Recently, I traveled abroad with my best friend to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. We left in the midst of January, the perfect time to escape the cold weather in Boston. The trip was absolutely lovely; it was nearly 80 degrees and sunny everyday. We rode horses, went to clubs, and mostly basked in the sunshine. Casa de Campo is an amazing resort, and I defiantly recommend it if your looking for somewhere to vacation! But the question is, is it possible to stay healthy on vacation? The answer is absolutely! In fact, vacation is an excellent time to give yourself a break. You deserve to relax and not necessary be stressing about diet and exercise every second. With that being said, there are still ways to incorporate healthy habits whilst on vacations.
The first thing is diet. Obviously when you are on vacation, you will be more tempted to eat unhealthy foods that you would not regularly indulge in. And that is okay! Moderation is key, and it is important to find balance when it comes to diet. If you want to indulge in dessert, or an extra drink, don’t feel guilty if you do. After all, since vacation only is a short period of time it is important to make the most out of it and splurge a little. I had dessert every night while here and I don’t regret a single bite! Even though I definitely splurged more than I usually do, I still kept my diet pretty clean. For example, for breakfast I would have eggs with vegetables and fruit or oatmeal with walnuts and chopped bananas. They also offered green juice at the breakfast buffet, which was delicious! Since we were busy throughout the day we didn’t really partake in a huge lunch, so I would snack more on fruit or veggies. At dinner, I would order fish, especially the catch of the day because fish is more delicious when it is fresh. With the fish, I would order rice and vegetables. Make sure to consume as many vegetables and fruit as you can while on vacation because it will make you feel your best. Also drink lots of water especially if you’re out in the sun all day.
When it came to exercise, I would do quick circuit routines in my hotel room if I couldn’t make it to the gym. These HIIT routines are highly effective in a pinch and get your heart rate up quickly.
For example, do 20 seconds on 10 seconds off (tabata style) of
- Jump Squats
- Pushups
- Switch lunges
- Jumping jacks
- Plank jacks
and repeat each four times. Any exercise is better than nothing!
Most importantly, remember to relax while on vacation and don’t stress about your diet/exercise. It is most important to spend time with people you love and make the most out of it.
Let me know what you think!