I just got back from vacation so this seems like an especially fitting topic. This is mostly geared towards beach, all inclusive, resort type vacations but I still think a lot of these tips & tricks could be applied to any type of vacation. If you are like me you don’t go on vacation to work out a ton & stay on a strict diet. You go on vacation to experience new things, step out of your normal routine, & relax too. So that being said my exercise & diet is not super strict on vacation.
Most people do tend to exercise & diet harder in anticipation of a vacation so you don’t want all the hard work you put in prior to vacation to be thwarted either. So one of my favorite things to preach comes into play: balance! It is possible to enjoy your trip while staying healthy & looking & feeling great. So here are my tips & tricks for vacation.
*Drink tons of water!!! Not only will this help you if you are in the sun a lot it will also help cleanse your body of all the unhealthy drinks or foods you may indulge in. In fact if you seriously make it a priority to drink as much water as you can then you may not actually have as much room for all the unhealthy foods you wanted. Especially try to drink water before, during, & after eating meals & consuming alcohol.
*Speaking of alcohol try to make mostly better choices. I wrote a whole other blog article on drinking (My Drinking Strategies) so feel free to read that prior to vacation so you have some additional tips going in. I’m not saying don’t have a fun tropical cocktail but try to drink more plain, lower calorie options versus those crazy calorie packed ones.
*Walk everywhere possible! Go explore, walk the beach, walk the trails, walk the shopping areas, & walk around the hotel area. This is an easy way to burn some calories & experience the surroundings.
*Dont just lounge at the pool-MOVE!! You don’t have to do laps but bounce around, do arm circles, dance (most pools I’ve been to play music so it won’t look weird to be dancing), hold onto the edge of the pool & kick your legs. It’s way easier to move in a pool no matter what size or shape you’re in so take advantage of it & get a little workout in. I seriously do all of the above every time I’m in the pool & it really is an awesome way to fit some exercise in 😉
*Book an excursion or two that involves moving. There are always fun excursions that will force you to move but you’ll be having so much fun it won’t feel like exercise. Try out a class or activity offered by the resort that is active (if applicable) such as water cycling, rock climbing, kayaking, or wind surfing. It’s always a great experience and fun to try something new!
*Take advantage of the fitness room available. All resorts & most hotels I’ve been to have a fitness room. Even doing a short 15 minute workout is better than nothing & your body will thank you for it.
*Food is probably the toughest thing at an all inclusive or on any vacation really. What I always try to do is mix the bad with the good. I’m not saying any particular food is bad but we all know eating tons of brownies is not healthy lol! So basically try to fill half your plate with healthy, high protein choices & the other half with treats. Make sure you eat most of the healthy food first too! So for instance on the trip I just went on I typically chose grilled salmon, shrimp, chicken & green vegetables plus some cookies, a roll, pasta salad, or ice cream. So no I was not eating totally healthy but I was trying to balance & enjoy a more relaxed diet.
*Lastly enjoy yourself & remember that you can get right back on track when you return from your trip. I gained a couple pounds & after a couple days of my normal eating they were gone. Be healthy & take a relaxed but mindful approach to vacationing. Eating really unhealthily & drinking in excess every day will make you feel terrible & may make it hard to remember all the great moments you experienced. A middle ground is always the perfect approach in my opinion 🙂
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