Healthy Vacation Tips

Many people find a week or two to get away during the summer for vacation. Rather than having your travel plans derail your diet and exercise efforts, look at vacation as an excellent time to kick start some healthy habits! It might sound paradoxical, but I do find that many patients tend to be significantly more physically active while on vacation, as well as more relaxed. Lowering stress levels and increasing steps are excellent ways to improve your health. If you are planning a beach vacation, spend some time walking along the sand or the boardwalk. Try some yoga during the sunset. Work out your core and upper body with paddle boarding or kayaking, all while still having a blast!

Diet does tend to be tricky when traveling - for the most part you will likely be eating at restaurants and looking to enjoy the local cuisine and splurge on some desserts. Still, you can find ways to stay healthy without feeling like you are restricting yourself from fully enjoying your vacation. Maybe you are staying at a house with access to a kitchen and can cook your own breakfast. Packing some food for a picnic like sandwiches with fruit or trailmix for a hike are great ways to have a healthy non-restaurant cooked meal while also saving some money! Going for a walk after dinner and dessert will help offset the extra calories and burn off the extra sugar.

Moderate your alcohol intake while vacationing as well - it can be easy to drink a little too much when you know you don’t have to get up and go anywhere the next day! Stay hydrated with water or other low calorie beverages during the day, and don’t forget your sunscreen!

Whether you plan to travel this summer or enjoy a stay-cation with family and friends, think about a couple of tweaks you could do to maintain your health and stay on track so you continue to feel your best!