Usually when you go on vacation you want to sleep in, go to bed late and eat lots of food that you really should not be eating. Yes, I say this from experience. Few people that I know, even the most health conscious, will go somewhere like Italy and turn down gelato. You also would not go to Chicago and turn down a deep-dish pizza. The problem is that we tend to fall into a pattern on vacation that we cannot break easily when we get home. So instead of cutting out all the yummy foods or forcing yourself to wake up early, here are some away-from-home exercise tips.
Some people are morning people. I am not one of them, but my mother is. To each his or her own I suppose. If you are a morning person and your hotel has a gym that you do not mind using or the house where you are staying has one, then by all means, make use of it. Most of the time any activities will be in the afternoon, so you will have time to sweat a little. If you tend to do your activities earlier and do not mind going to bed late, you can go to the gym at night.
If you do not have access to a gym, that makes things a little trickier. You can always do a quick session in your room if you do not have to worry about waking anyone up. If that is not an option, there is another idea. Personally, this is my favorite: find a park close by or take a scenic walk or jog around the neighborhood. This way, you get a feel for the area you are staying in and you get some exercise. I recently took a vacation to Europe, and the primary form of transportation there is walking. In 11 days, we walked about 35 miles. Even if the idea was not to exercise, it was incredible to see all the cities in their entirety and to mingle with the “natives” so to speak. But even if you are just going to your grandmother’s house in Georgia, walking around the neighborhood or taking a light jog will enable you to see the city in a way you would not have normally seen it, and to feel good before you go inside and eat the delicious bacon, egg and cheese omelet and chocolate croissant (yum).
It is also a good idea-as much as possible-to restrict your unhealthy meals as much as possible. I am not saying that you should choose carrot sticks over French fries every time; you’re on vacation for goodness sakes. But just try to make dinner or breakfast or whatever your favorite meal is into your “binge meal”. This way you still get all the yummy food but you are not gorging yourself the entire day.
Vacation should never be a miserable experience; it should be enjoyable and something different from what you experience in your everyday life. You should be able to eat what you want and sleep when you can. If you can fit your exercise into your daily plans then you can easily slip back into your routine when you get home. So go out there and enjoy yourself. Bon voyage!
