Maintaining the Lifestyle while on Summer Travel

Summertime is vacation time.  How can you stay healthy and attentive to your wellness while also having fun traveling?  We have some ideas.  For many families, summer means vacation, but this is no reason to let your health and fitness routine fall by the wayside.  Remember your wellness is not a program.  It is a lifestyle.  Fitness goals are not achieved and then owned, they are rented and rent is due every single day.  Stopping your routine even for just one week can tumble you out of the habit of maintaining your healthy lifestyle.  Instead of forgetting good behaviors completely, incorporate it into your travel

Remember it feels good to feel good.  Vacation is a time to restore, relax, and enjoy.  Travel is a valuable and worthwhile adventure.  Spending time with friends and family is time well spent.  And so is investing in your health and wellness!  Set yourself up for success by planning ahead.  Sort vitamins and medications into days of the week and pre-pack them ready to go.  A little work before launching into vacation mode goes a long way.  There is no reason to abandon medication and supplement regimes while traveling.  If anything, that is the easiest part.

Walk around!  Do not underestimate the power of walking in maintaining mood and fitness.  Walking to destinations is a fantastic way to learn about a city, sightsee, explore new locations and find treasures, like an outstanding quaint cafe or secret garden.  You will save money and lunch will taste so much better.  In some cities, walking will actually get you to your destination faster than motorized transportation.  Don’t believe us?  You might just need to travel more.
Do bodyweight exercises!  Simple exercises such as pushups, squats, lunges, planks, and of course stretching increase blood flow, can be done in any hotel room, and require no special equipment.  These exercises are functional and require you to use the largest and most important muscles in the body.  They also keep you reminded of your routine and take very little time.  Want more?  Carry portable or compact exercise equipment on every vacation.  Resistance bands and a jump rope take up almost no room and add no extra weight to luggage.

ALWAYS take the stairs.  This is a golden rule.  In every airport, you will see the masses standing still riding the escalator while the stairs wait patiently for the elite few to pave the way.  Take The Stairs!  If you see a flight of stairs in your hotel, at a venue, or on a tour, opt-in and walk-up.  Walking upstairs is a great way to work your quads and glutes, the largest and most efficient muscles in the body.  If you love statistics and numbers, wear a Garmin or Apple Watch and see how all the little choices really do add up.

Eating is and should be a tremendous joy of travel.  No matter where you go, eating local, delicious foods should be something you look forward to as a part of the summer holiday.  One of the best parts of traveling is diving into the local food culture.  However, you don’t have to sacrifice your healthy lifestyle.  Usually the best success is found in planning ahead.  It is good to take a break from your daily routine, but if you stray too far and constantly over indulge, it may negatively affect your mood, sleep and ultimately your routine when the party is over.  Eat and drink only what you love.  Enjoy small portions, share plates and bites, and above all stay hydrated.  It is easy to become dehydrated while traveling.  Staying up on water intake boosts mood, lowers travel anxiety and improves sleep.  Try to stick to your usual eating habits and incorporate fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.  Vacations are not the green light for over indulgence.  Remember your health is not a program, it is a lifestyle.  Taking your healthy lifestyle with you means enjoying the food, tasting the treats, sipping the drinks without undoing all the hard work you have established.  As in everything in life, make good choices.

Finally, it is important to maintain stress management.  Just because you are on vacation doesn’t mean you are stress free.  Oh you know that?  You spent two weeks driving to and through Yellowstone with little kids and you weren’t totally relaxed?  You were delayed eight hours in the Mexico City airport and missed the chartered bus to your resort destination?  “They” lost your luggage….again?  Trust us we know.  How many times have you returned from vacation feeling like you need one?  Stress can creep into any travel.  It is always a good idea to keep a free good stress management techniques on hand to minimize derailing health intentions.  Deep breathing, quiet time, a brisk walk and an attitude of gratitude can all be helpful tools to manage stress.  Ever seen a person running laps around a rest stop?  They are living their best life.

- Andrea Strand, N.P.