How To Stay Fit During Away-From-Home Holidays

By Su Reid St. John

When my husband, daughter, and I travel during the holidays, it's almost always "home" to Vermont to visit -- and stay with -- my family. Although that's a lovely thing in many respects, it's not so great for my workout routine. Not only do I not have the option of heading to the hotel pool or gym, but there's also so much going on that there's rarely time to fit in a full-scale sweat session (sound familiar?).

But I also know that with all the can't-pass-'em-up homemade treats (my mom's maple dumplings, my sister's butterscotch cookies, my friend Marget's fudge sauce) vying for belly space -- and, yes, the occasional stressful moment that comes from having a dozen or so independent-minded adults (plus eight kids) crammed into a single room -- exercise is crucial to both my mental well-being and my waistline.

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Happily, after a lot of trial and error over the years, I've figured out three reliable ways to sneak in enough movement during away-from-home holidays to keep the scale needle from sidling too far in the wrong direction. Go ahead and steal 'em for yourself:

• The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is 10 minutes of sun salutations. They get my blood flowing, involve some serious strength (hello, chaturanga!), and get the tiniest bit of sweat going. I also make sure to tell my early-rising mom that she'll find me down-dogging in her living room every morning before breakfast. (I don't know about you, but when someone expects me to do something, I'm more inclined to actually do it.) And, of course, I do them in my pajamas -- who wants to get dressed before breakfast when you're on vacation?

Happy, healthy holidays to you!