Do you feel “off track” when you go on vacation? Feel like crap when you get back? We take a deep dive into all things pre and post travel, and what you can do while you’re traveling in podcast episodes 86, 87, and 88, yet here we’ll cut to the chase and give your our top 3 heavy hitters that have the biggest impact when it comes to feeling good while you travel so that when you come back, things feel easy.
- Movement everyday. This could be a 15 minute walk. A 10 minute room bodyweight workout. You can find some stairs to run up and down, or even book a fun group class wherever you’re at. The point is to move your body, ideally it’s the first thing when you get up so it doesn’t get away from you. This will leave you feeling awesome, and if you do overindulge in calories, as most do while traveling, then you’re putting the calories to good use! Prioritize, plan ahead for what you will do, and have a “go-to” back up plan for when things aren’t going to plan or set up accordingly.
- Plan at least one meal ahead of time each day. And plan for that to include whole foods, especially protein and veggies. Seek out healthier options. Google search “farm to table restaurant”, or swing by a grocery store for some charcuterie style options (organic deli meat, jerky, nuts/seeds, berries, hummus, snacking veggies, etc.), see what you find and can truly enjoy, rather than last minute fast food.
- Don’t plan too much. Slow down. Enjoy your time, allow things to be sporadic and flexible. When we are in a go go go, we have to do this and go there at this time, we get into a sympathetic state, and therefore cause stress, inflammation, more cravings, and all of a sudden we are making poor choices, not digesting well, not sleeping well and our vacation turns into a stresscation. You can always fill in space with calming walks, asking the local barista where to go or eat, etc.
When you can move your body, prioritize protein, and stay in control mentally, we are setting ourselves up for success and we are much more likely to feel at ease and ready to come back to our routine once the trip is done.
Again, for more details, check out our 3 part series that gets more nitty gritty when it comes to all things health and travel.
