How to Stay Fit While Traveling

Posted by WinterWomen on Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Summer is here, which means that the busy travel season has begun. There's no better time to visit distant friends and family than these few months consisting of warm weather and fun outdoor activities. Although the break to our usual routine is welcome, it does throw a wrench in the works when we are unable to follow our daily healthy habits of eating well-balanced meals and exercising regularly. It's not too often you see a Whole Foods next to a gas station exit on major interstates throughout the U.S...and Dunkin' Donuts sure smells good in the airport terminal.

Although vacation is a time to enjoy ourselves and loosen up from our regular routine, it's also important to stay on track so we can get back to our regular non-vacation life without too much of an adjustment back to reality. If you're serious about maintaining your fitness level and healthy eating habits while still enjoying yourself on your summer vacation, follow these important steps--and you'll feel better than ever when you return home!

Plan Ahead

Regardless of whether you're traveling by plane or car, planning meals ahead of travel time will make a huge impact on your food decisions. Not only will you save money by not eating out in airports or at fast food restaurants along the highway, you will also have a healthy snack or meal of your choice available to you. As we all know, it is much easier to bring food when traveling by car - you can simply pack up a cooler and go! While it is impossible to bring your Igloo cooler on an airplane, it is possible to pack some light sandwiches (as long as they won't go bad too quickly!) and bring some small snacks like trail mix, bananas, pre-sliced apples, celery sticks, and individual peanut butter packs to munch on in the terminal or on the plane.

Stick With A Routine

Although your hotel's gym may not have the best machines or HIIT classes that you're used to, or you're staying at a place that offers no type of fitness center, that doesn't mean that you can't experiment and create your own workout routine. The best way to stay in shape on vacation is to keep moving! Whether that's walking the beach or the neighborhood or working on a machine you've never tried before, you're at least still moving and challenging your body. I always try to get in some exercise in the morning while vacationing. I go with no expectations of workout length or intensity; however, I always seem to find fun or interesting things to keep myself moving in the mornings. Some of my favorite exercises, like planks, push-ups, and burpees, can be done anywhere--and require no equipment!

There's no right or wrong whether you choose to take a brisk walk or jog outside, or burn out 20 minutes of free weights in the hotel gym. As long as you get a sweat going--and you feel good about it--it doesn't matter how long you worked out or what you did. Take the time to enjoy doing or trying other things. You know your fitness level--so as long as you feel good about it, your body will feel good too!

Don't Limit Yourself Completely

After all...you are on vacation! We all deserve to treat ourselves here and there, and that's why you shouldn't limit yourself from the dining experience: good food and drink. I always try to stick as closely as possible with food options that resemble my usual meals at home while dining out on vacation. And although I am terribly picky with waiters ("no this, add this"), I have never run into a problem with a restaurant unable to modify a dish or a cocktail (margaritas taste better without the added sugar!). Don't be afraid to ask a restaurant to make a change so your meal can align with your healthy eating habits. And if you want everything that comes on the Lemoncello Cream Torte? Go for it. You've been working hard and staying healthy all week!

What's your favorite way to stay fit while traveling? Let us know in the comments below!

Categories: Health & Fitness

Tagged: health, Travel, fitness, womens health