With Spring break coming up and people are taking fun trips with family and friends I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my tips to stay fit while traveling.
There’s a boatload of reasons traveling sabotages even the most disciplined person’s eating and fitness habits. Your schedule is disrupted. You’re surrounded by gobs of unhealthy food in the airport. Your dumbbells are replaced by clunky suitcases on wheels.
But here’s the thing: If you learn to recognize these potholes—and avoid them—you CAN actually return from your next trip leaner, healthier and more motivated than when you left.
So grab your bags and luggage. It’s time to learn the new rules of the road—the Determined fit way.
Usually the first day is your traveling is more waiting than you would like—from lines, waiting for your queue to get on the plane, to waiting on the plane ride to get to your destination. Waiting can lead you to eat whatever is at the airport or on the plane which also mean more sitting on your rear than you would like. Most of the time you are within striking distance of the airport food court, and the normal stress that comes along with traveling can fire up your bodies stress hormone that can actually make you crave those sugary, high-caloric foods you would normally find at the airport. Some people may have the vacation mode already in their brain and think it is okay to splurge because you’re on a “vacation.” But let’s be real–I hear this ALL the time. And doesn’t mean it is okay, because when you back from your vacation, your emotions come into play for letting yourself eat and drink for 10 people.
This happens and there are tips to get you on track before you go on vacation.
Tip #1: Traveling Day Tips
Travel-friendly foods like snack packs of, turkey or beef jerky, and low-sugar—high protein meal-replacement bars—Quest ® is a great brand, GMO free organic protein powders, or snack baggie of nuts, Fruit—banana or apple, string cheese, or hard boiled eggs.
If you are traveling in the car, then you can provide yourself and your travel companions with homemade meals in a cooler and bring all your travel-friendly snacks with tons of water to hydrate yourself.
Tip #2 Leaving on the Jet Plane
It’s no secret that airplane air is drier than air in the airport. But most travelers don’t realize that breathing dry air can turn you into a bloated whale (yes, I know not a great comparison! But hey! I feel that way after the plane ride, too) when you get off the plane. Dehydration in general can give you the feeling of hunger, and fatigue and since the airplane is a huge dehydrator, drink enough H2O before, during and after will help you with the bloat. So drink UP!
Also, watch the food that they serve on the plane, even just the snacks add in the bloat with extra sodium (chips and pretzels)–Ask for nuts or fruit instead of pretzels and chips. Chose water instead—it will help fill you up without filling you out. Cut out the alcohol drinking until off the plane (I know, right?!), but will lead you to bloat more–so stay away if you want to minimize the puffiness!
Tip #3 Getting Your Sweat on
Even at home fitting in a workout in your schedule can be hard–with family, work or other obligations but when you are on vacation it can make it even harder.
Things are less predictable while traveling, and getting a workout can make you feel physically and mentally better and help you make more positive choices during the day. My tip is to get your workout in first thing in the morning–so you have no excuses.
Schedule your workout times in advance, let the people know that you are planning on working out while you’re on vacation. That way, the time slot will already be filled when you friend or family wants to ask you to sit by the pool. Just politely decline, without the guilt, and do a quick workout before the fun festivities begin.
You can get a cardio workout simply by walking or jogging out the hotel door. Ten minutes are better than nothing. To make sure you know the surrounding, talk to the concierge to make sure the neighborhood is safe and ask for a handy map with a highlighted route, you will get great workout in while checking out new scenery and new landmarks. Enjoying the surroundings of a new environment will helps keep your workout fun and enjoyable! If the outside grounds make you feel uncomfortable, use the hotel stairs or check to see if the hotel has a treadmill or elliptical.
While you are inside the fitness room doing your cardio, take at least ten minutes to lift some iron 3-5 days. I usually will call ahead to see if there is a hotel fitness room and see what the fitness room includes so I can modify my workouts if need to be, I usually will do my strength training workouts while traveling.
If your hotel doesn’t have a fitness room than be sure to bring your resistant bands—they travel well and you can easily get a workout in your room with body weight, and resistant band exercises!
Tip #4 Workout Excuses—Let’s Conquer Them!
Many clients that have traveled say it’s nearly impossible to find a hotel with a decent gym. Too often, the “state-of-the-art exercise facility” the brochure is say is really about the size of supply closet with a 15-year-old belly-fat blaster–you know the one, you stand and wrap a band around your waist it literally shakes the fat right outta ya. Well that’s the illusion!
When I traveled to a hotel I always plan my workouts where ever we go because I don’t want to lose what I have been working on. This summer my family and I traveled up north for a weekend get-away and the hotel we stayed at had a fitness room the size of one of the hotel rooms and it had 2 treadmills, an elliptical and dumbbells, a bench, a mat. It was the smallest workout room I had ever worked out in but went in any way and got a great workout in even with the size. Sometimes you will surprise yourself what you can do with a limited amount of space!
Here is the hotel fitness room I squeezed myself into:
Tip #5 Take Control of your Food and Drinks on Vacation
Traveling can drive a person to drink—especially if it’s an all-inclusive. It is okay occasionally—like 1-2 days you are out there, but if you make heavy drinking a nightly habit, you’ll max out the clothes you brought with. Alcohol is not only packed with extra calories, alcohol compromises your willpower. So you’re less likely to stick to your eating plan. So tossing down four or five drinks and you’re logging the caloric equivalent of a whole pizza (depending on what your drink of choice is)!
Take control of your food intake by ordering lean meats—chicken, fish, steaks with “loin” in the name. They’re rich in protein, which makes you feel full while you’re eating. And they’re not easily upsized. Round out your meal with a house salad (dressing on the side) and a side of vegetables (with no oil or butter).
Tip #6 Hotel Sabotages
Create your own snack bar. Ask the concierge for directions to the nearest convenience store and pick up easy-to-eat-foods like yogurt, fruit, and boiled eggs, and salad. When you shop for your own snacks, you’ll be more likely to choose them over the ones supplied by the hotel.
Don’t open the room-service menu. You’re more likely to eat what you should if you’re not sidetracked by a slew of the amount of choices. Instead, simply order a grilled chicken breast, salmon steak, or sirloin with a side of steamed vegetables. If it is not on the menu, just ask. They usually can make a simple meal!
Make a quick order. Once you’ve settled in, place an order for a plain chicken sandwich, no chips, with the sauces on the side, and raw veggies. Then tuck it away in the refrigerator in case you feel the need to feed later that night (or don’t have time to stop for breakfast the next morning).
Lastly, when in doubt–check out your hotel before you go on a vacation –see if the hotel includes a fitness room, what they have for equipment, and if they have walking and running trails in the surrounding areas. You can make your vacation a healthy one by taking control of your surroundings and being prepared!
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Nice tips for travellers. Its very important to be fit during travel on food and drinks point of view. Mostly outside food will sometimes cause some health issues. So we will be more careful during travel, so we pack home-made items for journey.