Vacations are about relaxing a feeling good, and staying fit and healthy plays a big role in that. I’m a certified personal trainer, I’ve been a fitness pro for 21 years, and I happen to have just gotten back from a vacation in Florida.
Staying fit on vacation is not so hard. My whole life is about fitness, and I never skip my daily workout no matter where I am. That said, even if you can’t make that happen, it’s best to choose activities on your vacation that are, well, active. I enjoy long walks on the beach–it’s relaxing and great exercise. Go hiking, walking, biking, skiing, swimming, whatever it is that lets you get active while you’re enjoying your destination.
Something most people don’t consider is that a big part of fitness is regular old health, and to that end, I become what a lot of people would consider a germophobe while I’m traveling. I wipe down the knobs and remote controls in the hotel room, the chairs in the airport–almost anything I touch. It might seem unusual, but it’s the best way to avoid traveler’s diarrhea and other unpleasant illnesses that could throw a kink into your health and good time.
A lot of people decide that since they’re on vacation, they can eat fried, processed, nasty food and give themselves a pass. That’s definitely not the way to go. High salt, high fat, processed restaurant food might taste good sometimes, but it’s going to make you feel unhealthy. Your job on vacation is to recover from the stress of daily life, not make it worse by eating food that’s going to give you heartburn now and heart disease and diabetes later. Find a grocery or health food store and stock up on healthy, organic food to fuel yourself with. Staying healthy and staying happy are closely related. In fact, they’re almost the same thing, so if you’re going to treat yourself, it should be in a way that sticks to your goals of staying healthy and fit.