Pumping Iron in Paradise

As some of you know, I recently vacationed in Kauai with these fine people.

The initial crew included, in order of appearance: Joey (brother), Kat (future sister-in-law), moi, Mama bear, Jeff (stepdad), Jean (Jeff's sister), and Mike (Jean's husband). 

My muffin man, Justin, joined us halfway through the trip! 

For anyone who has been to Kauai, you know that this adventure-packed island offers lots of opportunities for physical activity. My goal was to do some type of working out everyday, however mild or intense, to combat my less-than-ideal diet while there. Even though I missed a couple days, I was pretty successful at making up for those lazy days on more active days. Rather than describe in-depth every workout I attempted, I'll give a photo-story of my attempts at "Pumping Iron in Paradise."

Saturday

Surprisingly, I convinced Joey and Kat to take a jog with me along the bay bright and early on our first day. What team players they both proved to be!

I have been wanting to try paddle-boarding for so long. The bay at our hotel provided the perfect opportunity and backdrop for this balancing act. Thankfully, I didn't get caught in the rain while out on the board (just Joey and Kat did).

Sunday

Kauai is known for their beautiful hikes. What a treat it was to see the Na'pali Coast from a birds-eye view. I would have to say that I preferred this viewing of the Na'pali Coast compared to our later boat ride around the coast in the roughest waters I've ever braved! Can you spot the members of our crew?

To diversify the hiking workout, I tried to find picturesque places to bust out some classic exercises. I found a couple great spots to pull out some sets of dips.

Dip, baby, dip!

After passing several trees, I finally found an appropriate branch to do some pull-ups. The girth (what a great word) of the branch was a little too big, though, for me to do my usual 40 reps....just kidding....like 2 sets of 5.

Tuesday

At a neighboring resort, the ladies hit the pool for a water aerobics class. Obviously, the best part was wearing webbed gloves and feeling like a frog. In all seriousness, though, the teacher was fantastic, and I thought the class was a unique way to get some cardio and strength training while staying cool in the water. Kat and I also had an exciting time going down the 2 foot slide!

Look at that form! Perfect 10.

While the wahines worked out in the water, the gentlemen played some golf at this scenic course. 

Thursday

Finally we found some turquoise waters for snorkeling! 

Unfortunately, the rip tides kept us from snorkeling. The lifeguards were not letting people swim near the reef. Instead, Justin and I braved the waves for some swimming with the sea turtles. 

Friday

On the last day, Justin and I trekked out on our own to Secret Falls. First, we kayaked out to a hiking spot. We parked our kayaks and looked for the trail. We hiked to Secret Falls, where Justin splashed around in the waterfall. At the end of the hike, we kayaked over to the beautiful Fern Grotto. And yes, as suggested by this photo, I like to kayak topless.

This gem of an excursion was Justin's favorite in Kauai! 

After reviewing my own photo-story, I think I was pretty successful staying active on vacation! I'm not sure my physical exertion actually outweighed my caloric intake, but I sure did prevent myself from feeling like a whale of a wahine! 

Acknowledgments: Thanks, mom, for an amazing trip to Kauai! Thanks, Jeff, for making us take an obscene amount of photographs; thanks again to mom for touching up all of those photographs! Thanks, Joey and Kat, for letting me third-wheel it up until Justin showed up. Thanks, Jean and Mike, for just being you! I feel so blessed to have been able to go on this wonderful vacation with such wonderful people. 

A penny for your thoughts?

• How do you stay in shape while out of your normal routine on vacation? 
• What other fun and physically activity excursions have you tried in exotic or tropical places?