5 Hacks for a Healthy Vacation This Summer
Going on vacation is a summer essential. Whether you’re surrounded by palm trees or mountains, there are plenty of ways to stay active and have a healthy vacation wherever you’re venturing to.
Just because you’re away from your home gym or Thrive Fitness Atlanta for the week doesn’t mean you have to lose sight of your goals and diet. Here are a guidelines to stay active on your next healthy vacation:
Walk Wherever You Can
If you’re staying downtown, try walking vs. driving to where you need to go. This allows you to burn extra calories, get some cardio in, soak in more of the sights and culture, while saving some money on an Uber. When you can’t spare the time to visit the local gym or park to workout, walking is a sufficient alternative. Just because it may not be as intense as your typical routine doesn’t mean it’s not beneficial. According to Livestrong, walking at an average pace can burn up to 200 calories an hour. When you’re busy exploring a new city, you can rack up thousands more steps than you would at home. Even just at your hotel – taking the stairs instead of the elevator can make a huge difference. Those extra burned calories count when you want to indulge on the local cuisine (go for it).
Take Active Outings for a Healthy Vacation
Whether you’re traveling to a small town or big city, there’s always something adventurous to do. Experience your destination by active means – hiking, swimming, biking, rafting, jogging, and more. These activities are often offered in the form of group tours – making them even more social and enjoyable. Catch a glimpse of the area’s breathtaking views while still challenging your body. If you’re on your feet for most of your excursions, you don’t need to worry about being away from the gym. Getting a workout in on vacation doesn’t always have to be in the hotel’s gym – it can be a part of the vacation itself.
Adventures are always calling, so whether you’re at traveling or not – here’s how many calories that those adventures can shed for men (M) and women (F) in just one hour:
- Climbing: 899 (M), 774 (F)
- Kitesurfing: 945 (M), 814 (F)
- Canoeing: 572 (M), 493 (F)
- Horseback Riding: 327 (M), 279 (F)
- Mountain Biking: 694 (M), 594 (F)
- Surfing: 258 (M), 222 (F)
- Skateboarding: 408 (M), 352 (F)
- Swimming: 490 (M), 422 (F)
- Yoga: 387 (M), 281 (F)
Research Your Amenities
Hotel fitness centers aren’t ideal, but they’re better than nothing. Even if it’s just a treadmill and a few dumbbells, you can still scrap together a quick workout after your day of sightseeing. Those gyms don’t have personal training or a Body Fat Scanner – but they’ll still burn some calories. If there’s no fitness center, ask the front desk for local gyms they may have guest passes to or try some laps in the pool. Keep an eye out for common fitness events in the area you could fit in your itinerary – like 5k’s to free yoga at the local park.
Try Intermittent Fasting (IF)
Even if you don’t normally follow the popular fasting trend, vacations are a good time to start. Without a kitchen – you’ll usually be forced to resort to oversized restaurant portions. Don’t worry, IF won’t leave you feeling sluggish and unprepared to enjoy your healthy vacation – IF will actually improve your energy levels. This calculated change to your diet will allow you to indulge a few meals, while still not falling completely off the wagon. However, IF is not an excuse to overindulge on excessively fat-dense foods. It’s simply a tactic to keep your calorie count under control while eating out more often than not on vacation.
Water, Water, Water
Your location may be filled with tempting adult beverages – but too many could offset your goals. That’s why water should be your best friend away from home. Alcohol and sugary drinks lead us to underestimate how many calories and carbohydrates we’re really consuming. Drinking as little as two cups of water can help curb your appetite and keep you hydrated. This hack is useful come time for a carb-filled, high-calorie meal when eating out. When you’re walking from adventure-to-adventure, you’re losing more water than you think. Not fueling yourself with enough water, especially if you’re vacationing somewhere sunny, can cause anxiety, fatigue, and headaches.
Instead of relying on a juice detox after your summer vacation – just make it an active and healthy one. With Thrive Fitness Atlanta’s customized workout program and meal plan prepared by experienced personal trainers, you’ll have resources at your disposal for a healthy vacation – and a healthy lifestyle. Contact Thrive Fitness Atlanta at info@thrivefitnessatlanta.com today to create a lifestyle that you’ll carry to and from your travel destination.
6 Reasons You Should Try Intermittent Fasting
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – unless you’re following intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting has gained popularity throughout pretty much every diet clan – especially the ketogenic diet community. Fasting may not sound attractive for snacking enthusiasts or fans of many small meals a day. Some fasting protocols are more extreme than others, but research suggests that it’s more sustainable and filling than you may think. If you’re opposed skipping out on meals – some research may make you think otherwise.
What is intermittent fasting?
Although there are several variations, the premise of them all is all the same: spend less time eating and more time not eating. For weight loss, research has shown that intermittent fasting can be a long-term, effective way of sustaining a healthy lifestyle. The typical fast lasts arounds 14-16 hours with an eating window of 8-10 hours. This version seems to be a fan favorite. There are other versions that have been slower to fame – like the ‘every-other-day’ fast and the ‘25/115’ fast. The ‘every-other-day’ fast is self-explanatory, while the ‘25/115’ consists of eating 25 percent of your calorie needs one day, and eating 115 of your calorie needs the next. Using either means, you significantly reduce the total amount of calories during the week.
Benefits of intermittent fasting
Many weight loss success stories have accredited intermittent fasting. However, research suggests that intermittent fasting can help you do more than lose weight. Here’s a sample of benefits you may experience while fasting:
- It’s easy. Little meals means little cooking. Its simple structure is easy to follow and is applicable to every diet preference. Intermittent fasting is also sustainable; The Atlantic reports that 80-90 people are able to stick with the plan long-term.
- Weight loss. Intermittent fasting has obvious benefits for weight loss, since you’re consuming significantly less calories in the long run. Besides reducing calories, this eating pattern works for weight loss because it boosts your metabolic rate, according to Healthline.
- Disease prevention. Intermittent fasting isn’t a cure for anything, but has showed promising results in prevention. By reducing blood sugar levels, intermittent fasting has protected people against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It has also been linked to preventing/delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer.
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Brain function. Studies show that intermittent fasting can gradually improve cognitive function. This includes improved learning and memory and decreased oxidative stress. That’s why fasting has been growing in popularity as a treatment for the obesity epidemic.
- Prolonged lifespan. This research is fairly recent and still in progress – but so far, the results have are positive among several species, Business Insider reported. The fresh research on humans so far has also been successful. The results are most likely because of the dips in bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
- Increased endurance. Intermittent fasting shifts your body’s fuel source from carbohydrates to stored fats – so basically ketosis. The fuel preference reduced their respiratory exchange ratio, or “the ratio of CO2 produced to O2 consumed,” according to Medical News Today. In other words, intermittent fasting makes for more efficient exercise.
Should I try intermittent fasting?
This tactic works for many, but it may not be your best choice. When it comes to losing weight or building muscle, they key factor is building sustainable habits. At Thrive Fitness, we believe that a well-balanced diet is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle along with an active lifestyle. Any diet change should be made under a nutrition expert’s guidance. That’s why we have Holistic Health and Nutrition Coaches at your disposal. Contact Thrive Fitness Atlanta to talk about which diet suits your lifestyle today at info@thrivefitnessatlanta.com.