Archive for April, 2012

Sneaky Snacks

Posted on: April 30th, 2012 by paul

Whether you have a sweet tooth or a salty one, it is hard to walk into a gas station, corner store, or kiosk at the airport and leave with only the items you intended on purchasing.

Crafty advertisers grab our attention and motivate us to buy items that we perceive to be healthy. However, just because there is a lone steer grazing in an open pasture does not mean that the milk chocolate bar you’re about to consume is pure. The fact of the matter is that manufacturers have a team of advertisers and psychologists who think up healthy-sounding names and ‘natural’ looking packaging that trick our minds into thinking that what we’re about to consume is in fact healthy, when most of the time, it is not. (more…)

Italian All Inclusive Resorts

Posted on: April 27th, 2012 by paul

Booking an all-inclusive vacation usually consists of deciding which Caribbean island you want to visit. However, the popularity of these types of vacations has taken hold all over the world and the decision is not as limited as it once was. To many people’s surprise, even Italy has jumped on board the all inclusive revolution. This is a great thing for travelers, as more people are able to explore Italy at a cheaper rate.

Here are some Italian all-inclusive options:

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Discover the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Posted on: April 23rd, 2012 by paul

Located in southeaster Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatan Channel. The largest group of modern Maya can be found on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The Mayan indigenous population was first exposed to Europeans by a Spanish shipwreck and its survivors in 1511. Today the Peninsula is scattered with Mayan ruins and temples which remember centuries-long battles for independence as well as rich Mayan history. (more…)

Travel Fitness: Training Your Core the Right Way

Posted on: April 19th, 2012 by paul

Generally, when we think about training our ‘core’ we think about doing sit-ups and crunches. Recently, a lot of fitness professionals have been saying that there are other ways to train the core, even without using sit-ups, crunches, or other seemingly ‘old school’ exercises. They’re saying you can do standing exercises like running with high knees, single-leg knees lifts, and tuck jumps. They’re saying you can do planking exercises like holding plank for a period of time, going from high-plank to low-plank, and planking while running on the spot.

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Top Central American All-Inclusives

Posted on: April 16th, 2012 by paul

When you picture yourself at an all-inclusive resort, what do you see? Mexico? Dominican Republic? Jamaica? These are all great choices; however, they are becoming quite saturated by tourists. Why not take your vacation is a location equally as beautiful but with fewer crowds? From Costa Rica’s diverse geography to Panama’s urban capital, there is a little bit of everything in Central America – old and new, natural and metropolitan. Here are some great all-inclusive options for different countries in Central America:

Panama City, Panama

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What is your Favourite Vacation Workout?

Posted on: April 12th, 2012 by paul

As a fitness professional, it is important to keep clients on the right track when it comes to health and fitness. There is an excess of information in the media constantly bombarding people with information about how to lose weight, new fad diets, exercise regimes, etc. Whether this information is reliable or not is a whole other story. One thing that we as professional have to continuously do is stay away from unreliable sources and encourage our clients to do so as well.

However, when it comes to exercising, I have always believed that the more you talk to and watch people, the more you can learn about how to incorporate variation into your workout regime. The last thing you want is for your body to become complacent with a certain mode of exercise that you’ve been doing for years. If the body isn’t constantly being challenged, introduced to new movement patterns, or higher intensities, it will plateau and you will no longer see results.

In previous blogs I have outlined some great travel fitness ideas.  To see my travel workout tips, check out Last Minute Vacations’ Travel Fitness Blogs: ‘Travel Fitness 101: No Equipment Workout’, ‘Beach Yoga for Intermediates’, ‘A Different Kind of Cardio’, ‘How to Sculpt Killer Beach Abs’, ‘Beach Workouts 101: The Skinny on Swimming’.

Like I said earlier, in order to keep your body guessing, it’s always good to introduce new exercises to your regime. So, tell me. What is YOUR favorite vacation exercise? Lets get a discussion going and help each other out so that the next time we’re on a vacation, the exercise room treadmill won’t be so daunting.

Looking forward to hearing your ideas!

Gillian Johnson, BA  CSCS

Gillian Johnson is the blogger and editor for LastMinuteVacations.ca, Canada’s source for last minute vacations from Vancouver with great deals on packages.

 

 

Car Rental Tips

Posted on: April 10th, 2012 by paul

Depending on where you are traveling, renting a car can be a wise choice and may be the fastest and easiest way to get around. If it seems like a wise choice make sure you have done your research first.  Are you legal to drive in the country you’re visiting? Which side of the road do they drive on? Is it safe for foreigners to drive? What are the rates like at the airport and at other rental sites around town? What is the price of gas?

There are many questions you should be asking yourself and then looking into before you swipe your credit card and rent a car in a foreign country. Here are a few guidelines to follow. (more…)

Cartagena All Inclusives

Posted on: April 3rd, 2012 by paul

Surely the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Columbia is not the romantic city of Cartagena (known as the ‘Venice of Columbia’). This magnificent city is a perfect mix of sun, sand, and colonial charm. It is unlike any other Columbian destinations. Whether you are taking time to relax at one of Cartagena’s many open-air cafes, strolling through the mazes of cobbles alleys, or checking out the city’s colonial architecture (packed with churches, monasteries, plazas, palaces and mansions). (more…)