You've heard me say it before and I'll say it again. We're #adult enough to know that it's not healthy or fun to lose sight of our wellness goals when we go away on vacation. Being hungover, exhausted, bloated and being off schedule ain't fun. Why would we put ourselves through feeling like crap during a time meant for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation? In this age of wellness and travel (basically Instagram's M.O.) there are so many tools available to stay on track while we're away from home. I'm sharing a few of my favorites tips and tricks. Check it out.
Let's Begin with the Obvious: Working Out
This is the most straight-forward way to stay fit. Wake up early and take a yoga class at your hotel or local yoga studio. When I was in Aruba I asked my hotel concierge where I could take a yoga class and the next morning you bet my bum was doing down dog on the beach. The next day, I was in the ocean practicing stand up paddle board yoga (SUP yoga). My hotel had a gym but I didn't bring workout sneaks. Thank goodness all you need is your body (and maybe some clothes) for yoga! If there's a gym in your hotel, get at least 20 minutes of working out in before breakfast. You'll feel energized all day and you can eat that gelato after dinner guilt-free.
Workout apps!
There are so many low-cost and free workout apps in the iOS and Android-sphere. Even the membership-based ones (which tend to be the best) have free week-long trials. Check out Pear, Workout Trainer, Nike +, Jetfit, Daily Burn and more. You don't even need equipment for most of these which is a huge plus.
Arthur got a hold of some sweet teeth at the toy store. Once you see it you can't unsee it..
WALK OR BIKE
Depending on where you travel you can either take the lazy route or the healthy route. If you're going to an island, take a few walks up and down the shore throughout the day instead of being a 100% beach bum. If you're visiting a major city like Paris, Barcelona, or London I recommend taking a Fat Tire Bike Tour (my favorite company) on Day 1 or 2. It's the absolute best way to see a city. Most tours have a guide in the front, middle, and back so you can feel totally safe. Bike tours are great because you can stop for photo ops at any moment - WAY better than a hop on hop off tour. I used to go on those as a kid and would ALWAYS fall asleep on the bus, miss the scenery, and be sleepy once we were hopping off at our destination. My mom still teases me when she tells stories about churches we've visited. She says, "Remember Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris? You know, the church you fell asleep at?". MOM!!!
If biking ain't yo thang there are tons of walking tours in each city. My favorite kind of walking tour is a food/walking tour. Obviously. When Arthur and I were in Barcelona we went on a Tapas, Taverns, and History tour which included food, drinks, history, and walking. The best of both worlds in my opinion. Do your research on TripAdvisor and find something that suits your style. The big plus of staying in a major city is that you can walk everywhere! We hit an average of 15,000-20,000 steps a day (experts recommend 10,000 steps per day) without blinking an eye and still managed to use the taxi system quite a bit. There are trains and buses in a lot of cities but sometimes the whole ticketing system intimidates me out of using it. I save money and I gain a tight butt. It's a win-win.
Book a Wellness Trip
There are tons of vacation packages/retreats aimed toward wellness these days. Whether its a vegan yoga retreat in Mexico or a canoe and hiking trip in Costa Rica, you can find a vibe that suits your style. Check out Trip Tribe for retreat options. I did a SUP yoga retreat in Tulum 5 years back and it was just what I needed. We stayed in an eco-village and were fed delicious vegetarian food in between our 2-3 yoga sessions/day. I hear Yogascapes is a good resource, too.
Eat GOOD FOOD
I get it, it's vacation, you want to let go a little and you absolutely should! I've heard so many instances of people tolerating foods on vacation that they normally can't touch at home. It's because you're on vacation and you're allowing yourself to indulge. Let that sink in for a second...
There are also numerous studies about the differences in gluten and dairy in other countries. The US genetically modifies so much of our food it inevitably becomes difficult to digest. I have been gluten free for a decade and found that my body can tolerate small amounts of gluten when I'm in Europe. That's because I'm intolerant not celiac. Celiac's need to stay away from gluten indefinitely. I still take it easy because gluten is still problematic and not healthy for me but it's fun indulging in a real croissant on vacation... even if I can only mentally make it through half.
Use Yelp, Foursquare and/or TripAdvisor to find restaurants that comply with your diet. I like to search "organic food", "plant based food", "gluten free food", "juice bar", "smoothies", "vegan food", and "vegetarian food". In my experience using these terms in the aforementioned apps directs me to healthy farm-to-table restaurants that have gluten free and veggie heavy options. Bookmark your findings and refer back often. I like to find my lunch spot during breakfast and my dinner spot during lunch. Call me crazy but knowing that I don't have to stress about getting a healthy or compliant meal eases my mind and let's me relax into vacation mode even more. Also, if you eat something that's unhealthy DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT beat yourself up. You're a human being, you will not ruin your entire diet or lifestyle if you have non-vegan non-gluten free pizza or cake. Live a little, within reason. Most of all follow your intuition!
I'll pack a bag of chia seeds then stop at the local market to pick up dairy-free mylk, nuts and fruit. Mix 2 TBSP chia with 1/2 cup mylk, stir and stir again after 5 minutes. Refrigerate overnight and you've got chia pudding ready for breakfast!
Pack the Essentials
Think about everything you do at home to keep yourself healthy and bring it with you! If you have a matcha ritual, bring the ingredients with you. Take advantage of tiny canisters, jars, or storage containers. If you take supplements, bring them with you. This is not the time to quit on vitamins. Take it from the girl who got super sick from traveling to Aruba, then directly to Colorado in a 3-week period. I thought I'd make it easy on myself and give my supplements a break (which is important to do every few months, just not while traveling) and I failed miserably. Your body is more susceptible to catching diseases while traveling. Think planes, bathrooms, restaurants, museums, subways, yada, yada. Yuck.
I've been doing quite a bit of traveling lately and these are the best tips I've picked up. If you have any questions or want more ideas leave me a comment below! I've linked all my favorite products for you. They're products I actually use and believe in so you can feel safe buying them. Safe travels. :)
Need a little more one-on-one coaching to keep you on track? Schedule a complimentary consultation with me here. Can't wait to chat with you!! XO