Intro

Some people treat vacations as if there should be absolutely no effort exerted on them. Others pack as many activities into the itinerary as possible and leave no time for relaxation. Regardless of who you are, if you are trying to be healthy or reach certain health and fitness goals, you need to learn how to navigate vacations.

Not every vacation is created equal in the sense of what you do, the cost, food, destination, etc. Here are some typical questions that arise when traveling and what you should do about your health & fitness while you're there.  What dietary restrictions should you have if you are on vacation? Should you continue to do your normal workouts? Is counting calories the right thing to do on vacation? Am I going to lose my progress while on vacation? The approach to take is relatively universal and will be a guide for most people on almost all vacations.

Goal

First we need to acknowledge the goal and purpose of vacation. Vacation isn't supposed to be a time you take all your habits you have at home and bring them with you. If that was the purpose, then you might as well book a hotel room in the town you live in. The purpose is to have fun, explore new cities, states, countries, relax and try some food you don't normally get to and enjoy those things with people you love. That is the main purpose of vacation. Nobody regrets skipping a workout or not calorie counting after a trip. They regret not trying a certain food or an excursion or activity. The point is to explore, decompress, relax and do new things with the people you love.

The Guide

Now that we have established a purpose, we can eliminate what not to do and how you should feel when you get back from vacation. One archtytpe of a person that you might be, is the person that leaves all responsibility and restriction behind. Meaning you don't have to have any regularity in your schedule or limit what you eat & drink. Succumbing to eating whatever the ego says it wants to eat and drink and as much as that ego wants when it wants it. This thinking or mode of being is not what vacation is about. How do you justify spending thousands of dollars on a trip to let your pleasures & passions drive the bus on vacation and determine all of your decisions?

On the contrary, another archetype is the person that packs all their life into their suitcase and lives that exact same life on the trip. It could look like doing all 5 workouts they normally do at home on vacation. Eating the exact same breakfast everyday like at home. Bringing their supplement drawer with them and not missing a beat there. Saying no to great local food because it doesn't fit into their macros. You get the point.

We've set the boundaries, don't be incredibly strict and don't be without purpose and let your ego drive the bus. So how do we make this actionable? Return home feeling better than when you left! That is it. That is the only goal health & fitness wise. Vacation is partially about taking a break from everyday life, relaxing, re-cooperating, destressing like I said. Make sure it feels that way. Return home feeling better than when you left, so that you are ready to give max effort at work or with your kids when you return.

This is very individual and dependant on every trip. This doesn't mean you can't do any workouts or watch what you eat. But do not miss out on the point of the trip. Spending quality time elsewhere with people and things you don't normally get to do. If you can do that, jumping back on your routines will be that much easier and progress won't stall. Typically I see a small strength bump from clients right after vacations because their body needed that break and needed to recover. So enjoy the trip and make the most of it while you're there.