Summer is just around the corner which means that many of us are planning out some much-needed vacation time with our friends and family! While traveling can be great for your mental health (and gives you the chance to show off your hot new body!), it may not be so great for your physical health.
Depending on how active you are during your vacation, you may struggle to get back to your normal fitness routine when you are back at home. However, this doesn’t mean that all of the hard work that you put in so far is wasted! Luckily, there are some easy things that you can do before you leave and while you are on vacation that can help you stay on track to achieving your weight loss goals.
Exercise frequently.
Try to schedule your workouts as much as possible. We know that this isn’t always easy, especially if you are going to be moving from place to place a lot. However, if you build exercise into your daily schedule, it will be much easier to maintain a decent level of fitness while you are traveling. Although you may be away from your normal workout routine, you can still do plenty of other calorie-burning activities. In fact, going on a summer vacation may give you even more opportunities for fun activities to do! Swimming, biking, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling, surfing, and kayaking can burn off a surprisingly high amount of calories and often, you are having so much fun that you don’t even realize that you are working up a sweat!
Mixing up the activities can help you work on different areas of the body and will help keep you engaged and motivated. The great thing about being on vacation is that you are likely to have some awesome new things to try so make sure that you take advantage of it!
Choose traveling accommodations wisely.
It is likely that a lot of the lifestyle changes that you made at the start of your weight loss journey were facilitated by having access to a space where you could exercise and access to a kitchen where you could prepare healthy meals. One of the ways to keep these in check is to stay at accommodation that offers you all of the same facilities or amenities as home!
When staying in a popular “vacation” resort area, you could book a vacation rental with a large yard or living space that is perfect for working out and a fully-equipped kitchen. If you are staying in a city where you are limited to hotels or apartments, try to book accommodations near walking paths and take advantage of any fitness facilities that they have on offer. There are also many different exercises that you can do even if you are in a small space like side squats, bridge lifts, lunges, push-ups, and planks.
Be mindful of what you eat.
Traveling often comes with some pretty unhealthy eating habits. Fried foods, red meat, and salads smothered with dressing can pile on the pounds quickly and we haven’t even factored in the alcoholic beverages, juices, or soda that are also likely to be consumed. It is really, really important that you are mindful of what you eat during your vacation. If necessary, pack some of your own healthy food options so that you will always have something nutritious on-hand when you start feeling hungry.
We know that one of the best parts about traveling is being able to try different foods and restaurants. While this is perfectly OK and can be seen as a reward for all your hard work, try to limit this if possible. This could mean sharing a meal with someone else or eating light for breakfast and dinner so you can splurge on lunch.
Don’t stress.
Traveling can be a stressful experience but try not to get stressed out! Not only has stress been linked to weight gain but it’s also a surefire way to reduce your chances of having a great time. Sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself – you have earned this!
