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’Tis the season of summer vacations. This means staying with in-laws, sisters,
half-brothers, grandparents, great aunt Bea, or whomever. And when you stay at someone
else’s house—with the possible exception of the Gates’compound, which I
understand is the size of a small island—you have to give up control of your space,
your schedule, your diet, and your life.
Granted, Americans are notorious for wanting to control everything. But when
you’ve decided to live healthier, a certain amount of control is
necessary—not to the point of being obsessive or obnoxious, but enough to make
sure you take care of your health, even with no outside support.
All in the Family
For example, if your family is sedentary, be aware that they’ll fill up their
days with dining out, visiting friends, going to movies, and taking scenic drives.
This can make it difficult to shoehorn in a workout. “But dear, we’re
supposed to go see Cousin Mary in an hour!” It’s easy to let your
family derail your exercise routine, especially if you’re feeling lazy,
as I often am. And if, like me, you’re susceptible to guilt, you’ll
always feel like you should help cook the meals, visit the relatives, wash the
dishes, and baby-sit the kids, rather than pursue your own narcissistic fitness
goals.
I do believe in being a good aunt, cousin, and daughter-in-law. But I also need
to take responsibility for taking care of myself. Several people in my family
have health problems related to their sedentary life, poor hydration, and
less-than-ideal diets. If I don’t stick with my fitness plans, I’ll
end up the same way.
Healthy Trails
So here is the result of 25 years of struggling to keep my sanity and my life
together when I’m away from home. I offer you tips for a healthy vacation.
It doesn’t look like much, but putting these into practice has been a major
victory for me.
- Don’t expect to follow your regular eating and exercise habits 100
percent. It’s almost certainly impossible and you’ll just drive
yourself crazy. Instead, set modest, achievable goals for eating and
exercising. You’re much more likely to accomplish them, and
you’ll feel like a success instead of a failure, which means you’re
much more likely to continue on the path of moderation rather than total
indulgence.
- Cut your regular exercise schedule in half. If you normally work out four
days a week, aim for two. You’ll still be way ahead of most of the
population. If you do manage to get three or four days in, reward yourself
appropriately.
- If anyone else in your family is active, make them your ally. They’ll
motivate you and you’ll motivate them. They’ll probably be as glad to
have a workout buddy as you are.
- One very easy thing you can do, even if you do nothing else, is to stay
hydrated. Water continues to be the forgotten nutrient. If I buy a 1-liter
bottle of water, drink the whole thing by lunchtime, refill it, and drink the
second one by dinnertime, I’m getting 64 ounces of water. This is the
bare minimum, but a lot more than I’d get if I weren’t keeping
track.
- Finally, although I never thought I’d say this, register for a race
that will occur right after your vacation. I don’t mean an Ironman, just
a 5K or 10K run or walk. I discovered this trick by accident. One of my
favorite short triathlons here in California came the week after my summer
vacation. I knew I wouldn’t be able to train for it properly, but I signed
up anyway because it was just too much fun to miss. As a result, I found I
was much more motivated to exercise during my vacation. Not just because it
was good for me, or because I needed a break from family, but because I knew
there was life after vacation, and I wanted to be ready for it.
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