It is finally that time of year again, time for summer vacation! This year that means escaping to an east coast beach for a few days, and I can’t wait!
While visiting the beach is going to be a blast and there will be exciting new foods to try and things to explore, I don’t want to undo all the work I have done on my body over the winter. And if you’re like me you probably only have 1-2 trips like this a year, so needles to say, I’ve been prepping and I’m pumped!
The beach, in my opinion, is the perfect place to vacation and unwind, but it’s also a great place for greasy foods and hopefully minimal physical activity. Now this combo is fine for the first few days but it could start to catch up with you before you even get home!
So I have a few tips on how to try and maintain your summer body, while still enjoying your beach time as much as possible!
Beach Activities
My favorite thing to do at the beach is to listen to music and lay out, and as much as I wish that burned calories… it doesn’t!
So in preparation for a minimal activity afternoon be sure to get in some exercise in the morning. Now you could do some morning yoga or just morning stretches and then hit the beach for a walk while it’s cool and empty. You’ll burn a few calories, wake your body up and get in some additional site seeing. Or if shopping is your thing, leave the lounger for a bit and walk around the boardwalk while you shop.
My next suggestion is to bring toys! Whether they are water toys like skipping balls or skim boards, or more beach toys like a frisbee or volleyball. And of course if running around at all is not your thing, be sure you’ve packed your sand castle stuff and at least give your arms a workout with some light digging.
Food & Drinks
Since this is vacation time, like many others, I plan on having multiple “cheat meals,” as you should! But since most restaurant meals average over 1,000 calories each, you can see how eating 3-4 large meals a day could start weighing you down. So try cutting that down to just 2 large/high calorie meals a day, y犀利士 ou’ll save calories and money!
My next suggestion is to go to a grocery store and pick up any snacks, frozen meals, low calorie soft drinks etc. that you might need to make beach easy meals. This will help you avoid visiting funnel cake carts with an empty stomach.
Some of my healthy favorites to take with me to the beach are homemade sandwiches, dried fruit, whole fruit, granola bars and nuts. The main goal is to pack things that won’t melt or get soggy while hanging out in your cooler all day.
And for those of us over 21 who want a drink or two by the water, my only suggestion is waiting until after lunch that way you’re not waking up and ending your body’s fast with alcohol. If you can push off the booze until after you’ve had some food and virgin beverages in your system (like water) you’ll probably be less likely to dehydrate in the heat!
Bottom Line
I don’t know about you but I work hard all year long in order to get to the beach and have the choice to do NOTHING! Diet and exercise can certainly wait until after vacation, but if you want to try and maintain your healthy lifestyle I hope my tips helped! Overall it’s simple: eat out a little less and walk a little more. Just be sure to wear enough SPF no matter what you do!
