Our best on-the-go tips for staying healthy!
If you’re sticking to a healthy lifestyle, the prospect of traveling for work or vacation can be daunting. You might feel like leaving your usual environment and routine will set back your progress. But there are ways to stick to your healthy routine, even when your day-to-day schedule and environment aren’t quite the same. A few squats and push-ups in your hotel room or choosing a salad over a burger at the airport can make all the difference. Read on for some of our best tips on how to stay fit while traveling (but remember, even if you do take a rest or “cheat day” on vacation, all your progress is certainly not lost!)
Recreating Your Healthy Habits
It’s important to stick to your daily healthy habits, even when your routine goes out the window. Don’t use travel as an unnecessary excuse–you can still take the stairs instead of the elevator, and if you usually bike to work, you can try renting one while traveling. While on vacation, on a business trip, or visiting family, do your best to stick to your usual sleep schedule or at least get your eight hours in. This will balance your mood, metabolism, and hunger cues. Plus, sleep is all the more important when fighting jet lag in a new time zone. Finally, don’t forget to drink water–it’s easy to forget while traveling, and that’s often when it’s most crucial (traveling by plane or visiting a different climate can be dehydrating!)
Sticking to a Healthy Diet While Traveling
Try your best to stick to your healthy eating habits while on the road. Pack healthy snacks in your luggage–like an apple or a protein bar. You can even bring a protein shaker with you to make a shake on the go! This will also save you time and money if you need to eat on the go. Try to stick to a healthy breakfast–your complimentary hotel breakfast may include healthy options like eggs or oatmeal. Depending on where you’re staying, you may even be able to stock up on groceries and cook yourself some healthy meals. There’s no need to stick to a rigid eating schedule or count calories while traveling, but making these small smart choices can make all the difference.
Related: 5 Ways to Eat Healthy When You’re Eating Out
Working Out on the Road
Getting in a sweat session while traveling can be a challenge. But it’s not as tough as you think with a bit of planning. If your hotel has a gym, you can squeeze in some reps first thing in the morning. If you’re staying by the beach, a quick jog is sure to get your heart rate up, and if you’re near a trail, a hike could double as a workout and a fun vacation activity. But even if all you have is your tiny hotel room, there are still some travel-friendly exercises you can build into your vacation or business trip routine! If you have room in your suitcase, a yoga mat or set of resistance bands is worth packing, but even simple bodyweight exercises done on the carpet or a towel are just as effective.
How to Stay Fit While Traveling
Below are some of our favorite workouts for keeping up your fitness routine while out of town.
1. Quick Beginner’s Home Workout for Women
This routine was originally designed for women struggling with gym anxiety but can be used as an on-the-go workout for anyone! Primarily cardio with some full-body strength built in, it’s sure to help you break a sweat.
Get the workout: The Best Beginner’s Home Workout for Women
2. HIIT for Busy Schedules
This quick HIIT circuit is perfect for squeezing in a session while traveling. Primarily cardio, it’ll keep you energized for the rest of the day.
Try it: This High-Intensity Exercise Routine is Great for Busy Schedules
3. 15-Minute Bodyweight HIIT Circuit
This 15-minute workout requires no equipment, so it can be done anywhere! It’s a great option for burning calories fast!
Get the workout: 15-Minute Indoor Bodyweight HIIT Routine
4. 15-Minute Dumbbell Circuit Workout
If your hotel or hostel has a fitness center, head there to strength-train with this quick but effective workout! Lifting weights gets that metabolism cranking!
Try it: 15-Minute Circuit Workout to Tone and Shape Your Whole Body
5. 15-Minute Arm Workout
Try this upper-body workout so you won’t miss arm day even on vacation. It’s perfect for a small hotel gym!
Get the workout: 15-Minute Workout for Strong and Toned Arms
6. 10-Minute HIIT Core Workout
This fast but intense core workout can easily be done on a yoga mat or on your hotel room floor. It certainly proves that a great workout doesn’t have to take a long time!
Try it: HIIT Your Core In Under 10 Minutes
7. 20-Minute Bodyweight Workout
This 20-minute bodyweight workout will jumpstart your metabolism and help you tone up your muscles. Laying on the beach afterward will feel even better!
Get the workout: 20-Minute Bodyweight Workout to Melt the Fat Away
8. Resistance Band Booty Builder Workout
If you can fit a set of resistance bands in your suitcase (you totally can), this glute workout is so worth it. It’s the perfect way to get in some resistance training, even without access to a gym.
Try it: Resistance Band Booty Builder Workout
9. Ultimate No-Equipment Workout
This challenging bodyweight workout is guaranteed to keep you on track. After all those jumps and burpees, you’ll be just as tired as you are after a gym sesh at home.
Get the workout: The Ultimate No-Equipment Fat-Sizzling Workout
10. Quick Indoor Fat-Burning Workout
Designed to be done in a small space indoors, this quick no-equipment workout is perfect for travel. Did someone turn the heat on?
Try it: Indoor Fat-Burning Workout
Above all, remember that one “rest day” or “cheat day” will by no means eliminate your progress. It’s okay to enjoy yourself on vacation! If you sleep in or order fast food one day, you can simply resume your healthy habits the next day guilt-free. That’s what vacationing is for!
Do you have any tips on how to stay fit while traveling that you’d like to share? Let us know below!
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Do you have a workout for people who can’t get on the floor. I had my knee replaced 5 years ago and doing floor exercises is excruciatingly awkward and sometimes painful. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Cathy! There are quite a few exercises that can be done while standing or even sitting in a chair! That said, we don’t have many workouts specifically designed for “no floor”. Here’s a list of some exercises you may find helpful though. Be sure to check with your doctor before giving them a try. You can usually find really good instructional videos on Youtube!
Begin by choosing one from each group and performing 3 sets of 10 reps with a light to moderate resistance (if using).
Arms: Bicep curls, tricep kick backs, and tricep overhead extensions
Shoulders: Overhead press, lateral raise, front raises, and rear delt squeezes with a band
Chest: Push ups from a table or wall
Back: Bent over rows with dumbbells or a band
Glutes and Legs: Sit to stand squats from a chair, standing glute kickbacks (with or without band), standing butt pulses (as linked above), standing hip abductions (with or without band), calf raises, and dumbbell deadlifts.
Abs: core flexing and oblique twists (shown in linked post above) as well as wood choppers and high knees
Hope that helps! 🙂