness, stability, and strength. In most cases, I’ve found that I can recover a good degree of fitness in three weeks of HIIT training.
Luckily, the area we’ll be living in New Zealand and the fact that we’ll have a rental car will enable me to join a not-to-far-away fitness center. In researching online, we’ve found several fitness centers within a 25-minute drive of the farm.
The next big working out challenge will be in Bali where we’ll have a household staff of four including a cook. Luckily, with the huge infinity pool, I’ll be able to swim and exercise in the pool. The pool at this house isn’t quite long enough for fitness based swimming although, pool exercises are easily accomplished.
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| Shops in Pacific Harbour at Arts Village. |
Along with the many other challenges of changing our environment every few months, finding a fitness plan that works while on the move is crucial. I doubt I will ever allow myself to become as unfit as in Savusavu.
Although, I easily maintain my weight through my way of eating, working out has had nothing to do with weight control. Working out for a least an hour a day for most of my adult life never contributed to any weight controlling benefits. It has always been the “hand to mouth” aspect of life that determined my weight.
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| Tom on the walkway. |
In the future, as we book more new locations, we need to do more research on the availability of walking in the neighborhood and fitness centers. I’m not unlike most of the rest of us…it’s hard to stay motivated to workout at home without the regime dictated by paying for and driving to a fitness center.
Today, I’m excited for tonight’s dinner date with my hubby which we haven’t done since October 31st, on our travel anniversary. We’ve chosen a popular local beachside restaurant planning to arrive before dark to ensure we’re able to get good photos to share here tomorrow. We’ll also take photos of our food and the menu.
Back at you soon. Have a great weekend wherever you may be and keep moving!
Photo from one year ago today, December 12, 2014:
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| With cooler temperatures on this side of Big Island, there weren’t a huge number of bathers in the tide pool at Ahalanui Park but our brave family members tackled the cool water. For more details, please click here. |