Tag Archives: vacation

STAY FIT ON VACATION

WORKOUT ROUTINE ON VACATION?   
NO THANK YOU.   
BUT WE ARE ACTIVE IN THE ADVENTURE

Whether you work the gym into your weekly routine, attend exercise classes, work with a trainer or workout at home, you have intentionally added fitness to your routine. I hope you have found a workout program that is efficient in getting you to your goals, is safe in preventing injuries and building your body stronger, not tearing it down and is something you enjoy doing.  Even still, it’s part of your routine.

In normal life, we workout to reach a goal – weather it’s to decrease body fat, strengthen muscle, improve cardiovascular system, or provide a “home” we can live in that will support our lifestyle and help us to live to the fullest… and the list goes on.

When I’m on vacation, however, you will not find me in a typical hotel gym or visiting a familiar health club to get in a workout.  Nope.  The essence of vacation is to pause all (or as much) of life that produces stress and requires diligent focus, right?  You know, all the routines and demands of life.   It’s a time to rest, gain new perspective and refresh the soul.  I believe this to be good and true for you physically as well as mentally.  Now if you de-stress and “relax” at the gym – more power to ya!

HOWEVER

I am NOT implying that vacations need to be lazy.  NOT. AT. ALL!  Vacation should also include adventure, and this is where activity happens.  Staying ACTIVE on vacation can be a lot of fun and will push your body in ways it’s not use to!  At the end of the day, this mind set will remove the guilt that accompanies “missing a workout”.  Guilt can be replaced by fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment knowing that you’ve challenged your body beyond it’s norm.  I like to think of this like a “free” workout”!  And you will be able to return back to your normal routine once you get home without missing a beat.

FOR EXAMPLE…

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FITNESS RETREAT 2014

MEET MY PARTNER IN CRIME FOR 
HEALTH & FITNESS VACATIONS
LAURA LEA OF LLBALANCED.COM
 
SHE IS AN AWESOME HOLISTIC CHEF FROM NASHVILLE.  
SHE IS CERTIFIED AS A NATURAL FOODS AND HEALTH SUPPORTIVE CHEF AND CONSULTS AND LEADS WORKSHOPS AROUND TOWN TO TEACH AND ENCOURAGE US TO LIVE INTENTIONALLY.  READ MORE ABOUT HER SERVICES AND CLASSES HERE.

I ATTENDED ONE OF LAURA LEA’S FOOD WORKSHOPS IN BRENTWOOD- IT WAS GREAT!  SHE TALKED ABOUT FITNESS FOODS AND HAD SOME OF THE YUMMIEST SAMPLES FOR US TO TRY.  AFTER SPENDING A FEW MINUTES TOGETHER, WE QUICKLY REALIZED WE HAVE THE SAME VISION AND GOALS FOR OUR CLIENTS. WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT SETTING YOU UP WITH TOOLS TO SUCCEED IN ACHIEVING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL.  WE LIKE PEOPLE AND WANT TO SEE A HEALTHIER AMERICA.  

FAST FORWARD TO NOW AND WE LEAD HEALTH & FITNESS RETREATS!   

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK A TRIP, EMAIL
ashley@ashleybensonfitness.com

I KNOW, RIGHT???
SO HERE ARE A FEW DETAILS ABOUT THIS LIFE-CHANGING WEEK:
 
FITNESS:  WE WILL HAVE APPROXIMATELY 9 WORKOUTS.  I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING:  “WHAT KIND OF VACATION IS THAT!?!?!”  WELL LET ME TELL YOU- EVERY WORKOUT WILL NOT BE A KILLER.  YOU WILL LEARN TO WORKOUT SMARTER AND YOU WILL LEAVE ENJOYING EXERCISE IF YOU DON’T ALREADY.   SOME OF THE WORKOUTS WILL AIM AT BUILDING STRENGTH, SOME WILL PUSH ENDURANCE AND COORDINATION, AND MANY WILL PROMOTE HEALING AND RECOVERY.  YOU WILL LEARN A LOT AND BE ABLE TO APPLY IT TO YOUR ROUTINE WHEN YOU RETURN HOME.  
 

I AM VERY EXCITED TO INTRODUCE THE GROUP TO THE NEW TYE4® FROM TheMethod Pilates – WEARABLE RESISTANCE!!!  WE WILL USE IT IN OUR FITNESS SESSIONS… AND YOU WILL BE TAKING IT HOME!!!

