Picture a Disney vacation. Sure, it’s magical, but it’s also a lot of work. It’s hot, it’s humid, and you’re walking all day long. What’s supposed to be a vacation can easily turn into a chore if you’re not at peak physical health—and if it turns into a chore, it’s not exactly a vacation. Nor is this just limited to Disney. Whether you want to try wakeboarding off the coast of California or scuba diving in Australia, vacations often make demands of our bodies that we don’t make of them on a daily basis. So, if you really want to enjoy your vacation to its fullest extent, you have to get your body in shape. Here are some tips!
Start Walking Daily
Almost all vacations involve a fair amount of walking. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, switching to walking all the time can be exhausting. Ready yourself by starting to take daily walks so that your body is used to it. Push yourself to walk for half an hour every day after work. You can even make this into a family event: Pack the kids into strollers and practice walking and pushing them, just like you would if you were to bring them on vacation somewhere.
Try Yoga
Yoga is a great way to stretch your body out and begin to loosen up the knotted places in your body that are apt to become stiff while you’re on vacation. Yoga is also a great way to practice mindfulness and to destress, which can help you have the mental capacity you need to enjoy your vacation to the fullest.
Work on Your Trouble Zones
Everyone has a trouble zone in their body. For some people, it’s the ankles. For others, it’s the back. Whatever your trouble zone is, you can guarantee that if you don’t take care of it ahead of time, it will act up at the worst possible moment during your vacation. Free Your Spine has some great information on working through back problems. You should also check with your doctor to see if they recommend any specific treatments.
Break in Your Clothes
If you’re going to buy new clothes for your vacation, make sure to break them in first. This is especially true if you plan to buy new shoes, since the last thing you want to be battling with on your vacation are blisters on your feet. However, even regular clothes should be worn ahead of time to ensure that they’re actually comfortable for a full day and that they don’t ride up in weird or uncomfortable ways. Vacations are supposed to be comfortable and relaxing, so you don’t want to be fixing a strap every five minutes because you’d only tried a top on once in the store.
Eat Healthy
Eating healthy is going to give you more energy and make you feel better overall. You want to start eating healthy before you go on your vacation, not only because it will start you off on the right foot, but because you’re likely to indulge in foods on your vacation that you wouldn’t normally indulge in. While you’re eating healthy, it can also be a good idea to make a plan for what you’re going to do when you’re on vacation so that you can enjoy food without overindulging to the point that you don’t feel well. One great option is to research your travel destination and pick some restaurants out ahead of time where you can be sure to get a healthy meal that still tastes great.
Be Realistic
Everyone has physical limits, and even if you work on improving your body, there are certain limits you won’t be able to overcome. If you’re the type of person who struggles to get in your half hour walk every day, for example, cross-country cycling is probably not the best vacation choice for you. Choose your vacation destination with an understanding of your abilities and the abilities of the people traveling with you.
Going on vacation to a new location is a dream come true. But if you don’t go into your vacation as healthy as you can, you’re going to find yourself struggling to do everything you want to do. At best, you’ll come home exhausted and in need of a vacation from your vacation; at worst, you’ll actually have to give up on some of your vacation plans in order to give your body a chance to recover. No one wants that, so do yourself a favor and take care of your body before you go so that you can be sure to enjoy your vacation!
