BLOG: The Almost Perfect Vacation

Everyone loves vacations, because everyone needs them. They are a great way to get away from everyday life, forget your troubles and enjoy yourself. The only problem with vacations is that they aren’t always very cohesive with a healthy lifestyle. In this week’s blog, I am going to disprove that myth. I just learned a few new things myself when I took a mini vacation with my family to see the Yankees beat the Twins, but these tips apply to a short getaway or a long vacation.

The most important thing to understand is that a vacation may be a break, but it is not an excuse to forget about all the healthy choices you have made up to this point. Every week, I write about making a lifestyle change, not tips for a diet. Dieters take breaks. Those who want to commit to a healthier lifestyle find their bodies too important to them to punish them. I say “punish,” because that is what a majority of people do to themselves when they get back from a vacation where they forgot to live healthily. A vacation does not mean a vacation from health; your body doesn’t lie.

One of the best parts of vacation, to me, is the new places you get to go. I love food and recently have learned to love trying new food. New restaurant choices on a vacation are always fun to check out. These new menus usually have healthy choices for you to choose from, and I don’t mean just a salad.

You should get the 6 ounce sirloin with a side of vegetables, hold the butter (or even better a form of turkey or chicken). When you aren’t eating at those kinds of places, whether it is fast food or the continental breakfast, find the healthier options. Examples of those include the turkey sandwich at Subway. If you are a McDonalds fan, I like to go with a grilled snack wrap and yogurt parfait. It’s important to remember you have options. Your body will thank you.

But it is okay to indulge a little. When I say indulge yourself though, I mean once or twice, but you have to be prepared. Just because you are taking a break doesn’t mean you can stop being healthy completely. If you know you are going to a nice restaurant later in the evening and you want wine, beer, or dessert to compliment your meal, make smarter choices earlier in the day.

Finally, vacation is definitely not a break from exercise. Depending on the duration of your trip you might have to adjust your week to find ways to work out during. My trip was two days long, so I adjusted my schedule so those two days were my weekly rest days, instead. If the trip is longer, there are ways to work out; a lot of hotels have swimming pools or exercise rooms. Utilize them! If not, bring your running shoes and go for a jog or do bodyweight exercises in your room. There is no excuse to not exercise because of vacation.

When you come home, if you did cheat a little more than you wanted, move on. Those things happen to everyone. It is impossible to be perfect and when it comes to changing your lifestyle, it is essential to realize that. Vacations are wonderful, but you will enjoy your vacation more and have better memories afterwards if you remember your health.