Any holiday really means over indulgence of food and alcohol plus a lot of lazing around. It’s so fantastic to let go of our commitments and enjoy ourselves. But after a holiday a lot of us end up feeling bloated , lethargic and probably carrying an extra couple of Kg’s.

These feelings will not have your return home start in a positive way!

For myself I always prIoritise staying active and looking after myself as the last thing I want to be feeling on my holiday is bad about myself and my body.

6 tips for staying active and healthy on holiday:

1. WALK:

Most places you visit will have walking tracks, beach or a nice place to walk. Even if you’re visiting a city it’s beautiful to start your day by wandering the empty streets. I like to get up early each day and start my day with 30min – 1 hour walking. It starts my day right and puts me in a good head space. What’s even better is it’s something you can do with your whole family or partner.

2. TAKE 15:

While on holiday I like to take 15 minutes out of my day to do a quick workout either in my motel room or motel gym. It doesn’t need to be complicated just body weight movements in a circuit style. I like to do this before my little family wake up in the morning or at morning nap time as it puts me in the right frame of mind for the day.

If you exercise in the morning you will also be likely to want to binge on too much food through out the day.

Even just 15 minutes of exercise will boost your metabolism, energise you and help you feel less lethargic.

3. WATER:

I know you’ve probably heard it over and over again but keeping up your hydration in the heat will keep you from becoming dehydrated and feeling tired, boost your metabolism, curb your food cravings and help you to stop feeling bloated as it washes away toxins such as that excess alcohol consumption.

I always like to start my morning with a warm lemon water before heading out on my walk.

The benefits of water are huge and something we all take for granted so drink up babes.

4. PICK YOUR MEAL:

We all love going out for breakfast, lunch and dinner on holidays but all this food in restaurants can be so high in calorie and usually contains a lot of refined carbs such as pasta, bread or high fat deep fried foods. I like to always make sure that if it eating out more than once in a day that 1-2 of those meals come from the salad menu or are the lighter options. And then every day or so I will choose a meal that is a bit more of an indulgence or just whatever I feel like such as a gluten free pasta or the fries etc.

At breakfast I choose fruit or poached eggs. And at lunch it’s always the salad option. This not only helps stop the fat but also helps keep my energy high and will stop you from feeling lethargic and sluggish.

The easiest way to avoid high calorie foods and to stop the bloat is to avoid fried foods completely – pick the grilled option and ask for veggies or salad instead of fries.

The best option is to always eat some meals at home when you can that way you know exactly what ingredients are being used.

5. INCIDENTAL EXERCISE:

What I love about holidays is all the time you get to spend with family as a parent of a toddler when she is awake there is not much down time its all go,go,go!

This is the perfect way to get in extra incidental exercise like playing, swimming or walking on the beach, hiking, playing in the park, walking around the streets, swimming in the pool or organised holiday activities.

The world is a big playground for kids and their parents, so get out there and play with them!

6. ALCOHOL:

It’s no secret I enjoy a wine or cocktail on holidays, who doesn’t?! But, these drinks can be high in sugar and calories so keep that in mind if you are watching your weight. Some creamy cocktails can contain over 350 calories each and a standard glass of white wine is around 155 calories. A martini is around 130-150 calories and a mojito around 230 calories. Enjoy the cocktail of course but break it up with a glass of soda water.

Mocktails and soft drinks are high in sugar and can quickly add up when you’re having a few over the day.

ABOVE ALL ENJOY YOURSELF, don’t put too much pressure on yourself and just have a fun holiday while making simple conscious decisions each day to be active and healthy.