health and wellness Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

How to Embrace Self Care Before Every Trip

Paula — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 10:12:40 +0000

Before every trip here I have a list of work obligations and personal details to get through. Not going to lie. Sometimes it gets hairy. One by one each task slowly gets ticked off my To Do List. Of course there’s packing and getting organized, but those are mostly routine jobs I can do quickly. I also have a specific self care routine that allows me to strive towards being in good health during the trip. That means paying attention to a few consistent things before every trip. Travel is truly an epic adventure always and it’s also hard work sometimes. Around here, in my world, travel can take the form of amazing Familiarization Tours, which I love, but sometimes that schedule is gruelling. And don’t even get me started on airplane travel and airports. These trips can be laid back too, but more often it’s work and running from place to place striving to gather details to string together content is the natural rhythm. When travel writing is a part of your livelihood you need to be ready to go when your feet hit the ground. Believe me I have learned from my mistakes. My hardest and longest international flight ever to South Africa was gruelling. I was getting over bronchitis and couldn’t miss this amazing trip because I had been chosen for a Shot at Life fellowship. DRAGGED myself through four different airports to get there and wished I was in a wheelchair when I was standing in line for entry to South Africa after about 18 hours of travel. But I aim to avoid ever being that sick while traveling. Getting sick is sometimes unavoidable. But I work hard to keep my body and mind strong before a trip. So, with that in mind here is a little bit about how I take charge of my self care and health before I travel. This week I am leaving for a big sponsored RV trip with Ontario Parks. My family is also coming along of course and it should be amazing. Can’t wait to hike and get outside and explore Ontario’s North and some provincial parks I have not yet seen. But, I am also taking care of me right now so that I can do all the things and have a blast. My Self Care Routine Before Every Trip Step up the exercise routine. Even if I have hours before a flight I spend them at the gym working out. More than a couple of my friends don’t really get this. But I need to go into the flight or road trip knowing I made every effort to stretch and be healthy. Today I did Centergy which is essentially pilates. Monday I did Yoga and Tuesday I attended Centergy also. If I have a moment tomorrow I will go for a long walk before we set off. My person goal for 2018 was to move more often and this is a task I take seriously before I venture off on a trip. There’s so much sitting involved in planes and cars, and RV trips too. So that I don’t stiffen up or lose energy I do multiple group workouts in the days before every trip. Hydrate. I wish my kids understood this one by now. One day they’ll get there. Travel is exhausting and drying. Airplanes and airports are germs and extremely dry. Drink now. Water, water and more water. Drink all the way down the road or highway to the airport and be sure you start a couple of days before. Today I am loading up on water and I will keep that up all the way there and back. Hydrating with water is a huge part of my process when I am getting ready to travel. Sleep. Last night I was dog tired at 10 p.m. so I shut it all down and went to sleep. My youngest daughter even climbed into my bed for a cuddle and she ended up falling asleep too. Kind of comical. Don’t shortchange your sleep before a trip. Better sleep is an ongoing goal here too. It’s hard not to be excited but sleep is crucial to how you function. Eat Well. Whether it’s solo travel, business travel or family travel, I make sure we have a healthy home-cooked meal here before we go. When you are on the road you don’t always know where or when the next restaurant will appear. You might not know where the grocery stores are and the timing might simply be off for finding grocery stores and the like. So it makes me feel much better if we all have had one solid healthy meal before every trip. Medicine. It’s no secret that my family takes medication for some unique health issues here. So a big part of my routine is making sure we have all the medicine and multi-vitamins organized and ready to go. That one is right up there with passports and once I have done all of these things before every trip then I know I have done my best to head into the experience with a healthy mind, body and attitude. Check out this Keeping your Medicine Cabinet Organized post. Do you have any self care tips before you travel?

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BLISSED OUT at Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

