Exercising While on Vacation: A break from work doesn't mean taking a break from fitness

Everyone looks forward to that one or two weeks out of the year when they get to take a break from their daily work or at-home duties and go on vacation. Vacation is the perfect time to relax, unwind and have a great time with friends and family.

The lure of rich meals, fruity drinks and endless hours of lying by the pool are hard temptations to resist while on vacation. And after all, you are on vacation so you owe it to yourself,.in moderation. Your vacation is your time and it's fine to indulge a bit but it's also important to get up and moving so that you don't pay the price once you get home.

While vacation is a time to unwind and relax, it is not necessarily a time to take a break from your daily fitness routines. Just because you are away from your gym, doesn't mean that you can't get your exercise elsewhere.

Being on vacation is a great time to try something different with your cardio workout. Remembering to keep your routine different each day will help you to enjoy your vacation and exercise even more.

Here are a couple guidelines for staying fit and active while on vacation found on MSNBC.

Change your vacation brain- Consider your hiatus from work as an opportunity to be more active and try new things. Oftentimes you'll have more time for exercise when traveling because there's no housework, laundry or long meetings to attend. Try to do something active every day on vacation, even if it's only dancing in the disco. Include one calorie-burning (and fun) activity in your itinerary each day, such as snorkeling, kayaking or even hula classes, and aim for a manageable 30 minutes.

Be active early- Allow yourself a couple days to sleep in then try to get out of bed early and do an activity that's related to where you are, such as taking a walk on a beach, riding a bike around town or hiking in the hills. If I don't go first thing, it's easy to get too busy. Find a local activity you love and do it early in the day. Or pack running shoes, shorts and a sports bra to turn any vacation spot into a beautiful scenic workout trail.

You can also try these great cardio workouts while on vacation:

Surfing, swimming or snorkeling: While you may not be the “hang ten” type, even attempting surfing can be an excellent form of exercise. Snorkeling is more laid back and still provides a great workout and we all know that swimming is an excellent form of exercise for all of your major muscle groups.

Walking or running on the beach: Experts have said that walking or running on the beach burns more calories than running or walking on a flat surface, thereby making this an excellent vacation workout for anyone.

Biking: Biking trails and biking in general is a great form of exercise and it a great way to get around on vacation. You won't be burning up gas in a car to get around and you'll be giving your body a pretty intense workout.

Hiking: Many families choose the outdoors instead of the beach for their vacation, which allows for another great workout by hiking trails and through the mountains. Adding elevation and a backpack to your hike helps you to burn additional calories.

Beach volleyball: You don't have to be a professional volleyball player in order to get a great workout by playing beach volleyball. Besides burning more than 150 calories per hour, playing beach volleyball is a great way to meet some new people while on vacation.

Play golf: Many of you are probably saying, “Play golf? Now that's up my alley.” You may not realize this, but playing golf is an excellent form or exercise and is also a great way to relax the day away while you are on vacation. By carrying your clubs and walking the course, you can burn 200 to 300 calories per hour and you'll be exercising even though you might not realize it.

Shopping: Yes, men, believe it or not, when your lady decides to take a day out of vacation and get some shopping in, she is actually getting in a pretty decent work out. While this workout is a leisurely one it can still be a good form of exercise with all of the walking and heavy lifting/carrying that could ensue.

So whether you decide to hit up the beach volleyball court and try your hand at surfing, or if you just go shopping and take a walk on the beach, there are plenty of ways that you can get a good workout while you are on vacation.

This way, when you return home you will not only be well rested, but you won't be out any fitness time and can jump right back into your normal routine without starting fresh.