IN THE KITCHEN:  LAURA LEA WILL BE COACHING US.  SHE WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS LIKE, “SHOULD I EAT BEFORE I EXERCISE?”  AND “WHAT AND WHEN SHOULD I EAT AFTER I WORKOUT? ”  SHE WILL ALSO BE TEACHING US PRACTICAL MEALS WE CAN MAKE DURING A NORMAL WEEK TO FUEL OUR ENERGY AND PRODUCTIVITY.  YES THIS IS A HEALTHY VACATION… AND YES THERE WILL BE REAL DESSERT!  CHECK OUT LAURA LEA’S BLOG TO GET EXCITED ABOUT HER RECIPES. 
 
WE WILL COME HOME FROM THIS TRIP REFRESHED, INSPIRED AND EMPOWERED! 
FOR MORE INFORMATION  
EMAIL

“This was the MOST AWESOME VACATION.  I would encourage anyone debating to sign up! It was like vacations should be:  fun and relaxing and inspiring and you get to come home with new energy and outlook instead of the usual needing a vacation after your vacation!”                                                          Kay Walker – Nov. 2012 trip

Click HERE  to see the NOVEMBER 2012 trip.

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLAND SAILING TRIP 2011

 
We are having some cold dreary weather here in Tennessee, so I pulled out this video recap I put together after our 2011 British Virgin Islands sailing trip.  Watching this made me warm and happy inside 🙂  Thought I’d share in case any of you need to escape to the Islands!

TYE4® PILATES VIDEO – DEMO

In this video I am doing a Pilates sequence using the TYE4® in a 
LEG BUNGEE FRONT CROSS (LBFC) position.
 
Basically, you will put the right foot strap on the LEFT foot 
and the LEFT foot strap on the RIGHT foot.  
The bungees will cross in the front near your core. 
 
I do not use the arm bungees in this sequence, so I have tied them around my waist to get them out of the way.

Using TYE4 while doing Pilates is like doing Reformer Pilates.  The bungees are the springs. That’s pretty fantastic.  If you have a TYE4, I hope you will try this!  For more TYE4 info, check out TheMethodPilates.com
 
Buy TYE4 $75
email ashley@ashleybensonfitness.com

We will be using TYE4 on 
HEALTH & FITNESS VACATIONS  
Consider being a part of this unique, life changing opportunity.
 
Get a group of 8-10 people… book your week retreat… and get your trip for FREE!
 
ALL INCLUSIVE
WORKOUTS ON THE BEACH
WORKOUTS ON THE ROOFTOP
COACHING IN THE KITCHEN
CHEMICAL-FREE HOME WORKSHOPS
FABULOUS POOL & HOT TUB
SPA MOMENTS and more
 

Being Good on Vacation Part 1 – SPARK SLUSH

Well Hello!!!  
I’m home now from a month of vacationing.  Well, it wasn’t ALL vacation.  I did work some while I was gone.  As you can see, I didn’t do much blogging, but I did take lots of pictures 🙂  Now I want to share with you some ways I stayed healthy while traveling.  
 
IT’S REALLY HARD TO BE GOOD!
It’s possible, we just have to get creative.  
 
While I was in Texas, we took a weekend trip to the beach.  Port Aransas was our destination and it was a lot of fun in the sun.  And guess what???  We found the BEST SHAVED ICE place there on the island.  I’m serious… may be the best in all the earth!?!?!?
I mean, really.  
This is just one tiny part of the menu.
thePROBLEM
It’s all sugar… and I’m not eating sugar!!!  
OH, WHY ME!!!!!
 
After discovering that this was in fact the best shaved ice on planet, the kids decided to visit it as many times as possible while we were there.  I allowed myself 1 real snow cone, and I chose COFFEE WITH CREAM.  After all, I would order that at a coffee house 🙂  
After that trip I had to get creative.
Oh my it was fabulous! 
 So here’s what I did the rest of our trips to the best shaved ice place in the world…
 
I made
ADVOCARE
SPARK SHAVED ICE!
1 bottle of water
1 cup of fluffy shaved ice
1 scoop of ADVOCARE SPARK
(Spark is a vitamin energy drink
 
It was amazing and here’s how I did it
If you want to be a part of our 24 Day Challenge Group, shoot me an email and we’ll connect and get you set up on a customized 24 Day Challenge package perfect for reaching your goals! 

Vacation Part 1 and Fitmark Guest Post

I’m on vacation!!!!!!  My kids and I are staying at my parents house – for 3 weeks!  They live in the coolest little German town called Gruene, home of Gruene Hall – the oldest dance hall in Texas!  It’s really in New Braunfels, which is in between San Antonio and Austin.  If you are ever in the area, you need to get here.  There are 2 rivers to tube on – we will be doing that! – and a ginormous water park called Schlitterbahn.  Yes we will be going there too and yes I spelled it right, even though my computer doesn’t think so.  Anyway, spending the summers at this water park has turned us into water park snobs.  Seriously, it has 3 different campuses, 2 up hill water slides, a simulated surfing attraction,  tube slides, family raft rides, 3 lazy rivers… one with waves, and a LOT more.  New Braunfels also has the cutest park where the spring fed river (the Comal) starts and deer all over the place that will eat out of our hands.  I love it here.  I will share pictures over the next few weeks.  

