Lifestyle, Nutrition, Wellness

A Wellbeing Whiz Guide to Summer Travel

Lake Kegonsa in Wisconsin
Lake Kegonsa in Wisconsin

I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly ready for some “fun in the sun”! Thankfully, my current travel plans in the months ahead involve going to a couple lakeside communities for writing assignments. This also means I’ll be dining out quite a bit. Being vegan, it’s a struggle sometimes to find a variety of plant-based options when I’m on the road. And there are only so many veggie burgers—or cheese-less pizzas—a lady can eat in one week.

The other stumbling block that occasionally crops up is figuring out how and when to get my workout in. I don’t always have access to a gym or enough free time on trips to make it to a yoga studio. I really need my morning sweat sesh to yes, stay in shape, but even more so for the accompanying mental health benefits. Therefore, skipping exercise is a situation I really try to avoid.

Even during staycations, or when an extended weekend means being home so that friends and family can visit, I’ve found even minor disruptions of daily routines may interrupt health-full lifestyle habits. So I’m sharing a few of my wellness troubleshooting tips this week as a helpful guide once you’re officially on vacay.

  1. Bring Your Own Snacks. I’ll admit that grocery shopping isn’t necessarily a fave activity of mine—unless it’s a part of the prep for a road trip. Purchasing an assortment of nutrient-dense snacks like dried fruit, nuts and hummus means I won’t have to worry about making additional stops on the journey to buy quick eats that will leave me much less energized, plus likely cost more than I would have spent simply by loading up the cooler at the supermarket.
  2. Pack Athletic Attire. Active movement will always be an option as long as you have the right shoes and comfortable clothing on hand. No matter your upcoming itinerary, sneakers being in the suitcase means a brisk stroll around the hotel or a light jog through a nearby park can be squeezed in whenever time allows.
  3. Review Restaurant Options Before Arrival. I like to do a Google search to scope out local establishments prior to getting to my destination—especially if I’m traveling with others. It can be awkward to feel like you’re the one person at the table still debating what will best meet your dietary needs when everyone else is ready to order. In addition, doing a bit of research beforehand means the rest of the group may be more likely to follow your lead in terms of where to eat.

Be sure to share travel success stories with fellow chapter members—plus the TOPS News team—because we want to hear about your Wellness Wednesday “Win Moments.” Got one for today? Share it in the comments below.

Have a wonderful rest of Wednesday!

6 thoughts on “A Wellbeing Whiz Guide to Summer Travel

  1. Excellent advice. I always do workouts in my hotel rooms, but if you get a chance to take lakeside walks that would be fun. Enjoy your getaways!

    1. Appreciate the positive feedback, Robin! And yes, I adore soaking up as much time as I can in the outdoors so “fingers crossed” I end up with plenty of time near (or on) the lake.

  2. I woke up thinking “I have nothing to eat.” Well my tummy is full now. I had a turkey slice left in the cooler, chocolate mint tea in my thermos, an orange, and one pack of Swiss miss hot cocoa. I’m good & I’m ready to roll!

  3. Rachel, I have been adding in more plant base meals and snacks to my meal & snack plans. I am finding how much I really am enjoying. I have also purchased some great plant base cookbooks through a fantastic used book website called Thriftbooks. I have also enjoyed watching a plant base vegan You Tube Channel called 3ABN. It has wonderful cooking videos on that channel.

    1. Happy to hear all of this, Tamson! And I’ll have to check out the YouTube channel you mentioned (since this is my first time hearing about it).

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