Justin G. Walls, Certified Personal Athletic Trainer

Sounds challenging? Not really. It requires some preparation. First off: you need to have some "me" time even on vacation. You may be with friends, family, whatever. Block out 30 minutes as "me" time. Second: shut off or put away the smartphone. They are great for keeping tabs on business while away, but for 30 minutes, you can "get away." Third: Locate the exercise area. Some facilities have a complimentary gym. If there isn't a gym. then you can try to find a local gym and ask about a day pass. Last resort: go for a run outside, initiate your own individual boot camp, or run up and down the stairs where you are staying. The worst thing that can happen is getting out of the routine. Vacationing should relieve stress from work. Stress causes tightening of blood vessels that can be counteracted through regular exercise. You have got to learn to love activity on your vacation time. Find something that you like, and go at it for 30 minutes.You will l...

People always ask, "How much exercise do I need to get?" There are actually different answers to that question: Average healthy adult under 65: The ACSM recommended  minimum exercise is 30 minutes of cumulative activity, five days every week. That's either 30 minutes on a treadmill, walking, jogging, or whatever activity that is a) cardiovascular and b) moderate intensity. This recommendation of ACSM is approved by many national health organizations, including the American Heart Assoc. (AHA) Strength training: Strength training makes a body look strong, lean, and upright with good posture. Strength training also has the important benefit of averting lean muscle loss. Lean tissue atrophies after age 25 in both men and woman, but takes a precipitous loss in men after 35 years of age. Weight lifting and axial loading stimulates bone growth, which is important as the rates of occurance in osteoporosis have become more common and prevelent in both genders at very young ages...

This isn't exactly a chance to fight Apollo Creed for the heavyweight championship of the world, but it is an opportunity to work on cardiovascular endurance, speed, coordination, bone density, and self-esteem. Let's talk about each of these life-changing benefits: Cardiovascular Endurance It cannot be stressed enough that the best way to prevent the onset of obesity and all of its negative attributes is by engaging in regular exercise . The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes each day, five days every week. Regular endurance training enables the heart to become more efficient at pumping blood, even if there are no noticeable signs of physical improvement. The heart gets stronger with every endurance workout. Here's the great thing about martial arts and boxing- lots of continual movement equals anywhere from moderate to intense exercise. Speed and Coordination As a conditioning term, speed refers to how quickly you can get from point A to poin...