Vacation Time

by Coach Michele John

Summer time is just around the corner.  Folks are all abuzz with upcoming vacations.  Vacations are something we go on, not an approach to our health  – in other words we don’t take a vacation from our bodies, or our needs for self care!   Packing bags, hoping on a plane, or loading up the car, doesn’t mean we leave everything we have worked so hard for at the house while we jet off to our week long adventure.

Vacations are a great time to fully embrace the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.  Can eating clean be a challenge away from home?  Absolutely!  But with our newfound skills and tools, it just means making some extra efforts when ordering out at a restaurant to keep things as clean as possible.  It may require finding a store where we can stock up on fruits, veggies, water, and other nutritious food.  Vacations may also mean packing along protein powder to cover those moments where the only options available are not moving us in the direction of health and vitality.

Remember, vacations are not an excuse to jump back in to our old patterns and lifestyle, but instead a chance to embrace our emerging fit and healthy bodies.  It means spending a little extra time preparing and strategizing available resources.  The really cool part about vacations is not just eating, but activities.  Why not find a yoga studio in the new place, or better yet, find a fabulous new spot to practice a series of yoga poses or meditation.  Go for a hike, ride a bike, catch a nap in a hammock; let the change of pace and place invigorate your body and mind.