Tag: vacation

Use It or Lose It Update

This past week I was away for the 4th of July holiday; I got back on Wednesday evening and the next day was a fast day on the Jewish calendar so I did not hold my group fitness class. Not only had I missed a number of days of working out (although there was a lot of walking in Boston), my clients had as well. On Friday and this week already, my clients and I are seeing the difference…and it is not pretty.

In 2020 at the beginning of the Pandemic, I had blogged about this because so many people stopped going to the gym and had not yet figured out how to keep active. Back then, I had noted that within a month decreases in stamina and muscle strength were already detectable. More recent research shows that “deterioration” can begin closer to 14 days and even as early as 10. Those who did not work out for two weeks, according to one source, saw a decrease in muscle strength of 4%. This may not seem like a lot, but what if that two weeks drags on to three, or four, or more?

The key takeaway is that it is better to try to exercise even a little bit. Quickie workouts can be effective too. On vacation, a brisk walk or taking the stairs instead of an elevator can make a difference. Many think that after an absence of physical activity, it will not be too difficult to hop right back into it. Ask anyone who took a break due to surgery just how accurate that is–not at all!

Use it or lose it is a cute phrase, but research bears out that there is truth in this little rhyme. The next few weeks with my clients getting back into the swing of things will be challenging. Next time, there will be better planning for how we can all stay active even when I am not available.

Everyone Needs a Break Now and Then

Summer vacation 2015

The subject of “self-care” is not a new one on this blog. From the beginning, I have stated that in order for us to be there for others, we must first take care of ourselves.

Some of us are better than others at doing this. Americans in general–at least by one standard–are not faring well. In general, we leave a lot of vacation days on the table; in other words, our employers give us a certain number of vacation days and most of us do not make use of all of them. In 2018 (pre-pandemic), according to www.ustravel.org, Americans left a record 768 million days unused, up 17% from the previous year; of those, 236 million were completely forfeited amounting to $65.5 billion in lost benefits!

The figures look even worse when we consider how many vacation days American workers get on compared with other countries. The US on average has 16 paid leave days and 10 public holidays totalling 26 days per year; paid leave days are not necessarily vacation days–that could be used for sick leave, bereavement, etc. Countries such as Great Britain, France, and Brazil are much more generous. Japan and Thailand are at about the same level as the USA.

You can imagine why folks do not use all these days. During the pandemic, a lot of people were working from home and felt that it just was not right to take “more time off,” as if the work being done at home was some kind of vacation; for many people, it was way more stressful than being at the office or other place of work. Others do not take those days off because they fear what will be waiting when they return–either piles of work or missed opportunities. Others still are afraid that if they take the time off, the job will no longer be there when they get back.

The reality is that our society places a premium on production. We cannot “produce” while we are on vacation…or so the logic goes. On the contrary, taking proper time off and engaging self-care will make us more productive in the end. How many of us are feeling completely burned out? How many of us are ready to “take this job and shove it?” How many of us feel caught in a rut. My guess is too many.

Perhaps we as a society need to re-examine our view of vacation and time-off. What price does society pay for a workforce that is tired, “stuck,” and lacking exposure to the world that is out there?

I will set the example. No blogs for the next couple of weeks while I engage in some R&R. See you on the other end–hopefully refreshed, inspired, and full of energy!