When traveling to new places most people tend to over-indulge, treat themselves and then be depressed when they come home feeling heavier and less healthy. Traveling and staying in shape don’t generally go hand in hand but that doesn’t mean it is impossible to keep your health in check while on the go.
To make things easier for you, we have compiled a list of the most important things you need to remember if you want to stay active while also having fun and enjoying your trip.
Endless fitness possibilities
It can be a bit difficult to stay active when traveling since a workout routine works very well at home where you know which route you’ll take, what you’ll wear, your favorite dual station bag stand at the gym and so forth. When traveling you can feel overwhelmed and not following your routine can quickly lead to a feeling of guilt and anxiety.
It is important not to let yourself feel overwhelmed by this feeling and remember that you don’t need a gym to work out. You can do pull-ups in the park, use a bench for step-ups, the stairs for bear crawls, and so on.
This is what makes traveling so invigorating for people since it lets you experience new things and test your body in new environments. When you are traveling there are also plenty of activities that you can throw yourself into such as beach volleyball, swimming/snorkeling, surfing, rock climbing, tennis, and so many others.
Other tricks that can help you get some exercise include opting for the hotel stairs instead of the elevator, hiking up a hill so that you can get a better view of your surroundings, or simply going on a walk to explore the city. Just because you’re not at the gym it doesn’t mean that you can’t get a good workout while also enjoying your trip.
Diet and nutrition
Your diet and nutrition are just as important if you intend to stay fit and healthy but it can be difficult to balance things since, for most people, food is a key part of travel. Experiencing all that the local cuisine has to offer and sampling as much of the street food as possible is certainly part of the experience.
You don’t need to give all this up. Instead, you need to find a balance between treating yourself and keeping your healthy diet. The best way to try everything without overindulging is to share your meals with other people so that everyone can get a taste of each dish.
What’s more, try to be aware of liquid calories as well, especially alcohol since beers, wines and ciders are drinks that are very high in calories.
Don’t stress
With all that being said, the most important thing to remember is that everything will be alright and you don’t need to stress yourself too much. Try to enjoy your trip regardless of how little time you may have left for exercising.
There are plenty of uncertainties when you are traveling, especially when going to foreign countries and this can really turn your workout routine upside down. We understand just how stressful it can be to find a balance between enjoying your trip while also staying in shape. To that, we say that you shouldn’t worry.
Just because you don’t work out for a few days or weeks doesn’t mean that you will lose all your progress. Studies have shown that for the average person it takes up to four weeks for weights and about one to two weeks for cardio before your fitness starts to decline.
This is assuming all you do is stand in bed all day and when you’re visiting places you’ll end up walking for the most part of the day which will give you a good workout for your legs and will help burn some of the calories from those delicious foreign dishes.
Finally, what’s crucial is to enjoy your vacation since at the end of the day, any trip can be a once in a lifetime opportunity and treating yourself a few too many times for a couple of days won’t negate all the effort that you’ve put into your body.
