Ah, summer vacation. We fantasize about it all winter long, and we count down the days until we pack up and finally hit the road. Sitting on a beach with a drink in your hand is a great way to pamper yourself, unwind, and recharge. Whether you’re traveling abroad to sightsee or relaxing on a tropical island, one thing about vacations is certain: routines get thrown out the window – especially fitness routines!

While we’re all for an enjoyable, relaxing break from the real world, we believe a fun vacation doesn’t have to ruin your health and fitness progress you’ve worked so hard for. Try out some of these ideas to keep yourself active while vacationing or traveling:

Walking is incredible exercise. It’s effective, free, and can be done practically anywhere. Walking is also an enjoyable form exercise because it can be social and stress-relieving. Regular walkers reduce their risks for cardiovascular disease and obesity, and enjoy other health benefits like stronger bones and muscles and improved moods.

If you like walking but are looking to burn more calories, tone muscle, or just intensify your walking routine, try out some of these suggestions to transform your walk into a full-body workout.

Everyone gets stressed out. It’s a normal part of life – but that doesn’t mean you should just deal with it! There are many techniques, activities, and therapies that can help relieve stress, but exercise just might be the most beneficial way to naturally reduce stress.

Why? Physical activity reduces cortisol levels (your body’s stress hormone). Getting active and breaking a sweat causes your body to produce endorphins, which help your body and mind relax. You can expect better sleep, a clear mind, and an improved mood thanks to a stress-relieving workout session.

While any exercise will naturally reduce stress, we want to share with you seven exercise activities that specifically act to connect mind and body – promoting an instant feeling of calmness and wellbeing. These physical activities provide a good workout for your body while also being relaxing and therapeutic.

Try out one of these stress-relieving exercises the next time you need an instant pick-me-up:

Finishing that last rep and walking out of the gym is truly the best feeling. You’re buzzing with endorphins, feeling energized, and ready to take on the world! But, about 12 to 24 hours later, sore and stiff muscles begin to put a damper on your day.

If you’re like most people, getting sore is the worst part about exercise. It causes pain and discomfort that can distract you throughout the day. It might also make your next gym visit sound a bit too unpleasant to follow through with. Luckily, soreness from working out can be prevented. It just takes a little bit of knowledge and a few extra steps in your workout routine to keep your muscles feeling good and ready for your next gym session.

Keep reading to learn how to prevent sore muscles from exercise and how to help soothe already sore muscles:

You know you should regularly exercise to live a long, healthy life. But how much should you be exercising, and how often? You can find a lot of information about exercise from the web or from your friends, but a lot of the time, most of that information is conflicting. Should you be working out for an hour a day or 30 minutes a day? And what about those commercials that claim their equipment will get you in shape after only 15 minutes a day?

The truth is, how much you should be exercising really depends on your fitness goals. Are you just looking to be healthy? Do you want to lose weight? Are you trying to gain muscle? The first step in determining how much you should be exercising is by setting a goal and starting at your own pace to get into the groove of things.

To make it easier for you, here is a general guideline of how much you should be exercising. Of course, these are just general rules for most adults without any health conditions. You should always check with your doctor first before determining a fitness routine that is right for you.

We all know that exercise can transform your body and physical appearance. It lowers blood pressure, melts off excessive pounds, and builds muscle. But did you know that regular exercise also improves your brain function and mental health? 

As we get older, our brains begin losing neurons and eventually our brain tissue starts shrinking. Physical activity can help combat the effects of an aging brain and keep it sharper longer. As for mental and emotional health, exercise releases certain chemicals in your brain that help boost feelings of happiness and wellbeing.

While there are many reasons to regularly exercise and live an active lifestyle, the positive effects that exercise has on the brain and mental health might just be enough reason to get up and get moving today. Read on to learn just how beneficial exercise is to your brain and mental health:

We’ll admit, it’s tough to be active in an office. Traditional office spaces don’t provide employees with many opportunities for movement and physical activity. Most adults spend the majority of the weekdays slumped over in a chair staring at a computer screen. The negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle are shocking – it’s even known to be more dangerous than smoking.

As an employer, you have the power and resources to help your employees get moving. One of the easiest ways to do this is by encouraging them to walk more. Walking is an effective and simple way to get back into shape and stay in shape. Research has shown that regular walks help reduce the risk of chronic disease, control weight, and increase energy and productivity – just to name a few!

If you want your employees to be healthier, you want them to move more. But how can you promote walking in a traditional office space? Here are a few ideas for you:

You should never, ever feel afraid to exercise. If you have made it a goal to become more fit, healthier, or just exercise more, the gym can be your best friend–and it should be! Unfortunately, for a lot of people, simply entering the gym is harder and scarier than the workout itself.

Gym intimidation is common, and it affects many people regardless of age, fitness level, gender, or size. The feeling of judgement can hold people back from becoming healthier, more confident, and happier.

Whether you’ve never been to a gym before or you just started at a new gym, you may find yourself nervous, overwhelmed, or even dreadful. Gym intimidation takes the fun and rewarding feeling out of exercising–but please don’t let it stop you!

Here are five reminders that will help you conquer gym intimidation and get you focused back on what’s really important, your health and wellness:

Healthy employees provide companies with a wide array of benefits. They tend to be more productive, less stressed, and take less sick days. A key factor in employee health is nutrition – which is why you want your employees to eat well.

We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat," and this saying might be especially true in the workplace. What your employees eat fuels and powers their days at the office. If you want your employees to feel energized, focused, and productive, you’ll want them to eat a nutritious, balanced diet that supplies them with the nourishment their bodies need to succeed.

When your employees eat healthily and practice healthy eating habits, they are helping their brains and bodies function better. Read on to learn how good nutrition will positively affect your employees and their work performance:

Switching to healthier eating habits may involve re-stocking your kitchen, and it may be difficult to know where to start. By focusing on healthy food staples, you can keep your grocery list simple and feel confident that healthy nutritional choices will always be readily available.

Keeping your kitchen stocked with healthy food staples will encourage you to choose nutritious foods throughout the week and help you steer clear of any poor nutritional choices.