Vacation, Healthy-Eating, and Fitness: Can They Co-Exist?

Staying on plan with healthy eating and exercise never ceases to be a challenge when I travel. As relatively consistent as I am when I’m home, as soon as I hit the road or skies, a SHUT-OFF button magically appears. It’s like an auto-relax button that says vacation, exercise and healthy-eating don’t always belong in the same sentence.

Funny thing about departing from my everyday regimen is that when I get back from vacay, and I haven’t exercised or eaten properly, I’m everything but relaxed. I’m bloated, edgy, cranky, and just overall, grumpy, and not nice. However, I will say that even in my inconsistency, I’m not consistent about falling off the horse. I’m still trying to figure out why I fall on some trips andrace to the finish line on others. Is there a direct correlation between my attitude and my location – the more tropical, the greater my motivation and vice versa?

In April, I took a three-day cruise with my BFF. I worked out 2 of the 3 days we were on the ship but consumed way more alcohol and deserts than is my usual. I’ve come to a few conclusions:

1. I take vacations, especially girls-only ones, to relax and step away from the stresses of everyday demands. Exercise isn’t a stress for me, therefore, taking a vacation shouldn’t mean relaxing on my fitness regimen.

2. Exercise is fun and is more than just jumping jacks, push ups, and 5 mile runs. Being away from home in a new and exciting location is a great opportunity to explore new ways to be active. Nature hikes, snorkeling, open-water swimming, zip-lining, rock wall climbing, canoeing are great activities that not only elevate the heart rate but also show off the land.

3. Food is food, no matter where I eat it. Bad food at home is the same bad food on the road. Departing drastically from a healthy eating regimen just because I see a few umbrella drinks, a sandy beach and tropical waters is irresponsible of me. It takes twice as many days to recover and get back on track and generally, not worth it.

Vacation, fitness and healthy eating aren’t mutually exclusive concepts. If the latter two can be achieved at home then they certainly can be applied on the road. Do you get off track when you take a vacation or do you remain consistent? Is it a challenge for you or easy as pie? Pun intended.

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