(Drew Rothschild/The Daily Campus)

Midterms are over and students cannot get out of town fast enough.

While spring break is a time to relax and spend time with friends and family, it is also a time when everyone is worried about their physical appearance.

Many of you have been eating healthy and exercising in preparation for the big week to feel good in your new bathing suit on the beach.

However, the last thing you should do is a crazy crash diet or starve yourself between now and when you leave on your vacation.

If you are worried or do not feel confident, intensify your workouts for the next few days and try eating five small meals a day consisting of lean proteins, leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats. Aim to get six to eight hours of sleep for the next few nights and drink plenty of water.

If you starve yourself, you will probably end up eating everything in sight once you get to your destination so there really is no point.

Of course you should enjoy yourself but, there are so many ways to continue your healthy streak even while on vacation without being obsessive.

Here are 5 tips to help you make stay healthy on your vacation and leave you feeling just as good as you did before you left:

1. Be active everyday.

Do not spend all of your time in the gym but do your best to get in some form of exercise everyday.

If you are indulging in delicious vacation eats, you will feel so much better if you get moving at least once a day.

For you lucky ones that are going skiing, hitting the slopes is plenty of exercise. But for you sun worshipers who will be lounging on a beach, go for a leisurely walk with a friend or a short run. Walking in the sand burns double the amount of calories as walking on the pavement.

Where ever you go, don’t forget to pack your sneakers. Running is the most accessible form of exercise and you can do it anywhere, anytime. If you have room, throw in a few light dumb bells or resistance bands for strength training.

Check out where you are staying to see what kind of fitness facilities it offers. If there are tennis courts, bring your racket. Or, try something new! You will be happy you did.

2. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

This seems to always be the one thing that gets neglected on vacation. While you should not skip out on treating yourself, sneak in some nutrients whenever possible.

Make sure you do not skip meals. This will leave you feeling even more hungry and you may find yourself indulging much more than necessary.

A good way to go about this is to set a goal of healthy eating throughout the day and save room to treat yourself at dinner.

3. Drink plenty of water and limit your alcohol intake.

Water is the best thing to leave you feeling refreshed and the fluids will leave you feeling less bloated from the alcohol.

Especially if you are doing vigorous activities or will be in the sun all day, staying properly hydrated is really important.

If you want to feel good, do not make your spring break a drink-a-thon. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a few drinks but for every beverage you have, have two glasses of water to help balance everything out.

4. Pack healthy snacks.

Don’t want to get in a bind if there is nothing healthy to eat?

Have emergency snacks on hand. Stash some healthy nonperishable items in your suitcase.

Granola bars and almonds are great snacks to pack if you think you will be in a bind.

5. Enjoy yourself.

Have fun with friends, catch up on sleep and do not stress if you miss a workout or eat something unhealthy, just do the best you can.  

(Drew Rothschild/The Daily Campus)

(Drew Rothschild/The Daily Campus)