How to Stay in Shape While on Vacation

It is always a good idea to just take the time and hang out with your loved ones in a beautiful new place where you can build marvelous memories. It’s only natural that when you visit a new place that you want to try the local cuisine and have some cocktails too! After all, it is a vacation, so you’re entitled to enjoy it to the fullest. With the following tips, you can enjoy the beauty of traveling with all its delicious elements, without feeling like you’ve let yourself down.

How to Stay in Shape While on Vacation

Don’t stop working out

This first tip to stay in shape while on vacation depends on what you like to do to keep your body fit. If you’re the type of person that loves jogging, then keep that in mind when looking for accommodation. Make sure that there is a place nearby where you can safely jog. If you prefer working out in a gym, then choose a hotel or hostel that offer gyms where you can do some quick working out. 

You can also research gyms in the vicinity of your hotel where you can pay per day. This way you can maybe spare one hour of the day, two or three times a week to just keep your routine. You don’t have to do it every day, three to four times in a ten-day vacation will be enough to make a huge difference.

Depending on the hotel and the place you’re traveling to, you can get a lot of indoor activities too. As Sam Ross in the traveling blog, The Hammock Hombre advises, yoga classes, diverse retreats, and other workshops are often available beyond typical vacation opportunities.

Tips to Balance Your Food Intake

All the working out will not make a huge difference if you keep a high-calorie intake every day of the vacation. To stay in shape while on vacation it’s always better to try and be careful with how much food you’re eating and what kind of food too. Of course, trying the local cuisine is a must. After all, you can’t go to Italy and return home without trying the pizza or pasta. So, how can you strike a balance?

Start with a good, healthy breakfast with your family. It will give you the energy for the first part of the day and often hold you over until lunch. If a buffet breakfast is included, take some fresh fruit for a snack later in the day. Keep this in mind when you’re choosing your accommodations. Staying in a place that serves breakfast will make your vacation a lot easier.

Another option is to rent an apartment or book a suite with a kitchen. This makes it super easy to shop for healthy food to have on hand. It also allows you to keep and reheat leftovers.

It’s a good tip to always have some granola bars or bananas in your purse. In case of extreme hunger, you can all avoid the fast food option and recharge with some good options.

Be careful with the drinks as well

Since it’s a vacation, you might want to sip a glass of wine or lay back on a beach with some interesting cocktail, and that is okay. But be careful since alcohol has plenty of calories especially cocktails. A glass of some good wine or a cold light beer are good choices.

Don’t drink a lot of sodas too. They are high in sugars, and they will just make you bloated even more. Some healthier options for the whole family are freshly squeezed juices and smoothies.

Another thing that you should keep in mind is hydrating. Especially if you’re walking a lot and the weather is hot, drinking plenty of water will not only help your body fitness, it is also essential to your general well-being. Sometimes when you feel hungry, it’s actually your body craving hydration so drinking plenty of fluids can help you feel fuller longer.

The Never Two Bad Rule

A good rule I recommend during your traveling trip is to not eat two bad meals in a row. If you have a dinner trying out the local food, try to eat a light lunch before, and to have a very healthy breakfast in the morning. This is a nice way to have the best from both worlds.

An alternative option is to order smaller portions or to order mixed portions so you and your family can try everything that the local cuisine offers. Have a discussion as to who likes what the most and why. This way, no food will go to waste either.

Every little effort counts

It is completely okay to want to have a rest from your daily routine during your traveling trips. And if working out is a part of your daily routine and you feel like you need a break from that too- it’s okay. You can try to do other things that will inevitably make a difference without you even trying that hard.

When visiting a winter destination, maybe go skiing, snowboarding, sleighing, snow hiking or other winter sports. If you’re visiting a beach location, play some beach volleyball, or have a swimming competition. Try kayaking, canoeing, surfing, or any other water sport. Trying new things to stay fit can be a really fun way to stay in shape while on vacation.

Everything that you will choose to do will impact your fitness so don’t be afraid to avoid the elevators and always to choose the stairs. Check out some famous trails, peaks, or mountains that you and your family can all visit. Traveling is the perfect opportunity to be active and have fun at the same time.

How do you stay in shape while on vacation? Let us know in a comment.

 About The Author: Cal Bailey runs Mountain Leon – a travel blog he started after two years on backpacking around the world. If you want to learn more about life on the road or his blogging, you should read his sleeping bag guide. 

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