Summertime and the living is easy. When vacation season hits, it’s also easy to get off track with the healthy regimen you’ve worked so hard to cultivate.
On a recent long weekend to visit family, being mindful of these few simple actions helped to keep me on track.
Pack for success. Advance planning helps to maintain healthy habits. I make sure to pack my daily supplements which play an important part in helping me feeling (and looking good!). I also pack some protein shake powder. Many hotels offer a complimentary breakfast and since I have my handy shaker bottle with me as well, I just need to add milk, shake, and voila – a protein packed breakfast. Plus, I never travel without a pair of sneakers in my bag and a workout outfit.
Be prepared for travel stressors. You never know what you’ll encounter while traveling these days. Our plane was delayed for over four hours, plus we boarded, were deplaned and then rescheduled. No point getting stressed over events you can’t control. I travel armed with meditation podcasts on my iPhone, my journal, a good book, Words with Friends (providing I have a full charge or convenient place to charge my devices), and healthy snacks like Luna Bars and packets of nuts. Suddenly a frustrating travel delay has turned into some ‘me time.’
Don’t skip your workouts. You may need to change it up a bit, which is actually a bonus for your body! A local mall near our hotel provided a perfect setting to walk each morning on our recent vacation (and the air conditioning helped us to beat the heat). Take a dip in your hotel pool and grab a few laps, or check with your gym before you leave to find out if they have reciprocal memberships with other locations. We were able to go to www.jazzercise.com, or use the Jazzercise app to locate the nearest class and had a great time enjoying our favorite workout in a new locale.
Indulge in the special stuff. Vacation shouldn’t be a free pass to indulge with abandon, but don’t miss out on the special treats either. I didn’t need to order fries with lunch, but there was no way I was going to pass up my cousin MaryAnn’s homemade ice cream. Which was delish btw!
Get right back into the swing of things when you return. While I couldn’t tote along my juicer, and there weren’t any convenient options for juice, my first stop on the way home is to get some veggies so that I’ll be prepared for tomorrow morning’s juice.
Vacations should be a departure from your everyday life, a chance to mix it up and do things differently, but it doesn’t have to mean abandoning all the things that support you in feeling your best.
With a little preparation and a mindful approach, you can indulge,enjoy and return home feeling fabulous!
Do YOU have any great tips to stay on track? I’d love to hear them…post below.