How To Exercise While Traveling

Yes, you can have amazing travel adventures and stay healthy, strong and fit. You can taste the melt-in-your mouth local cuisine and remain balanced. Enjoying every moment of your trip and staying healthy doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, staying healthy enables you to enjoy travel more.

Be active and have fun

Exercise doesn’t have to feel like being cooped up in a small hotel gym. Traveling is about experiencing your environment right? So fill your vacation with activities like hiking, biking, walking tours, take dancing lessons, go swimming, sign up for yoga in the park or Tai Chi at the beach. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk the city instead of taking transportation. Wear your fitness tracker so you can track your steps.

There are so many activities you can do while traveling that are fun and provide your body with that much needed exercise.

Get in some strength training

You can get in some exercise anywhere without a gym. Use an app like the Daily Burn to get a guided workout. Find a park and get in some quick reps. Even a playground will give you an opportunity to get in some pull-ups. However you do it, try to get it in daily or at least a few times a week. Here are a few suggestions from the pros:

Goal: 1 minute rest between sets, repeat for 5 rounds.

• 20-30-second bicycle kicks
• 10-12 push-ups
• 20 jumping jacks
• 12 lunges per leg
• 10-15 bodyweight squats
• 15-30 second plank

Eat real food and create a balance

Don’t think of vacation as your “cheat” time. Committing to eating healthy before you go will help you to not have regrets after you get home. Start your days with a healthy breakfast. It’s fuel for the day ahead. Eat real food and avoid over-indulging on liquid calories. Limit your high-calorie tastings to one indulgence per day, and the rest of the time aim for veggies, lean proteins, fruits and nuts. Drink lots of water and avoid sugar. Choose tea over soda. These foods will give you the energy you need to keep moving while traveling.

Try to make 80% of your meals healthy, and splurge on the other 20%. Some commit to the “two in a row” rule:  never eat two bad meals in a row. This rule helps you to keep your nutrition balanced. If you enjoy adult beverages, commit to doing a series of exercises for each drink consumed. Ask your travel partner to keep you accountable.

Mental fitness is important, too

There's a connection between the mind and the body. Take time to be mindful while traveling — it’s just as important as physical exercise. Stop and listen to the waves, the birds chirping and the movement of nature. Sit, breathe deeply and let your cares drift away. Meditate. Wander.

Embrace the idea that fitness isn’t necessarily being continually on the move, but also slowing down, clearing your mind and getting to a good, positive mental place. Science shows the detrimental effects stress and poor emotional health have on the body itself, including weakening your immune system and increasing cortisol. Build in time to keep your mind and emotions healthy too.

Finally, think about your goals and create a plan you can commit to while traveling. We all know what the typical default is if we don’t think about it in advance.

With all we’ve discussed however, try not to stress over it. If you overindulge one day, start the next day fresh. Each new day is a new opportunity to stay fit and exercise while traveling. Get creative, have fun and get moving.

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