Fit to Travel?

To make the most of your vacation, prepare physically.

Take a walk every day.  According to Dan Buettner, who studied "The Blue Zones" where people live to be over 100, walking just ten minutes a day will add three years to your life.  So, not only will you enjoy your next cruise more, you will be able to cruise for more years to come.

Julie and I walk two miles or more each day.  That isn't hard, but it does not happen automatically.  You must put on some comfortable shoes and get out the door, rain or shine.  Do it for a month, and it will become a habit you won't want to live without.  Keep in mind, this isn't a race, so if you need to take rest breaks, that's okay.

Many people join health clubs with the intention to get fit, but soon realize going to the gym takes time and effort.  You can easily exercise in your own home.  

It's easy to establish a 30-minute routine each morning, with a cup of coffee as a reward when you finish.

If you are experiencing pain that stops you from exercising, your insurance might cover most of the cost of a physical therapist to get you started on the perfect exercise routine for you personally.  That is the best way to go, with a trainer/therapist directing you exactly how to exercise.

Diet can't be ignored.  A balanced diet leaning towards the Atkins/Paleo low carb direction seems to work well.  Some claim vegetarian diets are better.  Primarily, the answer comes down to to eating fewer calories than you burn.  A fiber-rich diet is a must but also very easy.

While you don't want to eliminate all of the foods you love, simply choosing to avoid keeping empty snack foods like chips, crackers and cookies in your kitchen will do wonders.  At a party or at a Mexican restaurant, enjoy a few chips, and if a friend offers you a cookie after a meal, enjoy it.  Just don't make those treats too easy to reach when a commercial comes on TV that makes you think you must have some immediately.

According the "The Blue Zones," people who live to be over 100 years of age tend to drink daily but in moderation, with one or two glasses of red wine probably most common.  Like walking, which you will find can be fun, this is not painful at all, unless you have a problem with alcohol addiction, in which case you should abstain entirely.  Either way, drink lots of water.

In the final analysis, the reason people live longer in some "Blue Zones" seems to be that they are places where a healthy life style is convenient, one might even say required.  For example, living on a hilly Greek Isle bathed in sunshine and close to the deep blue sea makes walking to the store to buy fresh produce a very tempting pursuit.

Another key to longevity is spending time with friends and family, preferably sharing a lot of fun and laughter.

Keeping your brain active is another key, and cruises have everything from trivia games to lectures to guided tours led by experts to stimulate our brains, much less just finding your way around a ship that is three football fields long and 18-stories tall.

What could be better than living on a cruise ship, even if it is just a week at a time?

You have healthy meals, opportunities to use the stairs while on board and then want to walk around ports when you get there.  You will meet lots of new friends on a cruise, people with common interests.  

Time to get healthy?

Time to travel!

Wes