Staying Healthy on Holiday

When going away for a holiday it can be difficult to stay healthy and to feel like you have not completely fallen off the bandwagon.

Firstly, it important to remember that a holiday is a time for you to unwind, relax and re-charge the batteries. Food and exercise does not always need to be on the forefront of your mind, and sometimes it’s okay to go off track! Your habits can always be picked back up when you return home back to normal life.

However, if you do want to keep some aspect of health and fitness while you are away, this can also be achieved with a few simple swaps and reminders. Your healthy habits and routine doesn’t have to go away completely, and there are ways to stay on track while you are away.

The first thing to keep in mind is that it is okay to aim for ‘better’ instead of ‘perfect’. Aiming for better will help you avoid feeling like you have failed, or that you aren’t doing enough. An example of aiming for ‘better’ is to aim to start your day with a brief walk and a 5-minute body weight work out, rather than aiming to spend one hour per day in a local gym. These perfect goals may leave you de-motivated, making you less likely to complete anything at all.

Next, remember that even though you are on holiday, you don’t have to buy every meal from a restaurant, or make it a treat. You may just choose to have one meal a day that is a little less healthy than usual. For the other days, you might consider finding fresh food from the markets, or making something in your hotel room where you can control the way the food is prepared.

You may also want to decide what your ‘minimals’ are while you are away. For example, do you still want to aim to drink at least 2L of water each day, or look to eat at least 2 servings of vegetables per day. Small, achievable health goals can help to make you feel like you are still in control of your healthy habits.

By aiming for better, choosing your meals wisely and keeping a few healthy habits in your routine, you may feel more in control of your health while you are away, letting you enjoy your holiday even more!