Staying Healthy on a Cruise

One of the most popular activities during spring break is taking a cruise. For one price you get accommodations, fun, a tan and unlimited food. Now that spring break is here, you can finally show off that body you’ve worked so hard to perfect over the last few weeks. All you can eat buffets, drinking all night long and lack of exercise might leave that body begging you to stop. There are some ways you can be healthy and have fun all at the same time.

So Much Food

When you take your first cruise, you’ll immediately notice that there’s food all around. Some ships have multiple cafeterias and they’re usually open around the clock. They’ll serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at certain times and have pizza, sandwiches and desserts all day long. When meals are served, you can usually order as much food as you want. If you’re hungry after your second, third or fourth plate, just ask for more. All this food can make for a tasty treat but you should try and at least limit yourself to some of the healthier options.

Whenever you’re eating at a buffet, there are a few tricks you can use to eat less. Start off by grabbing a big plate and loading it up with anything from the salad bar. The vegetables will take up a lot of room in your stomach but won’t add a lot of calories. Feel free to add salad dressing but be reasonable with the amount you add. Soups work good too. When you’re done with your salad or soup, get a smaller plate and go for the main course.

You can use the same idea for dessert. Start with fruit and then go for the pies, brownies and cookies. You can also try frozen yogurt as a healthy alternative. Try staying away from drinking too much soda. It’s made of mostly sugar and can add up to hundreds of calories at the end of the day without giving you any vitamins or minerals.

Drinks

For fun, most ships have numerous bars and night clubs that cater to all sorts of different people. You can dance the night away at the club or karaoke to your favorite song at the bar. The common element at all of them is the free flow of alcohol. Abstaining from it is the healthiest way to go but also the most unlikely path you’ll take. Instead, enjoy your drinks in a healthier manner.

If you’re getting a mixed drink, use diet sodas. This can cut around 100 calories per drink which will probably add up to a lot by the end of the night. Try mixing your drinks with fruit juices which still contain some vitamins and minerals. Even this little nutrient content is much healthier than soda. You can also take shots which are a lot lower in calorie content but still have the same amount of alcohol. If you take shots to save on calories, make sure you don’t end up drinking more since taking a shot is a lot easier than downing an entire drink. If money isn’t an issue, wine is the healthiest choice. Its high in antioxidants which are actually healthy for you.

Exercise

The lack of exercise combined with alcohol and all you can eat buffets can result in unwanted weight gain during a cruise. Luckily, most ships contain more than one area in which you can exercise in. You can go to a gym that has treadmills, bikes and free weights or you can play outdoor basketball, volleyball and golf. Most also have an outdoor track that goes around the perimeter of the ship making for a run like you’ve never experienced.

The Bottom Line

The whole point of a cruise is to have fun. There are ways you can eat and drink more than you usually do while still being relatively healthy. Bon Voyage!