Staying Healthy Over Spring Break - Emily Stone, Guest Post

Hi everyone!

Things have been crazy for me lately with school and work and trying to stay on top of this healthy life! I feel like I haven't been able to keep in touch with you all but I hope you know that you're all still in my thoughts and I'm still over here rooting for all of you.

I know some of you out there are in school and life is crazy for you, too...but we all need to remember that our health cannot be put on the back burner for life's craziness.  Remember to keep YOU and your health a priority during those times.

With that, I'm bringing you another wonderful guest post from Emily Stone!  She's got some great ideas for you Spring Breakers and honestly, vacation or time off in general.  Welcome back, Emily!

Hey guys, just me again, Emily! I am back with another post for the lovely Jenn on her great blog. I don't know about any of you, but I am GLUED to my normal routines and that includes everything. I have set patterns I like to follow for fitness purposes, staying on schedule purposes, and just life in general. When I start to break these routines is when the trouble starts to begin for me. Spring Break (and vacations in general) usually mean going out, eating out, hanging with friends, and maybe some occasional drinking as well. So for today, I have some helpful tips on how to keep healthy and on track when your normal routines become interrupted. Enjoy!

Ah, spring break is almost here! A week spent in some sunny locale after the way this winter has been sounds like just the ticket. And yet, there may be bit of trepidation. After all, travel usually entails not enough sleep, little exercise, and way too much food. With a few tips and reminders, you can enjoy your time away and not let spring break derail your healthy routine.

Eyes on the Prize

To stay healthy, you have to make it a priority. This means no matter where you are or what you’re doing, health has to be on your mind. When you get a break from the college routine, it can be easy to throw your cares into the wind and live in the moment. But it will only take a few days of vacation living to undo weeks of hard work at the gym. That means you have to be sensible. Yes, you can go out with friends and enjoy dinner. But no, you should not binge eat late at night, or stay up until 4 AM. It’s also helpful to drink a lot of water. When you get back to school, you want to look dewy, glowing and wonderful. Not sick, bloated and tired.

Choose Your Own Adventure

The thing I like about travel away from the norm is the flexibility. You don’t have to go back to the room for all of your meals because you can eat out pretty much whenever. But “whenever” should not be “always.” When I’m on vacation, I plan to eat out only once a day, whichever meal suits me that day. Wherever I’m at, I scope out a healthy grocery store and stock up on healthy snacks such as yogurt, nuts and fresh fruit. Then I can eat my one meal a day without regret or worry that I’m undoing my hard work. And of course I stay hydrated. I tend to snack more when I’m thirsty, so a portable water bottle in my bag is a must-have. I’ve been using the Zing water bottle lately and love it - perfect for adding some flavor.

Walk It Out

One of the great things about staying in shape is that going on a trip is so much easier. Usually you won’t have a car, and walking becomes your means of transportation. A lot of walking. And this is nice because then you’re burning a lot of calories. Just walking around town or strolling down the beach helps to adhere to the overall fitness goals, and sweat off the dinner buffet from the night before. And let’s face it–walking on the beach is harder than walking just about anywhere. I personally find it helps to bring my yoga mat with me when I travel (assuming there is room in my suitcase after all the shoes). If not, I pack my resistance bands which I just got from Beachbody for Christmas from my husband. Even if my suitcase is stuffed to the brim, there is always room for those little guys. A quick workout before hitting the beach can do wonders!

Cover Up

While you may wait all winter for the first beach day, dreaming about tan skin, let me be the one tell you that 30 comes before you know it! The suntans over the years begin to show their true colors, and in my case warranted a few trips to the doctor. Tanning is not my friend anymore. Sunscreen is an absolute necessity, especially when going from a colder climate to a warm, sunny place. You don’t want to get to middle age looking like someone’s leather handbag. That’s an image no Instagram filter can fix, I’m afraid.  I use a nice moisturizing sunscreen (my dermatologist recommended this brand) that’s at least SPF25, with UVA and UVB protection, and throw on a hat or cover-up if I know I’ll be in the sun all day long.

After a semester of working hard, a break from the books and classes is a perfect way to recharge. If you remember a few healthy tips, you can still enjoy your time without losing sight of your fitness goals. After all, summer’s coming and you’ll want to look and feel your best!