After a long and cold winter up here in Canada, I knew that I wanted to take full advantage of the warm weather while I was in Siesta Key, Florida. Before I left for the trip, I looked up different fitness events and classes in the area to see if there was anything that sparked my interest.
Right away I saw something that was up my alley…
Most days we had an activity planned that the whole family would like to do, so it was nice to take a breather some mornings and do a little yoga. I felt much more relaxed and centered after each class. I would definitely go to this often if I lived there.
Another activity that I took advantage of while I was there was running. It had been five months since I last had a chance to run outdoors and I relished the opportunity. Its amazing that I only started running last spring, but I already love the feeling of going for one. I’m not a fast runner by any means, but I keep on going anyways!
I started my run on the beach and then made my way back through the neighbourhoods. I saw so many things that I would never see at home! – sandpipers running along the beach, hula girl dolls along kitchen windows, little lizards running across the sidewalks, boats coming in through the canals. There was no shortage of things to keep me interested! This is one of the great motivators for taking a run while I’m on vacation – you’ll always see things you won’t see at home. Plus, running shoes are just about one of the easiest things to toss in your bag and you can do it just about anywhere.
Being on vacation with my siblings also meant that I wanted to take the time to do some of my exercising with them too. We ended up renting a few kayaks for $25 each and headed down to Turtle Beach.
It had been years since I’d been in one, but both my brother and sister have been going regularly on trips, so they were quick to help me out. I didn’t even fall in once!
We kayaked for about three hours, working our way through a series of mangroves around the Jim Neville Marine Preserve. We didn’t see any manatees or dolphins, but there were plenty of fish and birds to watch. We even took a little break and pulled our kayaks up onto a secluded beach for a little lunch break. It was so much fun and it felt great to do a fun activity that I don’t usually get to do at home.
Another form of exercise that is great to do on vacation is going for a bike ride. Not only to your get to fit in a little heart pumping action, but it also gives you the chance to explore the area that you are visiting.
When we arrived at the rental house they had a couple of bikes, but they needed to be pumped up with air.
This is one of the great things about having a brother who is handy. He can take care of the things that you just don’t want to do 😉
I had a great time riding around the island with my brother. We’d go along the surf in the beach (and inevitably get soaked), then we’d work our way through the different neighbourhoods, along the canals and eventually make it back home in time to do the next step…
In honour of my vacation, this week’s playlist theme is full of beachy songs. The perfect motivations to gear up for bikini season!
I’m impressed you didn’t fall out of those kayaks. My parents have one like that and it is definitely the most unstable one. Looks like you had a really good, activity filled trip!