Headed to grandma’s house for Thanksgiving? It’s only 5 hours driving distance away, right?! Not to mention, the only restaurants from here to timbukto are Pizza Hut, Taco Bell or the anti Whole Foods snack shack, 7-eleven. So, are you going to just give up on all your hard work you’ve put towards eating healthy and working out? How do you avoid every unhealthy food option without going hungry or fit in some sort of movement besides pumping the gas and breaks? Preparation is key! Set yourself up for success and follow these five tips to keep your trip on a healthy track.
Bring SPF, the anti-wrinkle cream! The windshield won’t stop the sun from giving you more wrinkles. Be good to your skin and wear an SPF for your face. Colorescience makes a great facial sunscreen called Sunforgettable. It is a mineral sunscreen brush with SPF 30 that brushes on your skin so you aren’t left with that greasy residue that most sunscreens leave.
Movement at rest stops, gas fill ups, etc. So, you have been sitting on your bum for two hours. Your bladder is about to explode because you have finished your water bottle and finally, you find a gas station! After you release your body fluids, you walk over to fill up the tank. While the gas is pumping, incorporate some ankle circles and hip flexor stretching. After all, you have been in hip flexion and dorsiflexion for two hours.
Turn on an audiobook or podcast. Listening to some engaging audio book like, oh, I don’t know, Gone Girl for example takes your mind off the Golden arches and Mr. KFC man tempting you to indulge on your way to Grandma’s pad. Just steer clear of Gilbert Gottfried’s version of 50 Shades of Grey. That one is a little frightening!
Work on posture. Can you hear it now? Your mother uttering, “quit your slouching!” Well, she had a point. Studies have shown that sitting up straight can have a positive affect on your mood and can promote a more confident you. Since you are stuck in a seat for five hours, keep reminding yourself to check your posture. Even if it means setting a timer to remind you. Don’t be afraid to give those sleepy glutes a squeeze every now and then as well. Remember your abs as well. Besides, strong glutes, abs help prevent and can even cure low back pain.
Emergency snacks are key! If I know myself, and if I don’t have yummy snacks to munch on while I’m immersed in the captivating voice behind my book-on-tape, then I will pull into the Burger King drive-through and start making bad decisions that start with a whopper and end with a chocolate milk shake. To avoid the arches, chicken buckets and frappuccinos, I stock up with a few go-to snacks:
At some point during this holiday season, you will find yourself in a car and driving for far longer than you’d prefer to a destination that’s not quite on the top of wanderlust list. Regardless of where you are heading, make the trip enjoyable with some good tunes, good company and good health!
If you are on instagram or facebook we’d love to see your healthy travel tactics. Just snap a pic and tag #healthytravels and #pfcfit in your post!