A friend of mine just came back from a five month Cruise around the world and shared all of the highlights of his trip. Seeing as he went to all but two continents, he had many wonderful stories with the pictures to match. Although he had a great trip, he lamented how much weight he had put on due to the constant buffet of food and how he was in the process of losing it since he got back. Hearing how he put on weight during his trip made me think if there was a way that people could stop or reduce how much weight they typically put on during a vacation while still being able to enjoy themselves. Below are 4 practical ways I believe people can reduce or slow down the weight gain to stay healthy on vacation.
Pack equipment
In no way would I suggest that you pack dumbbells in your suitcase, but there is equipment you can take on a trip that weighs very little. Exercise bands are great because they are light, small and they provide as much resistance as you need dependent on the band you use. TRX has made a suspension trainer that you can do a whole workout using just the door in your room. The benefits to both of these pieces of equipment are that not only are the light and easy to pack in your suitcase, but there are a variety of workouts and exercises you can do with of them.
Use the facilities
If you are staying in a hotel or on a cruise ship it is likely that there will be exercise facilities. While most of the gyms won’t have the best or “state of the art” equipment, they usually have enough to provide you with an adequate workout to stay healthy on vacation. More luxury resorts such as Nizuc resort and spa will have extensive fitness centers featuring a variety of equipment for cardio and weight, as well as a plethora of pools for swimming in to help keep you fit throughout your stay.
Take public transit or walk everywhere
If you are traveling in a big city like London England for example the public transit in those cities usually make it easy to get to all the tourist locations by foot which forces you to exercise. Furthermore in cities with subways they usually have stairs, which provide an additional way to stay active on vacation.
Watch what you eat
Resorts or Cruise ships are well known for their buffets. I’m not saying don’t enjoy but eat to satisfaction. Over eating or eating unhealthy foods is an easy way to put on a lot of weight in a hurry. Also on resort in particular, alcohol is readily available which can quickly add to your weight gain. My recommendation would be to practice some self-control or know when you are full and only eat when needed in order to stay healthy on vacation.
Life is to be fun and enjoyed, and our vacations are usually when we create memories that we will have for a lifetime. While it is important to create our lifelong memories, they don’t have to come with an additional 10-15 pounds of weight.
Author Bio
Eric Daw is an active aging specialist and the owner of Omni Fitt. Omni Fitt is dedicated to the wellbeing, health and quality of life of people aged 65 and over. Eric motivates and empowers the older adult population to take responsibility for their independence, health and fitness through motivating and positive coaching experiences.