Paula — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 13:28:59 +0000

At the end of the day I linger longest. Last of our group, still indulging and squeezing every last drop of solitude and quiet and peace out of the Spa experience. Today, on our final morning in Tremblant, Quebec a group of travel influencers including myself, are happily visiting Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant before we leave for Gatineau area. Spa Scandinave The spa is a calming experience after canoeing, hiking, biking and zip lining for days. It is a welcome event for me. Long overdue. This week I celebrated my birthday zip lining down Mont-Tremblant and it was epic. The schedule for today was at first just exploring the spa and experiencing the baths and the hydrotherapy. But, then massage was mentioned. After a dinner spent waffling over whether to add one on or not, I listened to fellow travel writer @FollowSummerGG who reminded me it was my job to indulge on my birthday. So, here we are. Robes in hand, locks at the ready and bathing suits in bags ready to go. But first a few words from the director of marketing Angelique Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos reminds us all that it’s imperative to take time to relax when on vacation. And she outlines the steps and benefits of hydrotherapy. No wifi, no phones, no digital distractions. What is Hydrotherapy? Hydrotherapy is repetitions of Hot followed by a plunge in the cold water pools or waterfalls, or perhaps the River. Then finally a relaxing final phase. So hot, cold, relax. Repeat several times. So I do. I am intent on getting the most out of this experience. The hot for me is a hot tub, and after the full 15 minutes I do summon up the courage to dip into the cold water plunge pool. In fact the cold part is crucial to the experience. Don’t skip any steps. The cold plunge pool is icy cold today but I manage for a very short time. In fact it wakes me up and I am alert when I make my way to the terrace to relax. A couple of people have found the hammocks in the trees and they are resting. By Reputation this is a Sought After Destination I have heard of Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant many times. It has a reputation in the Laurentians for being a highly sought after destination. So, when I heard this was on our agenda I was thrilled to see it and excited to see for myself if it was every bit as amazing as the buzz suggests. Digital Detox First thing we notice are all the signs: NO Cell phones. Silence. No talking. What? Well, it appears that this experience will also be a digital detox of sorts for me and my companions. At first that seems challenging, because we talk and tweet, snap, and post a LOT. But very quickly it becomes blissful really. No noise, but for the nature sounds piping over the speakers and the ones in nature of course too. There are in fact very few places I can go and find complete silence. Owning your own social media marketing business means you hustle 24/7 sometimes 365 days a year. When I take my family on a yearly cruise that’s my digital detox. But even so clients and colleagues hunt me down on boats in the middle of the ocean. So knowing my phone is locked away and that silence is a rule here means I am happy to submit to that experience. Massage Hydrotherapy and massage are on the menu for me today. Now, I have mixed experiences with massage. Every single time I have ever had a massage in my city – London, Ontario – or even on a trip, it has been far too much pressure. During those prior deep tissue massages I have told the massage therapist to ease up on the pressure but even so I always leave sore for days after. So I made it clear at the outset what my prior experience was. The Swedish massage at Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant was perfect actually. Just the right pressure. Nestled on the shores of the Diable River, Scandinave Spa, Mont-Tremblant offers a rejuvenating and refreshing experience in natural surroundings. The spa is about 5 to 10 minutes from Mont-Tremblant. This is a great space to indulge and build health and wellness, especially after doing all that Tremblant has to offer in summer months. There’s no shortage of fun in this area regardless of the season. Scandinave Spa is open all year round. Massage Styles There are massages for couples, individuals and pregnancy massage too. The styles are: Deep Tissue, Swedish, Hot Stone, Thai, Duo and Prenatal. The baths are included if you have a massage. Or you can pay just to access the baths. How Does Hydrotherapy work? Hydrotherapy is a traditional Scandinavian treatment that dates back thousands of years. It is good for detoxifying your body and strengthening your immune system. It relies on three simple steps, repeated. Cleanse your body and mind in a cycle of hot, cold and rest. Thermal and healing properties of water are used to revitalize and restore health. Hot and cold stimuli create specific reactions in the body to relieve stress, soothe tired muscles, calm organs and improve circulation. The Cold Plunge When you compete the hot and sweat out some of the toxins in your body, the cold plunge then closes your pores. Rest and relaxation areas are plentiful. There are hammocks and zero gravity spaces throughout and then there are also giant red chairs that look like cocoons. The outdoor fireplace was my favourite of the relaxation spaces. Relaxation cycle helps to regulate blood flow and heart rate. We were told that there’s a saying in Quebec – After The Work, Comfort. We did the work and we definitely experienced the comfort at Spa Scandinave Mont-Tremblant. A few more things about Spa Scandinave Mont-Tremblant: Located at 4280 Montee Ryan, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. For prices or to book a reservation visit the Spa site. There are a few other Spa Scandinaves in Canada – including Blue Mountain, and Whistler as well as Montreal. Opened in 1999. All photos courtesy of Scandinave Spa, Mont-Tremblant. No cameras are allowed on property. I was hosted on a media tour while in this region and as such received accommodations, flights, meals and various other perks. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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