AWT Health Club: Ahoy there, mateys!

This is my first Health Club post in a while. Between some family issues and then going on vacation, it’s been difficult to get the time to write about health-related apps and topics. I’m currently on a cruise, which is usually considered the antithesis of a healthy vacation. We have a few days at sea (I’m currently between Greenland and Iceland…) so it’s the perfect time to talk about staying healthy while traveling.

As I mentioned, a luxury cruise isn’t the best place to think about living healthy. There is a lot of temptation to eat too much, drink too much, and sit around not doing much. It can be the same on a land trip as well; think of those driving trips where you’re packed into the car for hours between points A and B, only getting out to pump gas into the tank, go to the bathroom, and collect more junk food. 

There are ways to up your game, though. On this trip, I’ve actually met my Health App calorie goal more often and have even raised the number for more of a challenge. How am I doing this?

Even a small cruise ship like this, there are many opportunities to walk. There’s a dedicated walking/running track on Deck 10, I’ve been taking the stairs instead of waiting for an elevator, and I’ll uncomplainingly walk the length of the ship and back to pick up an iPad or iPhone left in the stateroom just to stretch my legs more often. I’m even finding that it’s quite easy to beat my Apple Watch “stand” goal as I’m getting up more often than I do at home.

That’s another point – make sure that you don’t leave the Apple Watch or pedometer at home. Keeping up with your step tracking while on vacation can be a very upbeat thing to do, as you’re more likely to get up and move.

For driving trips, or trips where you may be staying at a resort, you’ll have similar opportunities when you reach your destination. Nothing quite adds to your energy at the end of a day of driving like jumping into a cool swimming pool and working off the aches and pains of sitting in the car all day. If you’re in a safe city or location, see if your hotel concierge can provide a map of local walks, then get out and give your legs a workout. 

Vacations also provide ample opportunity to do things that you may not necessarily do at home. You can rent bikes, go golfing, play tennis, go hiking — all activities that are going to help you burn the extra calories you may be consuming.

That caloric intake can actually be curbed with a little forethought. For breakfast, instead of eyeing the all-you-can-eat buffet, consider just having a few pieces of fruit or a protein bar. At lunchtime, forgo the fast food fix if you can. My wife and I have reached a nice solution when it comes to the delicious sandwiches and burgers that are served on the pool desk of our ship — we share one instead of gobbling down a full sandwich. For dinner, many resorts, cruise lines, and even restaurants make a point of highlighting “lighter fare” on their menus.

There’s one other motivator that I’ve noticed on trips; pictures of yourself. If you’re like me, you might have the tendency to have a good self-image, thinking of yourself as being much thinner than you actually are. A fellow passenger took a photo of me with my camera yesterday while we were cruising along a Greenlandic fjord on a whale-watching trip, and it really showed me just how much I need to lose weight! I plan on printing that photo when I get home, then putting it next to my workspace so I’m constantly reminded of my need to lose a lot of weight.

I seriously doubt if I’ll come back from this trip at the same weight I started at or below, but I have to admit that the extra motion I’m taking is making me feel great! That’s something I will strive to continue when I’m back in the office.

Health Club Members!

Rather than having to post your progress (or in my case, the lack thereof) on the Apple World Today Facebook page, I’ve created a group that’s strictly set up for us. You’ll need to be invited to the group; please use the email button on the right sidebar to send me the email address you use for Facebook so I can invite you.

My weekly stats:

• Weight: Unknown! No scale in my stateroom
• Change from last week: Unknown!
• Steps taken each day: M-7845, T-1278, W-2269, TH-2152, F-4187, SA-1186, SU-3612
• Average steps per day last week: 4694 (+1402 from previous daily average reported)
• Move (Active Calorie Goal: 550) – 4/7
• Exercise – 1/7
• Stand – 4/7

Let’s hear how you did! Let’s get moving!