Stay healthy while on vacation

Your health is important while traveling
By: Preferred Global Health

A healthy lifestyle must be followed in everyday living to help prevent diseases like cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. But did you know that you can take your healthy lifestyle with you while on vacation? You can still have fun, rest, and relax while staying healthy.

Sun safety, healthy eating, avoiding alcohol abuse and smoking, and remaining physically active are important things to maintain even during a holiday.

Admittedly, despite the best of intentions, it isn’t always easy to merge fun and health—challenges may still arise. Here are some ways to manage the hurdles and stay on track with your health goals during a vacation:

1.       Stay physically active.
Whether you can’t wait to rest and recharge or you have many social engagements, making time to include some type of physical activity in your day is always a good idea.

Keep yourself and your family active during trips by squeezing in at least 30 minutes of movement or activity per day. You can walk, run, or maybe try a new physical activity outside of your usual habits during this vacation.

If your day looks like it will involve a lot of sitting, try a workout in the morning or early evening.

2.       Manage weight gain while vacationing.
The downside of added weight is that you may also feel irritable, heavy, and low on energy. These are consequences of imbalanced eating (like big spikes in sugar or heavy meals) and not getting feel-good endorphins from activities such as exercise.

To avoid gaining unwanted weight, consume fresh foods, try to eat smaller portions, stay hydrated, and bring healthy snacks to avoid overeating. Also, drink alcohol moderately since alcohol is mostly just sugar and calories and will dehydrate you among other things.

3.       Avoid giving in to peer pressure.
Are your friends always inviting you to eat out or go for drink? It’s essential to communicate your intent to keep healthy choices, even during the holidays. Your friends and family will likely support you. Plus, you might inspire them, too!

Your peers might be up for all-you-can-eat holiday, but that does not mean you have to always join the bingeing. When you indulge, do so on your terms, not out of pressure.

4.       Keep safe in the sun.
Exposure to sunlight is the main factor for skin cancer. Negative effects of solar radiation build up over our lifetime and majority of our unhealthy exposure to the sun happens during childhood and youth. For this reason, it is very important to teach children good sun protective habits.

Regardless of your skin tone, it’s important to apply sunscreen protection with a SPF or at least 30+ (UVA/UVB protective) to sun-exposed skin. If you are outdoors all day, remember to reapply every few hours.

Exercise indoors when the sun is strongest. People with heart conditions, elderly people over the age of 70, and those who are overweight should take special care in the heat and stay extra hydrated.

5.       Drink plenty of water.
Dehydration can be dangerous, particularly for elderly people, babies and infants, and people with diabetes, alcoholism, or circulatory problems. Symptoms of dehydration include sweating less than normal, dark-coloured urine, dry mouth, dry skin, feeling tired, headache, trouble concentrating, dizziness, a weak pulse, and feeling very thirsty.

When dehydrated, drink plenty of fluids and avoid sugary and fizzy drinks, tea, coffee, and alcohol.  Rehydration solutions, available at pharmacies or local corner stores, also help replenish low levels of minerals.

It pays to remain committed to your health goals, even during vacations. Besides, you can still have fun, relax, and enjoy while looking out for your over-all wellbeing.