The vacation buzz is upon us finally! When you’re on vacation, you really just want to relax and throw all your dietary problems to the wind. For some of us, the last thing we want to be bothered with is watching what we eat but there are those of us who still remember to count the calories as they count the stars.
If you want to stay healthy on a business trip or vacation, these tips will show you how easy it is to do it. No, you don’t need to thank us.
1. Do Your Research
Doing some personal research about the area you will be staying before your trip can make maintaining your healthy lifestyle a lot easier. You can find nearby grocery stores or health food stores, find out what restaurants are close by and what their menu is like, and what hotels or accommodation options will be best suited for your dietary needs – those who like to cook their own meals will prefer rooms with kitchenettes. If you do your research well, you should have a number of dining options ready for when you finally go on your trip.
2. Eat Healthy
When you’re somewhere new, you probably want to check out the food scene. This is perfectly understandable – part of traveling is exploring and trying out new food is its own type of exploration. If you manage to score a room with a kitchenette, you can make your own breakfast and pack a lunch to enjoy while exploring the city. This way, your breakfast and lunch are sure to be healthy and you can leave the nights for all the exotic food experiments you’re willing to indulge in. Even if you don’t have a kitchenette in your room, I’m sure you can reach some sort of arrangement with the hotel to enable your fitness goals. Just try as much as possible to minimize how often you eat out.
3. Sleep
When you’re working or having fun, it’s easy to shove a good night’s rest or any rest at all, into the sidelines without fully realizing just how detrimental sleep deprivation is for your health (yes, even for a few days). Yu should make it a priority to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Your body will thank you for this as a well rested body boosts your immune system.
4. Stay Active
A great way to keep up your health and fitness regimen is to find activities during your trip that excite you. If you’re into yoga, you can find a studio around where you stay, or you can go cycling or surfing, if you’re into that sort of thing. Some sports centers have great promotions for tourists, and some even allow free drop-ins. Not only will you keep your health up, it’s also a great way to met and interact with new people.
5. Workout on Your Own
You can create a workout out of almost every activity, wherever you are; it’s one of the things I find really great about exercise. You can use the hotel pool or gym equipment, or find a nearby park and use the playground equipment, or even stay in your room and do your squats and lifts and cardio. Even walking is a great way to stay fit – grab a map and explore the city on foot. It may not seem like you’re doing something effective but trust me, your muscles are getting the workout they need and even that little bit will keep you on track during your trip.
6. Drink Lots of Water
Wherever you are, it’s important to stay hydrated. You should have a water bottle you take with you everywhere so you have no problems taking in enough fluids. This tip is especially helpful if you’re travelling somewhere hotter than you’re used to. Without enough fluids in your system, it’s easy to mistake dehydration for hunger which can cause you to eat more than you should.
7. Pack all You Need to Keep Your Regimen
You won’t need to be reminded to work out on your trip if you have your workout equipment in plain sight. It may seem like extra load, but having the stuff you need to maintain your regimen will cut out all the excuses you would make to boycott your healthy habits for the duration of your trip. To cut down load, you can pack only the lightweight stuff like a skipping rope and dumbbells. If you take vitamins and supplements, be sure to pack those as well.
Chinelo Ngene writes for Jovago.com