How can you keep wellness a top priority, connect with a loved one, and consider your vacation one of the best? How can a vacation be another opportunity to get your sleep, work on stress tolerance, exercise, eat for fuel, and connect with someone important to you?

I’ll admit it: I stumbled on this one. When I shared with friends how our daughter Rachel and I spent our Christmas and Spring Break vacation with non-negotiable training time, they suggested I share it with you, Stylebook readers. Maybe you, too, can find some wellness in your time away from Alexandria? 

My goal is to encourage you to find ways to make wellness FUN! It doesn’t have to feel like punishment or a “chore.” In fact, I believe prioritizing your wellness while on vacation can actually make the trip more memorable. Plus, when we start a new habit on vacation, it is more likely to stick.

We know this much: new habits are more easily created when we are away from our normal environment. For Rachel and I, we created some new habits while away from home! Over the Christmas holiday, we either began or wrapped up our days with a gym workout in our hotel. We set a goal of a certain number of push-ups by a certain date, and we both believe this motivated both of us.

In the Cotton household, our teens have different school holidays, different vacation activity preferences, and definitely different ways they like to have fun. This Spring Break was no different. It was the second time we separated to provide them -and us - a break from the rigors of school and athletics and find activities each of them would like.

For Spring Break, Rachel and I chose to “go home” to Huntington Beach, California, also known as “Surf City,” so we could get in some serious beach time and see our beloved baseball team, the Anaheim Angels, play twice. I grew up down the street from Angel Stadium (and Huntington Beach), and our family visits Southern California at least once each year. The Cotton teens call it their second home.

William and Bill chose San Diego County. San Diego gave them another go at sailing next to dozens of military ships (for our military buff teen boy) and for the up-close-and-personal sea life exploration, especially in La Jolla with the sea lions.

On our flight to Southern California, Rachel set some goals for her own training in her sport. To get there, she built in a goal of 20 push-ups and three chin-ups by summer. She wanted to improve her bumping game for spring volleyball in high school next year. Last, she wanted to “up” her endurance game in swim. What better way to accomplish all of these than the soft sand sprints beach? 🤣 🤣

Rachel threw a tennis ball in her suitcase, and we bought a beach volleyball upon arrival. Here is my perspective of the world on Day One:

For each of our five beach days, we promised each other we would complete at least three rounds of the following exercise.

Our daily warm-up:

·      Toss the tennis ball by the shoreline for at least 30 minutes

·      Bump the volleyball on the soft sand for 20 minutes. Try it: it is tough!

The rounds were:

• Run from one lifeguard stand to the next on the soft sand without stopping. followed by a shoreline (hard sand) sprint

• 10 push-ups at the end (five with one leg; five with the other)

• 10 squats

• Repeat three to five times

How did we get motivated to do a workout on the beach?

• We alternated push-up rounds so we could cheer on the other person!

• Although not my style of coaching, Rachel suggested we insist on the workout if the other partner wasn’t in the mood, not giving up until the partner relented. Frankly, I must admit, it worked!

• We had the beauty of the Pacific Ocean motivating us too!

We made sleep a priority. We took long beach walks and cruiser rides along the Huntington Beach boardwalk. We giggled at being on the jumbotron at the Angels game. But, more than anything else, we laughed!

We want to help you (and your team!) take charge of your health and wellness and make it FUN. Here are two ways you can get started today: https://alexandriawellness.com/#takecharge. If you’re interested in joining our Small Group Concierge program, email us at contact@alexandriawellness.com. We have almost filled our 6am session and are quickly filling our lunchtime group. You’ll have a built-in community of others seeking holistic wellness!