How to stay healthy on holidays

Today on the blog I have the lovely Amy from Eat Pray Workout sharing her tips on staying healthy while on holidays! I wish I had read this before my recent travels, as 5 holidays in as many weeks has resulted in a few extra kgs. Ugh! xx Swah

Holidays are one of the best times of the year, no more dead lines and instead days of resting and rejuvenating. Although, have you ever returned from them and thought ‘I had a great time, but I actually feel gross and exhausted’? I know I have.

I’m going to the Great Barrier Reef for 10 days this week (flip, yeah!!) although I don’t want this amazing time to end with those sentiments. So I am going to try escaping the norm. I am tweaking the way I find rest. No longer will it be lazing on the beach or watching movies all day and eating blocks of chocolate whilst sipping wine or cocktails. It will be a time a time to enjoy cooking wholesome food, experience new ways to keep my body moving, spending some quiet time reflecting and getting plenty of sleep. Now, to all you chocolate lovers, don’t give up on me yet. I’m on your side. This doesn’t mean no chocolate, wine or movies it just means having them a few times and really being in the moment enjoying it, rather than gorging on it on a daily basis.

Is it worth being healthy on holidays?

I’ve taken this approach before and it was amazing! I returned refreshed, rather than wrecked. I was energized and excited to get back into work. Why? Because instead of changing my whole lifestyle, I had already created healthy habits on holidays, which eliminated the feeling of being overwhelmed by the billions of changes I needed to make to my lazy and unhealthy holiday routine.

If you also want to feel refreshed on and after holidays, here’s some tips to get you there:

1. Stay somewhere with a gym

This is always the first thing I look at in a hotel. Even if you’re not a gym person at home, it is really great because you can sneak out before the family arises and get your workout in. There is less room for your brain to talk you out of it with excuses like ‘maybe I’ll get lost on my run’ or ‘I don’t know where the nearest park is’.

2. Explore by Walks

Beach/forest/bush walks are all great ways to see the local area and keep moving. I recommend really trying to be mindful on these walks. Notice the texture of the trees, the light wind on your skin and the songs of the birds. It is so freeing to bring yourself to the present, appreciating the magnificence of the creation around you.

3. Hire equipment

Hire some equipment that will give you plenty of laughs and perhaps even some adrenaline rushes! Examples include:

• Bikes

Road bikes are great to ride to the next town or mountain bikes are a fun way to hit up those off road walking tracks.

• Surfboards

  If your coordination and balance is anything like mine, I promise you lots of laughs. If you are more advanced in these areas – you’ll find the adrenaline!

• Stand-up paddle boards

  These are all the rage at the moment and a great way to keep moving whilst getting an awesome tan (but don’t forget the sunscreen – no one likes to look like a lobster).

• Canoes

  Canoes are fun too. Did you see these pictures of our holiday canoeing in the Katherine River, Northern Territory? We dodged the crocodiles! Now that was adrenaline pumping.

4. Download home workout apps

I’ve listed all my favourite fitness apps here and most of the workouts you can do without equipment in your hotel room.

5. Pack a skipping rope and resistance band

Skipping is AMAZING cardio that doesn’t take long and is great to throw into a mixture of body weight exercises. Resistance bands help take some body weight exercises to the next level of difficulty. If you Google it, there are plenty of you tube videos that will give you ideas on how to use the band. You can purchase both products from a sports store.

6. Keep a food diary

It can be as simple as a paper on the bench where you note down what you ate each day. It takes 2 minutes but really helps you be aware of what you are eating, being mindful not to just eat the junk because it is there. My free daily planner is probably a little too rigid for holidays!

7. Cook at home

If you are going for more than a few days, try to book somewhere with kitchen facilities so that you can prepare your own meals. Even if you just prepare snacks, smoothies or salads and eat out just once a day – this keeps saves you from overeating and ensures your body gets the nutrients it needs to leave you feeling refreshed when you return home. If you’re without cooking facilities, don’t forget supermarkets sell premade salads, fruit and health bars which you could put in your fridge or buy on the day you need it.

8. Make healthier treats

Make your snacks healthier. Think dark chocolate, nut mixes or fruit platters. If you want some more creative ideas, try making some of my chocolate bliss balls or espresso almond raw biscuits.

So coming into the school holidays, lets make a commitment together to feel refreshed, rather than exhausted by making the effort to look after ourselves.

How do you look after your health on holidays? What are you going to commit to this holidays to care for your wellbeing?