7 Tips For Staying Healthy On The Road

If traveling is a big part of your life, attending a regular gym is definitely not. Unlike others, who can focus on getting to the gym at a regular time each day and doing a program they have all planned out, your schedule tends to be erratic and filled with a wide variety of different activities.

As such, maintaining a regular schedule is next to impossible. This doesn’t mean maintaining a good level of fitness is, however. For those who travel frequently, it all comes down to having a good game plan and knowing how to work fitness into the traveling lifestyle.

Let’s go over some tips you should know and remember so you can stay healthy as you hit the road.

1. Call Ahead

First things first, if you plan on staying in a hotel or resort, call ahead and see what fitness facilities they have on the site. While you can’t expect much from a hotel gym, at least it’s something.

Usually, you’ll find at least a couple pieces of cardio equipment with possibly a universal gym or free weights. If you don’t have access to anything, consider bringing the gym to you. You can pack resistance bands in your bags to do a strength-training workout and add a jump rope for cardio.

If jumping rope isn’t your thing, consider running stairs in the hotel you’re staying at. Most have stairwells that provide an intense cardio session.

2. Get Activity In Early

Next, when traveling, aim to get some activity first thing in the morning. This way it’s done and you can move on with your day, not worrying about when you’ll fit it in.

Most of the time when traveling you’ll be out and about seeing sights, not coming home until the evening. By this point, you might be tired to work out, so getting it in early sets the stage for a healthier day.

3. Check Out Local Activity Offerings

You might want to check what local activity offerings are available. Perhaps there’s a drop in yoga class you can take or you can sign up for ballroom dancing lessons as part of your activity list to do while on holiday.

Or, maybe rock climbing is an option depending on where you’re going. Remember that fitness doesn’t have to take place in the gym or by doing regular gym-like activities.

Venture out. If you find fun new ways to get active, it’ll enrich your holiday even more.

4. Prepare Your Own Food Frequently

On the nutrition side of things, you’ll want to focus on preparing your own food as often as possible. Eating right on the road can be a challenge, which is why limiting yourself to just one or two meals out is wise.

Always aim to stay in a room that has a fridge, microwave, and if possible, a small kitchen. Hit the grocery store when you get there and pick up some food that you can prepare in your room.

Eating breakfast and an evening meal in the room can help keep you on track with your nutrition.

5. Keep Smart On-The-Go Snacks On Hand

Another wise move to make as far as nutrition is concerned is to make sure you keep on-the-go snacks on hand at all times.

This is important when you’re driving, as the only other option will be to stop and pick up something, which usually won’t be the healthiest or budget friendly of options.

Good choices for on the road snacks include low-sugar protein bars, low sodium beef jerky, pop-top cans of tuna, pre-made bags of low fat popcorn, fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, and oranges, along with your own homemade trail mix of dried fruit, nuts, whole wheat squares, and a few pieces of dark chocolate.

Keep these on hand in your traveling bag so you’re never without a healthy option.

6. Prioritize Sleep

Next, as hard as it may be, try and prioritize sleep while on holiday. If you aren’t sleeping well, you won’t be feeling energized to get in much activity at all, so this can mean your workout efforts go down the drain.

Arriving back at the hotel at a reasonable hour and getting sleep will not only improve your fitness and health but also make your vacation much more enjoyable as you’ll feel well rested.

There’s nothing like being overly tired of ruining an otherwise great day.

7. Know Your Goals Going In

Finally, depending on the length of time you’re traveling, know what your goals are with regards to your fitness. For instance, if you’re going to be gone for two or three days, you could use this time as a recovery period away from working out. In that case, your goal is to rest up so you arrive home rejuvenated and ready to work hard again.

If you’re going to be away for a week or so, your goal should be to maintain your fitness level. This shouldn’t be too much of a challenge given the tips above and won’t set you up for disappointment if you don’t see yourself progressing.

During travel is not the time to be striving to hit personal records or other fitness feats, so save that for when you’re off the road and back home and able to control your schedule.

If you keep these quick tips in mind, you should have no problem staying the course on your healthy lifestyle regardless of where you happen to be. Once you start getting a smart plan in place, you’ll find that each time you travel, it gets easier and easier.

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