Ten Tips for Healthy Vacations

It is possible to take vacations that promote good health while still allowing rest and family togetherness.

1. If you are traveling by car or on a long plane ride, make sure when you are out of the vehicle that you are active—use the stairs and not the elevator, park a little farther away from your destination and walk.

2. Try to get in at least one hour of medium or vigorous activity each day.  You can accumulate the hour in 15-minute increments if that works better for your family.

3. Try to keep periods of non-movement to no more than two hours at a time (except when sleeping!)

4. Activity is best when the weather is comfortable (morning or early afternoon.)

5. Register children for summer camps that focus on a program that promotes lots of physical activity.

6. Include in your vacation planning ways to get in at least an hour a day of restful activity, such as walking, riding bicycles, kayaking or swimming.

7. Take sports equipment with you on holiday (balls, racquets, skipping ropes.)

8. Vacations planned with close family members or friends can enhance everyone’s motivation for physical activity.

9. Making exercise a family “team” activity will lead to greater movement, motivation, enjoyment and closer relationships.

10. Make a family policy to take summer vacations for rest, activity and time together, and in the academic year register for sports.

Ten Rules for Nutrition on Vacation or at Home

1. Maintain your usual nutritional schedule—even when the trip requires changing meal times, focus on 3 main meals a day, with 2 times for snacks.

2. When planning a trip, plan the food, too, packing sandwiches, fresh and dried fruits, granola snacks, cut carrots and cucumbers, etc.) and plan stops for picnic meals.

3. Limit drinks sweetened with corn syrup or sugar, and make sure that bottles of water are always available.

4. Limit sweet snacks, promoting fruits, granola, popsicles.

5. Limit salty and fatty snacks, promoting popcorn without butter, whole-wheat pretzels.

6. Make the kitchen a center of communal life, preparing meals together.

7. Don’t use food as a reward for good behavior. 

8. Ensure that healthy foods and snacks are available and accessible at home (such as milk, cheese, yogurt, vegetables, fruits, etc.) and keep less healthy foods out of the way.

9. Focus on eating at a table rather than at the computer or while watching television.

10. Focus on family meals as the primary time for eating, not on snacks.

Written by the Staff of the Sports Medicine Center of Hadassah Optimal.