How to keep fit while traveling? Sharing our 10 useful tips to stay fit while traveling!
Sharath and I learnt that traveling almost every weekend mixed with week long trips in 2019 can make staying fit challenging. We realized that this is only sustainable if we are conscious at least 50% of the time about the food and activity we get during or in between vacations.
Fitness can take a back seat while you are on the road.
Conscious/healthy food habits + minimal physical activity = more energy + more travel.
Unconscious/unhealthy food habits + less physical activity = less energy + less travel.
It’s a pretty easy formula.
In 2020, even though travel was limited, we decided to consciously follow these super useful tips to stay fit while traveling and to balance our travel along with our jobs. Okay enough talk, let’s dive into those tips to stay fit while traveling!
Tip 1: Diet/food is everything.
Have you heard about the 80-20 rule? It is said that 80% diet and 20% exercise is good enough to keep you healthy. While on a vacation it might be hard to maintain a good diet all the time. However, if you can consciously eat healthy food at least 50% of the time, it can really boost your energy levels.
Sharath and I make it a point to eat healthy and keep a tab on our portion size at least during dinner time and 50% of our lunches. It could be as simple as increasing your salad portion once a meal and adding in that protein during breakfast.
Sometimes we end up having 2 good meals in a day if we cannot make it to lunch when we are busy on the road. But we never go hungry!
Tip 2: Buy Groceries and Cook
If your vacation lasts long enough and you stay at a place where you have a kitchen, then buy groceries at a local store and cook! Trust me, it’s a healthier option and it saves a lot of money!
When we rent AirBnbs for at least 2 days, the first place we head to is a grocery store because it gives you the flexibility to choose what you want to eat and your portions too!
Tip 3: Pack or plan your food based on your vacation.
I know this one might sound hard, but if you can do this for at least 1 meal a day, it can help you a lot. Planning your food ahead of your schedule will ensure you know what you are going to eat!
Before, we ended up eating at the airport when we left from our house or from an airbnb at the destination. Currently, I make it a point to pack my meal from home to the airport and eat it there. When I reach the destination I just wash my box (no one time use!). This has really helped me keep up my meal routine.
Tip 4: Walk, bike or climb.
Whenever you come across an escalator/elevator and a stair, take the stairs. If you have an option of driving up in a car or biking, choose the bike. Suppose you have an option of motor transport to a viewpoint or a hike, choose the hike! This is my motto and I am getting Sharath used to this 😀
This helps you keep your activity levels up throughout the day. More activity = more energy = elevated mood. Sharath and I are outdoor people, our trips usually have some activity, be it hiking/swimming/snorkelling, etc. This has definitely kept us in good shape through our travels.
Tip 5: Quick workouts in a hotel/AirBnb room with no or minimal equipment.
If you stay at a hotel with a gym, then try to hit the gym early morning before you start your day. Suppose your AirBnb or hotel has no gym, then just google for 10 minute HIIT workouts! Scroll down to see what we do!
When we stayed in Alaska for a week in an AirBnb, we (I) did not want to slack on our physical activity. I have always felt it is harder to get back into routine when you take a long break. Hence we decided to get in some HIIT quick workouts that last only about 20 minutes and really get your heart rate up. You can just google for them. You can also find workouts that are less than 10 minutes with no or minimal equipment.
I carry the following with me, because they hardly occupies any space in my luggage but get in a good workout!
Tip 6: Try not to jump between hotels/AirBnbs a lot.
We have seen that packing, repacking and packing again takes a lot of time and energy. If you try to stick to a hotel for a minimum 2 nights, it can help your routine. This way you get adjusted and can get in your quick workouts and good sleep.
Tip 7: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Drink tons of water no matter where you are and how many times you need to use the bathroom. Compromising on water can leave you parched and exhausted. Sharath and I always carry our water bottle with us. That’s something we never forget to pack. Try to use your own water bottle and not buy a huge pack of small plastic ones and do the environment some good! If by chance you forget your own and you have a car, buy a big gallon and one water bottle which you can refill and reuse!
Tip 8: Get good Sleep!
Plan your trip well so that you get in that good night’s sleep! If you have a high activity day planned, try to keep the next day a bit less intense. This will give your body enough time to recoup and rejuvenate. We have seen that messing up our sleep cycle only leads to messing up the next day and so on!
Tip 9: Don’t go hungry!
Carry healthy snacks like granola bars or nuts with you when you have to drive long distances and there are no restaurants nearby. We always carry these munchies with us or buy them at the destination when we know we cannot stop at a restaurant. Just watch what you buy. Some of our favorites:
Tip 10: Relax!
You are on a vacation, it’s time to unwind. Once you get used to a travel routine with the tips mentioned above, you will see that Travel and Fitness can both go together.
In fact, the above tips to stay fit while traveling will make you enjoy travel more. Happy Travels my dear Fit Travelers!!
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Thank you!
This is great 🙂 Great that you’re making fitness a priority. Totally know how challenging it can be while traveling. This is a conscious way of sustaining traveling without feeling like you’ve lost your routine and feel like something’s bogging you down. Thanks for this post 🙂 Keep traveling!
Thank you Namratha for taking the time and reading the article! Glad you resonate with it 🙂