Vacations and traveling are great for relaxing, clearing your head, and getting into a new space and environment for a change of perspective. But did you know that there are actually health benefits of going on vacation and traveling?
As a weight loss coach for women, I’ve worked with thousands of women who have demanding careers, hectic family lives, and weight loss problems. Some have tried diet after diet, while others have been dumbfounded by the fact that when they go on vacation, they actually lose or maintain their weight. In fact, one of my clients lost 5 lbs in a week on vacation without restricting her diet and having a few cocktails! As her coach, I wanted her to feel free to enjoy her much earned vacation, unwind, and most importantly, relax her mind and body as she carried a lot of stress in her daily life that was negatively impacting her weight loss efforts.
Why is this? One of the key components of obstacles to weight loss is too much stress! Now more than ever, we’re in a stressed out and multi-tasking world that constantly demands more from us at work and at home. A huge benefit to reducing stress on vacation is how it affects your nervous system and allows your mind and body to totally relax, and focus on other things that the body needs to do such as burn fat.
Typically on vacation, additional time and personal energy is available for self-reflection. You may be in a slower frame of mind and therefore feel more clarity when it comes to decision making. If you’ve been having a hard time making a decision, the right answer may come to you when you least expect it, and when you have the space to be open to receiving an answer.
Another health benefit from going on vacation and traveling is that it gets you out of your own head. When you’re submerged into a new environment, your senses are heightened and you’re more apt to be present because everything is new. This can be viewed as a moving meditation: you’re present, moving, and mindful. New ideas may come to you or you may change your perspective on things. Being exposed to different cultures and people can also shift your perspective and provide you with a new way of viewing things.
Finally, vacations and traveling may bring out a more adventurous side of yourself that you didn’t know of before. A health benefit from zip-lining or doing something out of your comfort zone is that these activities give you more confidence to try new things. They also make you happier, which puts you in a more positive frame of mind.
If you’re not able to travel or take a vacation soon, make sure you download my top 10 habits that successful women make when it comes to weight loss, and also receive the complimentary 5 minute moving meditation that will help relax you anywhere, anytime. That’s all available complimentary at www.StepItUpwithSteph.com