Believe it or not, a trip doesn’t mean you have to let your body go. Most people allow themselves to eat and drink as much as possible while insisting that their body “take a rest” from exercising. A vacation is one of the top reasons for people to diet and lose weight and most of us gain it all back afterwards. So here’s an idea…

Pick a place you’ve always wanted to go to and make it your next healthy trip… your FITCATION. Plan to go with a like minded friend, partner, group or by yourself! Plan an exercise and diet routine (like you would with any other trip) and stick to it for 14, 30 or 60 days before your trip… you choose the intensity!

When the day of departure comes close, you’ll be fit and ready for a healthy trip. I’m not saying you have to run a marathon when you get there, but instead explore the destination in a healthier active way while traveling around. Cycle the city, take a yoga class on the beach or go salsa dancing in the evening. Skip the typical Hard Rock Café or traditional Irish pubs and find the city’s best local markets and restaurants with fresh and local flare.

I guarantee you’ll feel 100 times better after getting back home. The regrettable sense of overeating and drinking too much will be non-existent. That guilt of gaining five pounds will be replaced with a healthier, glowing, happier self. And hey… you’ll be a few pounds lighter too.

So how does one go about planning a healthy vacation? Like any goal, diet, or weight-loss regimen there has to be guidelines and steps put into place to ensure you reach your results…

1) Choose a FIT destination: This is the first and most important step! There is no ultimate destination for a FITcation. It has everything to do with your travel desires, favorite activities, fitness and health goals. Miami or Costa Rica would be a better destination for you if you were looking for sunshine, beach yoga and water activities. If you want a city getaway to walk and jog around travel sites New York or San Francisco would be a better choice. However, there are obvious destinations and places to stay away from: all-inclusive resorts, rural areas, Disney land or any other theme park (for many reasons). It’s ultimately up to you!

2) Pick your plan: There is a lot of flexibility and customization with any FITcation. It’s important to determine what your ultimate health and fitness goals are by asking yourself the following questions:

- Plan a trip by incorporating more exercise and healthy foods into my vacation

- Weight loss

- Improve my health while toning my body.

– Plan a trip to reduce my overall stress while being more mentally alert.

- Plan a trip with a group of friends of family members to encourage a healthier lifestyle.

The good news is planning a Fitcation can help achieve any of the above goals. You just need to be honest with yourself and make sure they are attainable and achievable. By getting an idea of what you want to achieve, the type of Fitcation should fall into one of the three following categories:

i- Easy-Walk in the park.

ii- Medium- Tone up and see the sights.

iii- Hard-Intense exploring.

3) Choose your activities: When piecing your Fitcation together, it’s important to plan out exactly what activities you want to do in the area. To try and make things simple, I’ve grouped any activity into three categories:

Local Activities:

California-beach yoga
Miami-Cuban salsa dancing
Caribbean-windsurfing/diving
Vancouver-paddle boarding
New York-Central Park runs.

You get the idea. These are local activities, or active excursions that are well known to the area. You will get to experience the local culture and vibe of the destination while receiving a wicked workout.

City Cardio: Try choosing ONE cardio route a day for at least 30 minutes. See some of the sights of the city or countryside with the following cardio activities:

-Walking
-Cycling
-Running
-Rollerblading
-Swimming

Skip the taxi, rental car or sightseeing bus. The best way to explore any area is on your two legs. This will give you the opportunity to see the area at a slower pace while getting a great workout in.

Body and Soul: Take in at least 30 minutes of a body & soul activity. Whether it’s meditation, tai chi or yoga, your body deserves some inner peace and stretching.

Yoga/meditation studios get their first class for free, which works in your favor. If you want more of a local flare and don’t mind spending more, you could try practicing yoga in some of the destinations’ more popular areas: San Fran hills, Central Park in NYC, beaches in Costa Rica etc.

4) Start your pre-travel program: Getting prepared with a healthy diet and workout regime is just as important as the trip itself. You won’t notice a difference if you binge up until your trip and go back to poor eating and exercise habits afterwards.

5) Eat local, fresh and healthy: One of the best steps… researching the restaurants! Take a look at some well-known restaurants in the area known for their fresh, local and healthy meals. A little bit of planning and research will go a long way while in the area. This will prevent you from settling for that overpriced Hard Rock Café or Irish pub.

6) Start Planning, Packing, and Preparing: Accommodations are surprisingly very important for a FITcation! Make sure your hotel is centrally located in a safe area while accessible to all of the activities and places you want to explore. Amenities within a hotel can also come in handy on a rainy day when that walk on the beach might not happen. Some chained hotels like Hilton, Marriot, Delta, Fairmont etc. provide clean, spacious and state of the art gyms, spas and pools.

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