Traveling and Staying Healthy as a Family

In my family, we work on staying fit and healthy. At home, we have routines that help us with this goal. When vacation time comes, I incorporate certain tricks to keep everyone in the family eating well and exercising. Although our routine on vacation is different than our routine at home, planning for healthy travel makes a big difference.

1. Pack Snacks
Kids get grouchy when their tummies start to rumble. Actually, moms can get grouchy when hungry too. In order to keep everyone happy, pack plenty of dry, healthy snacks for the road. I always include a few M&Ms in my homemade trail mix as an on-the-road treat. Dry fruit, fresh veggies and granola are other great snacks to take with you.

2. Hydrate
Even on road trips, drinking enough water is crucial for your family’s health. I pack water bottles for everyone. You can keep these in a cooler or chill refillable bottles in the hotel refrigerator when preparing for an outing. My kids each have their own refillable bottles. Staying properly hydrated will help kids and adults avoid heat stroke and other issues on hot summer days.

3. Run
You need to get exercise while on vacation. Although you probably won’t be able to stick to your usual workout routine, there are plenty of ways to keep your family moving. Before leaving on vacation, check to see if any local running events coincide with your visit. Many communities have 5K runs and similar events during the spring, summer and fall months. Some even have special races for the kids to enjoy, or the kids can run alongside Mom and Dad.

4. Eat Out
Of course, you will eat out on vacation. I try to choose restaurants with healthy options like sides of steamed vegetables or fruit instead of French fries. If a famous but unhealthy restaurant is popular locally, go ahead and indulge. Just keep the indulging to a minimum. When you indulge in Coney dogs for lunch, head to a Mediterranean restaurant for a healthy dinner that evening.

Healthy habits begin at home. With a little planning, you can successfully bring those healthy habits with you on the road as well. I know we’ll plan on an upcoming trip to Disney. With so many hotels in Orlando, trying to book one with a quality gym can be difficult. Sites like Gogobot can make this process easy as it allows you to read user reviews. Wherever you go on family vacation, make it a safe and healthy adventure for everyone by following these tips.

Written by Kendra Thornton, a mother of three. Before she was promoted to the position of full time mom, she was the Director of Communications at Orbitz. She now live in Chicago where her family is her number one priority in everyday life.