How to keep heart healthy habits on vacation
Going on holiday shouldn't mean taking a vacation from healthy habits. With a little advanced planning, there are lots of ways to stay active and eat better on your next trip.
- Plan an active vacation. Build your holiday around active pursuits: a canoe and camping trip in a provincial or national park, a bicycle tour of wine country or a daylong excursion involving hiking or kayaking.
- Choose a theme park. Strolling around a theme park with the kids — provided you avoid the abundance of sugary treats — keeps you moving, laughing and de-stressing together.
- Fly right. If your vacation involves a long period of sedentary travel, be sure to stretch frequently and, if possible, get up from your seat and walk around every hour. If you're travelling by plane, avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
- Pack some snacks. Wherever you're headed, take your own heart healthy snacks, like small bags of unsalted nuts, whole grain bread topped with Becel margarine or dried fruit. Hitting the road? Don't leave home without a cooler filled with good-for-you foods. Pack it with fresh veggies, nutritious sandwiches, fruit, pure fruit juice and refillable bottles of water.
- Hit the hotel gym. If you'll be staying in a hotel or motel, try to book accommodation with a pool, tennis courts or on-site gym and try to use the facilities each day, even if it's just for 20 minutes.
- Bring a portable workout. No gym? No hotel? Bring your own! Resistance bands take up minimal space and provide a good workout for arms and legs. A skipping rope provides cardio. Add some ab work and you've got a full-body workout.
- Take your walking shoes. Chances are, if you can squeeze in a half-hour walk in the morning, even the most sedentary of vacations will be healthier and provide you with much-needed stress reduction. If you're planning on sight-seeing, try walking tours instead of a bus tour.