6 ways to vacation your way to wellness and weight loss
(BPT) – Why is it that a vacation leaves us exhausted, bloated and broke? This summer, you might consider a more rejuvenating option: a wellness retreat.
A good wellness retreat will leave you feeling healthier and better rested as you re-enter the world. Perhaps you will even be a few pounds lighter as you continue a new habit you started. Here are a few tips to vacation your way to a healthier you this summer:
1. Consider traveling alone.
The idea of taking a vacation by yourself may sound odd and selfish, but this silly thought will vanish as soon as you wake up in your own room, on your own time, with no one else’s comfort to worry about. Consider a resort such as New Life Hiking Spa in Vermont. Here, it’s not unusual to find others who are also taking some me time.
2. Start a new healthy habit.
Good news if you want to reform your ways: Research shows if you start a new habit on vacation, you are more likely to stick to it after you get home. Why? Because you are breaking away from your old cues and old reward patterns and establishing new ones, says Charles Duhigg in his book, ‘The Power of Habit’ (2013). Whether your goal is to overhaul your diet, start exercising or quit smoking, putting yourself in a new setting is a smart start.
3. Beat stress and regained weight — by setting a budget.
Stress definitely plays a role in weight gain: family stress, work stress, relationship stress and financial stress. If weight loss is your goal, it’s wise to set a budget before you start looking for resorts. Otherwise, you might fall in love with one that gives your credit card a strenuous workout. Then the stress hormones will start flowing as soon as you get home, making you crave junk food and undoing the work you put in. Finding a resort that is upfront with all costs and aligns with your budget will help you plan and bring you peace of mind. New Life Hiking Spa is all inclusive: Three meals a day, guided hikes, fitness classes, cooking demos and a massage, for packages that range from $229-$269 a night.
4. Cut yourself off.
To truly de-stress, you can’t be involved in the day-to-day crisis of work and home. Before you leave, tell everyone you’re on quest to meet the guru in the mountains in an area so remote, you can’t be reached. Take a social media fast and post your photos when you get home. And whatever you do, don’t check work email – someone else can handle it.
5. Spend time outside.
Exercising in the great outdoors does good things for both mind and body. City dwellers saw a marked reduction in negative thoughts after a 90-minute nature walk, according to a 2015 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. A resort like New Life Hiking Spa offers hikes that accommodate all fitness levels. Beginners can take nature walks along mountain streams and picturesque farms, and those who are up for the challenge will hike to the highest peaks in Vermont.
6. Eat healthy foods.
Trouble is, if you’re traveling, making plans for healthy fare adds another layer of planning. Taking the decision making out of the matrix can help you stay focused on establishing your new habit. For example, the retreats at New Life Hiking Spa offer a complete meal plan included in the price of your stay. Chefs will prepare three delicious, healthy meals a day from local sources, freeing you up to enjoy the hikes and take care of you. Bonus: You can take classes on healthy cooking.