This warm weather has us all itching for some well-deserved vacay time!
If you’ve worked hard to get in shape for your holiday —especially if you’ve followed a diet —it’s likely that the first thought that comes along when you think about your vacation is all the delicious food you’ll get to indulge in.
While we strongly encourage you to do so (vacation food somehow always tastes better than any other!), we’re also bringing you some tips on how you can make sure you stay in shape and avoid the annoying yo-yo effect if you’ve followed a strict diet or exercise regime prior to your holiday.
Don’t worry, though — we’re not here to give you another routine that forbids certain foods or makes you exercise daily. All of our tips are focused on getting you to experience the greatest vacation you’ve ever had, all while keeping your figure intact.
Sounds a little paradoxical, doesn’t it?
Well, bear with us —your vacation is the perfect occasion in which you get to have fun while staying active, often even without thinking! You might not count it as a particularly demanding fitness activity, but all the sightseeing and long walks on the beach *will* burn those extra calories, oftentimes just as efficiently as going to the gym!
Speaking of the gym — we say don’t work out in the traditional sense of the word, because vacations are for relaxing and trying out new things.
So, if you do have a strict gym schedule, or are used to not missing a day of exercise, leave this mindset at home before your holiday.
The gym is something you’ll always have time to do while not on vacation, so use your precious holiday time wisely!
Depending on where you decide to go for your vacation, you can substitute gym time with swimming, surfing, trekking, kayaking, hiking… or just plain good old sightseeing! If you keep your wellness tracker on, you might end up surprised with the number of steps you made, or the calories you’ve burnt!
This one is pretty straightforward — assuming you’re going on holiday someplace where the temperatures are on the higher side, you’ll want to increase your water intake to make up for all the water you’ll sweat out. Keeping track of staying well-hydrated is something we should all make sure to do on a daily… but especially when you’re vacationing.
All the activities described in the section above might not leave you with that after-workout feeling where your body asks to compensate for the water you just lost while sweating at the gym.
Another factor is the new environment you’re surrounded by, causing your brain to forget about the routines you’re used to, and focus on more important things like getting to your destination, communicating with the locals, or picking out the best spot for a cute selfie.
Dehydration can therefore creep up on you quite easily and unnoticeable — so make sure you increase your water intake and keep tabs on how much you drink.
Our smart bottle Spring is the perfect solution if you want to both keep track of your water intake, and learn the optimal amount of water you should be drinking. Spring will calculate this based on your activity level, age, height, weight, local weather, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
This simple change in your travel plans is something that will earn you thousands of steps and burn hundreds of extra calories!
It’s plain and simple: choose to walk more, and drive around less.
Of course, there will be some locations you want to see that you can’t get to on foot, in which case we’re not saying to abolish mechanical vehicles completely — but if you have to, take local transportation rather than tour guide buses. It will give you a taste of the local culture, and you’re bound to learn a thing or two about the country’s language, economy, and people.
An additional bonus to convince you to stick with this travel rule — don’t forget that choosing to walk means you’re also helping the environment! 🙂
The latter is what’s important here — I mean, who wants to restrict their food choices while vacationing?!
A big part of the whole experience of traveling should be getting to know the culture… and a big part of knowing the culture is tasting the local food. Think about the local food from your own country — it’s something that you’re proud of, something that you feel is a must for your country’s visitors to try and taste — it’s simply a part of the culture.
So when you go for that holiday, don’t say no to the local food — even if it’s not the healthiest option, trying it won’t do as much harm as missing out on it would.
That being said, you should still go for the healthy options when you can, that is, when the alternative isn’t something that you can have any time in your home country. If you’re staying at a hotel, opt for a healthy breakfast and dinner, and experiment with the local foods for lunch. Or create a different arrangement that will suit your own needs and wants.
You know what they say: life is all about balance.
We hope our advice comes in handy during your next vacation! If you have any other tips or tricks on how to stay in shape while still having a fun holiday, let us know in the comments section below!
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