College athletic road games are inevitable. Unfortunately, they often involve quick meals of unhealthy options and busy schedules that may limit exercise time. In an earlier article, I spoke about overcoming setbacks. I prefaced the article by listing unplanned events. Well, what should one do on planned vacations. Here are a few tips to survive your summer vacation and avoid setbacks.
15 Minutes is Enough
Road trips for athletic employees mean travel time and long hours at the stadium. Vacations mean travel time and long hours at tourist destinations. Both limit the time and want to exercise. Luckily, studies have proven as little as 15 minutes of exercise a day is beneficial. During time from home, the focus should be to stay in the groove of working out daily. Walking and jogging are good exercises. If you are not a beginner, fartleks or tempo runs are a great way to get in a tough workout. That little time is enough to give you the energy to get through the exhausting day ahead.
1:1 Meal Ratio
Vacations and college road trips are similar in that they involve unhealthy food and drinks. Those traveling look forward to the stadium concessions or restaurant desserts. Who could say no to the state fair concessions at the Red River Rivalry? Or say no to Café du Monde beignets on a trip to New Orleans? It is understandable one would indulge. Moderation is a key to surviving the summer vacation or fall road trip. A good tip is to keep your ratio of healthy to unhealthy meals at 1:1. This ratio allows one to eat the meal most sought after but limit the damage done by overindulging at every meal.
Use the Stairs
College athletics travel always involves a hotel. The same goes for most vacations. At hotels, one has a choice of getting to their room. Take the elevator or take the stairs. As written in our article “wellbeing is built on small changes,” minor lifestyle tweaks can have major effects on your overall well-being. Using the stairs is a great way of continuing the small actions that have gotten you to your health goals. It is important to find ways to feel positive about how you handled your health during your trip. The stairs can be an addition to other healthy choices on vacation.
Get in the Pool
One constant for road games and vacations are hotel pools. Anytime athletic employees can unwind during a busy road trip they should take that opportunity. The pool is a great way to blow off the stress of prepping for a big game. While on vacation, the pool can do the same. A great tip is to get in the pool. Swimming is one of the best exercises for its low impact on the body. But beyond its exercise benefits, a pool visit during vacation is usually accompanied by sugary alcoholic drinks that just add to the calorie count. A dip in the pool can double as a short exercise and decrease the number of drinks.
Vacations are a great way to unwind from the stress of life. But for those striving to live a healthy lifestyle, vacations make for a difficult time. Focus on maintaining your fitness and nutrition by exercising 15 minutes a day, keeping a 1 to 1 ratio of healthy to unhealthy meals, continue your small actions like using the stairs, and get in the pool whenever you can. Surviving your vacation is matter of strong will and compromising.