I’m actually calling this a working vacation.  I get to meet my friends over at HYPERWEAR in Austin for the first time and I will also be taking a weekend trip to New York… by myself!!!!!  in a week for Tye4® Pilates Certification!  I’m pumped about that for sure.  I’ll be sharing my adventures here on the blog.

Oh yeah, if you get a second, cruise on over to FITMARK and read the lastest post I wrote for them… 
Like it and Share it!  
Thanks!

Get FIT With Your Kids

SUMMER TIME!  
SUMMER TIME!
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

I’m sure you are making plans for vacation, parties and pool time this summer.  In the mist of your planning, why don’t you add in some activities to do with your kids that encourage health?

IDEAS
1.  Get your kids involved in making the DIY stuff for your home (cleaners, bug sprays, tooth paste and deodorant to name a few) I will start publishing what we are making in June.  My kids are having a blast helping me with this project, and seem to want to use our cleaners more often when they had a part in making them!  🙂  I will take all the help I can get around here.  Can I get an AMEN? My son especially loves getting involved when our recipe tells us to mix baking soda and vinegar! 

2.  Grow something with them.  The kids are more open to eating veggies when they’ve been a part of growing them.  If you do have a hard time getting your kiddo’s to eat healthy, read this guest blog I wrote for Hyperwear.  I tell all about some of my secrets 🙂  Hehe

3.  Find ways to workout with them.  Bring them along to some PILATES CLASSES this summer, sign up for family PERSONAL TRAINING, or get out in your yard and PLAY!  

In this picture, I am doing a workout with my kids using Hyperwear SANDBELLS.  They create a GREAT workout and it feels more like playing when using them.  And they are SAFE for kids to use! 

These videos show a few games I created to play with my kids.  
4. One more idea, bring your kids along on a FITNESS VACATION!  It’s never to early, or late to develop a love for a healthy lifestyle. 

I hope this is the BEST SUMMER EVER filled with adventure,  memories, lots of REST & RELAXATION, and HEALTH!!!

Pick-A-Stick Workout

HERE’S A FUN WAY TO WORKOUT:
CREATE YOUR OWN ROUTINE! 
  1. Have a hard time getting to the gym
  2. Can’t find an hour to workout in the week
  3. Get board of your normal workout routine
  4. Want to learn some new exercises
These are the exercises I have added to my workout.  You should customize your exercises to work with your fitness level, access to equipment, and space.  
thePROGRAM
This can also be customized for YOU!  
Depending on the day, I will commit to
  1. Picking one stick every hour between 7 am and 7 pm.
  2. Picking 3 sticks in the morning and 3 in the evening
You get the idea.  Make this work for you!  
The goal is to stay active, challenge your body beyond its normal load and have fun!

WHAT’S ON MY STICKS…
Standard Squat 50
Squat Jumps 50
Wall Sits 1 minute
Tye4® Legs – demo video here

Calf Raise 15 slow/10 fast/ 3 foot positions

Reverse Lunge 30 each leg!
Walking Lunge 30 
Side Lunge 30

Standard Pushup 25
Military Pushup 25
Diamond Pushup 25
Tye4 Pushup 25
Skateboard Pushup 25

Plank 1 minute 
Tye4 Plank 1 minute
Mountain Climber 30 each leg
Burpees 25
Pilates Roll Up 25
Side Crunch 15
Tye4 Pilates Series – demo video here


Tricep Dips 25
Tye4 Dips 30

 

For workout videos and exercise demos, SUBSCRIBE to AshleyBensonFitness YouTube Channel!

Add the NEW TYE4 system to boost your workout.  Check this out for Tye4 exercises and click here for classes and info on the Tye4.
 TYE4 $75 
email ashley@ashleybensonfitness.com

 

FITNESS RETREAT… EARN A FREE TRIP!

To book a Fitness Vacation

Email 
and I will send you all the details.
Check THIS out to see what the St. Augustine trip was like in November.
 
If you get a group of 10
 – including yourself – 
signed up for a trip,
THEN YOUR TRIP WILL BE FREE!!!
The house we will stay in!  
 
 
 The roof top where we will do all sorts of workouts!  
Oh, we will also enjoy the stars at night from up there as well.  Don’t worry, there is plenty of vacation to be had 🙂
   Pilates on the beach.
 You will learn how to feed your body properly with your exercise…
 pre-and post workout nutrition to support your body as it strengthens and repairs.

Jumpstart your health with a week of inspiration,motivation, teaching and fun workouts!