I think it is nice to ensure that your holiday is a holiday, and that your time away leaves you feeling rested and recharged… that being said a lot of us live busy lives and day to day we don’t always put enough time aside for ourself. In these situations holidays are the perfect opportunity to make time for exercising and focusing on your wellbeing whist also relaxing and having fun – these things are not mutually exclusive of one another! You can absolutely have fun when making healthy choices whilst on holiday!
I think it is nice to ensure that your holiday is a holiday, and that your time away leaves you feeling rested and recharged… that being said a lot of us live busy lives and day to day we don’t always put enough time aside for ourself. In these situations holidays are the perfect opportunity to make time for exercising and focusing on your wellbeing whist also relaxing and having fun – these things are not mutually exclusive of one another! You can absolutely have fun when making healthy choices whilst on holiday!
Now whilst this blog is discussing how to create balance on holiday I think it also relates to daily life. I encourage you to strive for flexibility in your pursuit of optimal health & wellbeing.
Here are just a few examples / situations where we can see both sides of the coin when it comes to looking after our health and living in the moment whilst on holiday:
Wear SPF and be careful, but jump from the side of the boat and when your sat outside enjoy the warming effect of sunshine on your skin 💛
Watch your diet, but when you pick up the menu in a restaurant let yourself order and enjoy the dessert that looks truly irresistible. Nutrition-friendly retreats don’t necessarily mean you have to give up the good stuff either! 🎉
Protect your sleep, but every now and then let the night carry you away and walk home via the bar that looks inviting and fun ✨
Move your body because it feels great to do so and it gives you life, but don’t force exercise into every day of your week or your holiday 🤸♀️
Take time to be calm and grounded but know it’s okay to go through periods of stress and worry - that might be in relation to work or maybe travel 💆♀️
You have heard of the 80/20 rule or something similar I am sure? Try to look after your body, your health and your wellbeing around 80% of the time.. the other 20% of the time - ENJOY LIFE. It passes us by very quickly and we shouldn’t sacrifice fun, enjoyment and experience in the pure pursuit of health (in my opinion anyway).
We are lucky now - I think many retreat hosts, resorts and wellbeing hotels acknowledge that green juice and intense workouts aren’t everything. The biggest thing that is going to protect your health is a stress free life, so if that means more of your time is to be spent with your feet up, or laughing in a bar with fiends then so be it.
Other ways you can ensure your retreat or holiday experience is balanced:
Book a holiday with friends - maybe your destination is a very focused health resort however if you are with friends then you take the fun with you, you make the week relaxed and you are encouraged not to take yourself and the trip so seriously.
Look for a resort or retreat that offers more - *more than just celery shots and a brutal training regime.. maybe find somewhere with a good local nightlife or maybe another experience like sailing or wine tasting (what ever takes your fancy). Wellness tours are an excellent option for those looking to balance wellness with excursions and cultural activities!
Find balance at home - I know I have spoken about this throughout the blog but that’s because it carries great significance. Please don’t neglect your health and wellbeing year round and hold out for that one trip that is going to ‘fix things’. Optimal health and wellbeing comes about when we aren’t stressed or worried about it, when we are relaxed - when we enjoy our food and our training…
Healthy holidays offer amazing opportunities to exercise, focus on your mental wellbeing and relax from everyday life but you won’t feel the benefit if you don’t carry forward all you have learnt whilst you’ve been away. A healthy holiday has to be supplementary to a healthy life and as the above quote demonstrates the best way to live healthily is to focus on eliminating the barriers that keep us from doing so!
If you have any questions about this piece come and connect with me, there are so many beautiful hotels and retreats that provide you with this beautiful balance and I wholeheartedly invite you to experience them in all their entirety!
About Jessica
Jessica Lambert is a health-conscious passionate Osteopath (M.Ost), Yoga & Pilates Teacher who loves bringing together all kinds of exercise and habits to enhance the wellbeing of others.
She runs a virtual Yoga & Pilates studio 'The JL Collective' and hosts global retreats.
