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Hey Reader,

I'm writing to you from my local library. We're up at the cabin for July but right now, the cabin doesn't have internet. It's been a somewhat low-tech summer.

It's not a terrible thing to be without internet, but it does require some recalibration. We watch movies on DVD's we borrow from the library. We play outside when it's not a torrential downpour like it is today. We do puzzles and read books and build forts and try not to drive one another bonkers by being in close proximity 24/7.

I think this idea applies to most things that come with being on vacation.

How you eat changes when you're on vacation. Your daily routine changes. When you wake up and fall asleep (my children are currently incapable for falling asleep before 10:30pm....it's a little bananas).

But with each of these things, you simply adapt to what best supports you on vacation. You recalibrate and work with what you have.

The same should be true for movement. So why does it seem so much harder to adjust and make movement a part of vacation life than the other things?

This leads me to my Movement Snack this week.

Movement Snack this week:

There are so many reasons why movement tends to fall by the wayside on vacation. Part of it is simply because you might see movement as a chore -- necessary but sometimes annoying and not usually fun. So if you're on vacation from the hard stuff in life (like work), you get to take a vacation from movement, too, right?

Or it might simply be that trying to figure out how or where to move your body in a cramped hotel room or a beach rental you're sharing with other families feels difficult. You don't have weights with you. Or a yoga mat. And the hotel gym is gross. Or you don't want to go for a run in an unfamiliar city.

There are just so many obstacles.

So I figured I'd share some of the things I do when I'm on vacation and have limited space, fewer heavy weights, and want to still enjoy my vacation.

Work with what you have

This means that since I have lighter weights than I'd typically use for my legs, I do single leg exercises like lunges or single leg deadlifts. And I focus more on upper body, since the weights I have at the cabin are still challenging for upper body. You can see an example of this in this short video I created here.

No weights? Use your body!

I add a lot of bodyweight exercises into the mix. You can use a bench or even a hotel chair for many of these and lots of body weight strength exercises work well in smaller spaces. You can see an example of this in this short video I created here.

Get playful and creative

I tend to spend a lot more time outside when we're up at the cabin. On a stand up paddleboard, in a kayak, going for hikes. All of that counts as movement! Not all movement has to be structured. When my son challenges me to a race, I do it. This is more just a friendly reminder that if your schedule is all over the place and daily structured movement doesn't work, figure out other ways that do work for you to move!

Question of the day:

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

I look forward to hearing about your favorite ice cream and hopefully see you on the mat soon, too!

Warmly,

Naomi

Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways:

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I also recently published my monthly What Moved Me column, which is chock full of book, movie, and music recommendations, among other things. Read it here!​

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